The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age – The Anti-Nuclear President, the Bomb Decision, and Cold War History

by Alex Wellerstein

President Truman’s choice to drop the atomic bomb is the most debated decision in the 20th Century. But what if Truman’s actual decision wasn’t what everyone thinks it was?

Eight decades after the bombing of Hiroshima, the conventional narrative is that American leaders had a choice: Invade Japan, which would have cost millions of Allied and Japanese lives, or use the atom bomb in the hopes of convincing Japan to surrender. Truman, the story goes, carefully weighed the pros and cons before deciding that the atomic bomb would be used against Japanese cities, as the lesser of two evils.

But nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein argues that is not what happened. Not only did Truman not take part in the decision to use the bomb, but the one major decision that he did make was a very different one — one that he himself did not fully understand until after the atomic bomb was used. And the weight of that decision, and that misunderstanding, became the major reason that atomic bombs have not been used again since World War II.

Based on a close reading of the historical record, The Most Awful Responsibility argues that despite his reputation as an ardent defender of the use of the atomic bomb, Truman was in fact deeply antagonistic to nuclear weapons, associating them primarily with the “murder” and “slaughter” of innocent civilians, believing that they never should be used again, and hoping that they would, in his lifetime, possibly be outlawed. Wellerstein makes a startling case that Truman was possibly the most anti-nuclear American president of the twentieth century, but whose ambitions in this area were strongly constrained by the domestic and international politics of the postwar world.

This book is a must-read for all who want to truly understand not only why the bomb was dropped on Japan, but also why it has not been used since.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, American History, War, Military History, World War II

432 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2025

About the author

Alex Wellerstein is an Associate Professor in the Science and Technology Studies program in the  School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences  at the  Stevens Institute of Technology  in Hoboken, New Jersey. As of 2025, he is also a visiting researcher at the  Nuclear Knowledges program , at the  Center for International Studies , at  Sciences Po , in Paris, France.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Makes Truman seem like a dense out of touch... Unimpressed.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an avid reader of WWII history for several reasons. One is that you can read hundreds of books and still find events about which you know nothing. Secondly I was blessed in 1967/68 to study at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok for four months with a study group from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. It was an amazing time to be in Southeast Asia with everything that was happening with the Vietnam War. Sadly we were witnesses to the beginnings of the sex trade in Thailand - 10,000 R&R troops in and out of Bangkok every week. There were entire multi-story hotels just for officers. We traveled the see the Thai-Burma ( Death Railway ) in Kanchanaburi and walked across the "bridge over the River Kwai". Though the Japanese had signed the Geneva Convention, it was never ratified by the government. Thus we visited thousands of graves of British, Australian, Dutch, and Canadian soldiers. Fortunately there were only roughly 680 American POW's used for slave labor - 130 died. At that point in the war, not many U. S. soldiers were prisoners of Japan. Those who died were repatriated. Later in life I was privileged to have a friend who was part of the Bataan Death Marth in the Philippines and a British man who escaped from Singapore and was a spotter for the rest of the war. While traveling to and from Bangkok, we visited Japan, Hong Kong, Penang, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines and Guam. One of the hardest places I have ever visited was Fort Santiago in Manila. It was the last part of the old city which was captured by the Americans. The main entrance still had a roughly enlarged space for tanks to enter the fort. It was used as a torture and death camp. I walked a ways through the structures and had to leave - some places preserve holiness and honor - this one only made me react with horror. Independent of the Thailand trip I have traveled to the Normandy Beaches - looked out through a German gun emplacement of Pont du Hoc, seen the remains of the Mulberry harbor, stood on a calm Omaha beach and tried to picture the sea red with American blood, and walked in the beautiful American Cemetery. It was difficult to find a grave for a person older than in their 20's. Old men make war and young people die.......... One of my most important reasons for interest in WWII was the fact that my father and most of my uncles served in the military. I am a baby-boomer - born in 1948 . They were Boeing mechanics, Seabees, tank drivers for Patton's army, a medic in the South Pacific, and sadly a tail-gunner in a bomber brought down over Berlin. I thought they walked on water!!!!!!! Given the subject of this book, and before beginning to read, I feel that I must take a stand on the use of the atomic bomb. The deadliest single American air raid in history was Operation Meetinghouse, the March 9–10, 1945 firebombing of Tokyo. This B‑29 incendiary attack destroyed about 16 square miles of the city, killing an estimated 100,000 Japanese civilians and leaving over 1 million homeless. ( One of the reasons that I did not particularly enjoy Tokyo as much as I did Kyoto and Nara is that everything was so "modern". Standing in the Ginza area, except for the signage and population, you could have been in New York City. The old city had been extensively destroyed with some shrines, the Imperial Palace and the Diet building the latter was not constructed of wood) We were firebombing cities all across Japan. Given the fact that most Japanese cities of the era were made of wooden structures, we were causing massive damage and loss of life plus creating famine and long lasting injuries. Japan was "never" going to surrender. The loss of life to the military on both sides and the civilians with an invasion would have been horrific. In addition, we were dumber than a box of rocks about the effects of radiation. One supposed plan to invade Japan involved dropping an atomic bomb on one day and invading the next. We would have murdered Japanese, of course, but also the Allies involved. We would have had to ship thousands of European troops to the invasion. We were struggling to maintain well-trained front line ground troops in Europe. In the Battle of the Bulge, one of the reasons that the Nazis were so successful for so long is that half of the 89-mile front was defended by new recruits who had never fought in a battle!!! Also imagine taking hundreds of thousands of battle-weary soldiers and shipping them to the Pacific to fight again. Many were living in fear that this was their fate. (Can we spell PTSD??) Some say that because the Soviet Union had finally declared war on Japan, that invasion would have been a great deal easier. Well.... remember the Soviet troops had never done an amphibious landing and were only fighting in Manchukuo. We would have had to provide all the invasion vehicles and training needed to get the Soviet onto the land. In short I believe the loss of life to both parties would have been horrific. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed an estimated 150,000 to 246,000 people, most of whom were civilians... It is tragic, but we were fighting a government who had convinced the military and far too many of the ordinary people that surrender was a fate worse than death..... The realization of the power of 2 bombs to destroy two complete cities finally convinced the Emperor to yield. ( Some of the military tried to capture him and prevent surrender.) Not exactly an excuse, but we did not know that the radiation contamination would have such a long lasting effect. We killed military and civilian "observers" in this country because of our ignorance. I believe the use of the atomic bombs saved perhaps millions of lives. I wish that Harry Truman had been informed about the Manhattan Project, but Vice-Presidents have far too often been kept in the dark. It will be interesting to see what I learn as I read this book.... Initial observations: I learned a few years ago that Kyoto was at the top of the list for atomic targeting and that Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, had vehemently fought to remove the city from the list. He had visited Kyoto, but did not fully explain ( perhaps he did not know himself ) why he wished to protect the city. I might understand as I fell in love with Kyoto and Nara. Even 22 years after the end of the war, the cities maintained the beautiful temples and gardens and had not become "modern" industrial centers. Two of my most profound memories were of the deer park in Nara and a conversation with Japanese university students. As we were walking one evening my friends and I were invited to have drinks with three young men so that they could practice their English. We had a lovely visit until one of the students asked why we did not simply drop an atomic bomb on Vietnam to win the war. I was shocked by the idea that a citizen of the only country ever to experience the devastation of the atomic bomb would recommend its use again. The greatest experience in the city was to visit the home ( atelier ) of TOKURIKI Tomikichirô a renowned woodblock artist. He was so gracious and kind. He made a brush painting for each of us as we watched him. He signed the art and put his chop the paper to make the small bird in a tree that I received his official art. I see that bird every day that I am at home ( which at 77 is now almost every day ) and feel joy. As I have read more about the Pacific Theatre of WWII I have found it difficult in my heart to reconcile the beauty and kindness I experienced in Kyoto with the atrocities I saw in the thousands of graves of slave laborers on the Death Railroad and learned as I entered Fort Santiago in Manila. Knowing that beautiful human beings were trained in school and worship to massacre, makes me fear what is happening in the U. S. today....... I knew that Truman had been kept out of the loop about the Manhattan Project and the building of the atomic bomb, but I did not know that the decision to drop the bombs WAS NOT HIS..... The military continued on the program and misled Truman about the targets, telling him they were military and not civilian in nature. Now I understand why the title of this book is "The Most Awful Responsibility", not the Most Awful Choice...... Having already been verbose, it is difficult to review the book succinctly. I will soon be 78 and began life amid the Korean War and the Cold War. My father and uncles fought in WWII; my older cousins fought in Korea. I was born amid the Berlin Airlift. Small memories of the Cold War: Nikita Khrushchev banging his shoe at the United Nations. Having drills at school where we hid under our desks to avoid a nuclear attack ( like that would have helped....). Bomb shelters being built by families. Signs on rooms ( a locker in the basement of our high school ) certifying they were bomb proof. Jets flying in low ( so low that they had to raise up to go over our farm grove ) to see if they could sneak in under the detection of NORAD - North American Aerospace Defense Command - if we could do it, the Soviets could too. I had the fastest horseback ride in my life when a jet flew by about 50 feet away. I could see the pilot. Of course you did not hear the plane until it was past you. I and my horse had the bejesus scared out of us. I was no longer in control of that giant horse, so I snugged up the reins, grabbed his mane, and held on as we headed for home. I swear we could have won the Kentucky Derby hands down that day...... I have no personal memories of Truman until after he was out of office - I was only 4 in 1952. I read many years ago David McCullough's Truman. My impression of Truman was that he was not an egomaniac - that he took on "responsibility" for the atomic bombs after Nagasaki and removed them from the strict control of the military. He was pressured to use the bombs in Korea and chose not to do so. He tried to move control into the hand of the newly created Atomic Energy Commission - 1946. He perhaps gave too many "potential" bombs back into the hands of the military, but in my opinion if it helped him fire McArthur it was a plus. He did not have the grand educations of many presidents, but he was not a stupid man. I believe he was an honorable man who was thrown into a a world-changing situation. Even when we had virtually "all" the atomic bombs, he did not want to use them. Today we have a world where most countries with the bomb know that to be the first to use one would lead to the destruction of the world. We can but hope that a rogue nation / leader does to start a domino effect. I have lived all my life under the shadow of the atomic bomb. I only hope that once Agent Orange is out of office, NATO, the United Nations, and our relationships with Canada and other nations can be rebuilt. I have no control - only a vote, I HOPE. Some days I am very happy to be old. Excellent book!! Recommend!! Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper for an advance copy of this book that looks at one of the most momentous and world altering decisions made in this century, a decision made in haste, lacking complete information, but one that has cast a shadow over the world for the last eighty years.

The hardest decision I was ever a part of was when my family decided to remove my father from life support. We did this fully informed of the consequences, and though many offered their suggestions and ideas, the final decision came down to the three of us, my mother, my brother and I. We know this was for the best, and went forward, sad of course, but sure that we were doing the right thing. I thought of this often while reading this book. What my family did was something that really effected our lives, but again we know the options, and what the result would be. I can't imagine making a decision that basically doomed so many to die, to change the world in so many ways, without knowing everything about it. However, that seems to have happened during the dropping of the first nuclear weapons on Japan, a decision made by a president who had much on his plate, few trusted advisors, and little understanding of what was being asked of him. Though it seems he learned from his mistake, which is some comfort for the world that followed. The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age by Alex Wellerstein is a book about power, responsibility, the power of the atom, and how one man influenced the decisions behind the use of atomic power.

Harry Truman was never really the first choice for Vice President of the United States, but he was a man known for honesty, and for being a relatively decent man. This did nothing to gain him access to the President Franklin Roosevelt, who kept him at a distance, trusting his own advisors, and trusted confidents. An odd decisions as Roosevelt even to those trusted men, was a man in ill health, with a War to win. Truman knew little of what was happening in the War, the policies being thought about for after the war, and only an inkling of what was happening in the development of a superweapon that could change everything. Upon the death of Roosevelt, Truman was suddenly placed in absolute power, surrounded by the people who had kept him away from access. The decision to drop the atomic bomb was one presented to him quickly, among other meetings, a quick lesson about atom splitting, sites chosen to bomb, and what could and could not happen. Truman accepted the blame for dropping the bomb, and learned from his haste, crafting policy about the use of nuclear weapons that might have kept us from making similar mistakes.

I have read much about Truman, the second World War, and thought I knew the much about the planning and use of atomic weapons on Japan. I was wrong. This is a fascinating look at a momentous event, an event little understood by the people involved. Wellerstein is a very good writer, able to write clearly about policy, politics, the lives of the people involved and of course about the science of atom splitting. Wellerstein is a also a very good researcher, finding documents, statements, diaries and more backing his argument that Truman was kept in the dark about what Hiroshima was, Truman thought the first bomb was to be used on a military site. Wellerstein also looks at what happens next, the people that began to form nuclear policy, the civilian control and Truman's use of power to make sure that what happened, could not happen again. Especially with the proliferation of atomic weapons, that happened.

A really interesting book, one that I quite enjoyed as I learned so much. A book that made me think quite a bit about what I thought was history, and even in how decisions are made. This is the first book I have read by Alex Wellerstein, but I look forward to more.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reasonably Well Documented Book Will Force You To Rethink All You Think You Know Of The Post-WWII Era. This is one of those rare history books that actively goes in to not just point out something most people missed about an era and/ or a person, but also goes to show the reader that a lot of what you thought you knew... may not have happened quite the way you think it did.

For example, one of the main points of the early part of the text: You think President Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That was what most textbooks (at least in America) teach, at least lower than say upperclassman history majors at the collegiate level. Except.... Wellerstein shows here - repeatedly - that this wasn't exactly how that went down. Indeed, Wellerstein uses first hand sources from a few different key people - including Truman himself, where possible - to show that not only was there not one single decision to drop the bombs or where, but that Truman himself likely understood neither the weapon nor the target profile. (Which, let's face it, both humanizes him a bit more - something Wellerstein is *great* at in this text, for what that's worth - and should give most of us at least a touch of hope given more recent Presidents and their mental abilities.)

Then, in the period after the bombings, Truman - and the world - realize what has been done... and Truman is personally absolutely horrified. This is where and when the real struggles begin, and the "rest of the story" (as Paul Harvey famously proclaimed for so long) begins. And y'all, this part reads almost like a DC spy thriller/ court drama. High ranking people across several different realms within the US government all seeking to have their vision of the future made manifest, with Truman - and his famous "buck stops here" mantra - the focal point and the one both making decisions and seeking to establish his own preferred path.

Now, with all this lesser known history and with the entire point of the book showing a side of Truman most often ignored by history and historians, some may argue that this necessistates application of the Sagan Standard -that these are extraordinary claims that thus require extraordinary evidence. From my reading here and my understanding of both this text and the relevant histories as I know them, I don't think this is true. This is a bit of a bombshell, yes, but is also fits pretty squarely in with known histories, it simply illuminates lesser known corners of those histories more properly. Thus, for me, the roughly 20% bibliography here sufficiently establishes a reasonable amount of documentation, and the frequent citations of the diaries and memoirs of those directly involved show the depth of research Wellerstein was able to bring to the table here.

Overall a very well written text that will completely rewrite your understanding of the post-WWII period as it relates to the use and control of atomic weapons - which seems to be Wellerstein's very point, meaning he executed that point to near perfection.

Very much recommended.

[G Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

Aptly titled is an understatement. It is odd to have someone use such hyperbolic language as "this was one of the most consequential decisions/actions ever undertaken by man in its history" and realize that there is no hyperbole: the ushering in of the atomic era and the suddenly present possibility of a swift end to the human race at its own hand dwarfs any other previous world-altering discovery or decision.

Wellerstein wields this difficult subject with a deftly human touch, never straying too far from the core figures in order to keep the focus squarely on Truman and those who most frequently had his ear. The whole book reads less like your standard nonfiction historical and more like a dissertation and that is very much to the good. In trying to present Truman as a fairly unremarkable human being trying to control the most terrifying weapons ever built, Wellerstein makes a good case that not only did Truman not always have all the facts - he may not have even known precisely what he was ordering at any given moment.

While that may sound buffoonish (and it sure sounds like many in the inner circle had little enough faith in the man when he was sworn in), Truman was the quintessential "everyman" president. Chosen under dodgy circumstances, made a name for himself with his forthright and honest persona, and sort of "accidentally" became president. It almost feels like providence that the nuclear football was developed under such a man who would do all he could to ensure nukes were never used again after the scope of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki began to be understood.

You may have noticed by now that this book is, to paraphrase the author, an "atomic biography of Harry S. Truman." To that end, the first third of the book is dedicated to the development and deployment of the bombs in question and may be the most "action-packed" portion of the book. After that, it loses none of its stakes or drama, but if you want to read about the a-bombs, this is not the book: the last two thirds are less about the bombs themselves and more (as the subtitle suggests) about the backroom conversations trying to keep the bombs under civilian and POTUS control rather than the military.

The Most Awful Responsibility is sobering, thoughtful and poignant. It is chilling to think what may have been had some of the more hawkish minds of the time prevailed in loosing further bombings before their full impact was understood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for advanced access to this book scheduled to be published December 9, 2025 at time of writing.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Most Awful Responsibility" by Alex Wellerstein, is a heavily researched historical work that argues President Harry Truman was arguably the most anti-nuclear U.S. president of the 20th century, struggling to control the atomic weapons that he despised, contrary to conventional narratives. This is one of those history books that actively goes in to not just point out something most people missed about an era and or a person but also goes to show the reader that a lot of what you thought you knew may not have happened quite the way you think it did.

What most Americans are taught in School is that President Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Wellerstein shows here repeatedly that this wasn’t exactly how that went down. Wellerstein a noted nuclear historian, uses firsthand sources from a few different key people including Truman himself, where possible to show that not only was there not one single decision to drop the bombs or where, but that Truman himself likely understood neither the weapon nor the target profile. Then, in the period after the bombings, Truman and the world realize what has been done… and Truman is personally absolutely horrified. This part book was very interesting. It is the first time I felt ran across an author who humanized a President of the United States. Rather than a callous leader, Truman is depicted as a man burdened by the "awful responsibility" of his position. The book shows him as deeply distressed by the "murder" and "slaughter" of civilians.

The second part of the book tracks how Truman, upon realizing the true nature of the bomb, became horrified and subsequently moved to restrict its use, effectively making him, in the author's view, one of the most "anti-nuclear" presidents of the 20th century. This part of the book I slogged through as it examines nuclear policy, the decision to build the H-bomb, and the non-use of weapons in the Korean War. The entire point of the book showing a side of Truman most often ignored by history. Check it out.

[James Lurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting lookback at the decision to use the newly-developed atomic bomb to bring about the surrender of Japan in 1945. The fact that Harry Truman did know about the bomb at the time he assumed the Presidency when FDR died is well documented. The position of the book is that the path to the use of the bomb was cast in stone and that Truman didn't really make a choice to deviate from that path; he just followed the trail which had been laid out. His only material contribution, according to the author, to the targeting decision was to exempt Kyoto because of its cultural heritage. A correlative position is that he know so little about Japan that he was effectively unaware that the military aspects of targeting Hiroshima and Nagasaki were relatively minor relative to the magnitude of the civilian population of both cities. There is some consideration to the fact that the incendiary bombings of Tokyo killed more civilians than were killed in either Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

The author gives short shrift to the casualties of both Saipan and Okinawa. On Saipan, Japanese deaths totaled about 30,000 military and 22,000 civilian. On Okinawa Japanese military deaths were roughly 100,000, between 100,000 and 150,000 Japanese civilians died. While the exact casualty count may have been unknown in late July/early August 1945, certainly the general magnitude of the body count was known as the decision to use the new weapons was made. A simple, and logical, extrapolation would have suggested that the civilian casualties of an invasion of Kyushu followed by the other home islands would have been magnitudes greater. In addition the US would have lost hundreds of thousands in an invasion scenario. It is not conceivable to me that these numbers would not have been a major factor in the decision to use the new bombs.

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I select this book to read only because @histerynerdsunited biggest fan dislike it? ABSOLUTELY. Call me petty but eh, I am who I am ha. Anyway, I rather enjoyed this book a lot. I had never really given much thought to Truman. He was a vice president that became president and that was the extent of my knowledge. I also didn’t know much about the atomic bomb, much to my husbands dismay. He kept trying to get me to watch Obermeyer, but I couldn’t stay focused. Anyway, this book was so entertaining. I loved how the author clearly explained how he planned to go about the book from the beginning, it set the stage for what was to come. He acknowledges that the view he is going to portray is not the traditional view of Truman, rather one that is hinted at in historical documents. The biggest piece being that Truman was deeply against atomic weapons, now if you know history, you might think that he had a reputation as a defender of the atomic bomb. Why the confliction? Well, that is exactly why the author sets things up, and takes us on this journey. It is still non-fiction, and deeply routed in truth, just maybe not the same truth you have been led to believe, which is fascinating to me.


Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy.

[DW Rowlands · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a reader of his blog for a long time, I'm glad I finally got to read one of Alex Wellerstein's books. It was quite interesting, even as someone who had read his blog for years. In his view, it seems that Truman was under-involved in the decision to use, and how to use, the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, having approved their use on the belief that the targets were purely military facilities. He believes that Truman thought that Hiroshima was an army base, not a city, even after the bombing occurred, and that Truman did not realize a second bombing would come quickly afterward.

The second half of the book, after this is established, is about how Truman's decisions about nuclear weapons were influenced by Truman's initial confusion and then anger that he felt the military had pushed to use bombs on cities without fully informing him. As a result, he generally became strongly against trusting the military with nuclear weapons, though they were often a topic he failed to think about especially deeply.

[Audrey Newkirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for HIST 33205 The Nuclear Age at Purdue University. This book goes through the history of the nuclear bombing decision of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made under President Harry S Truman in August of 1945. More vastly, the book discovered the history of nuclear science and fission physics, and how the possibility of an atomic bomb came about. The book opens with Harry S Truman becoming President of the United States after the unexpected death of the sitting President FDR. He was left out of the conversation regarding nuclear weapons development, and quickly had to learn what was in store while trying to end war in Europe and Asia. The book explores many questions regarding nuclear policy and how these new weapons would be protected and developed in the future, and their potential use during the Korean Conflict (1950-1953). Overall, the author looked to understand Truman’s perspective as the one responsible for deploying the atomic weapon, and offers a positive representation of the only US President to use atomic weapons, and the only to stop their future use.

[Matt Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure if there has been a glut of books on the atomic bomb in recent years or if I’ve just sought them out, but this was an interesting picture of the post-WWII era and Truman’s presidency in one specific area. A few nuggets stick out, like the idea that Truman didn’t know that the targets for bombing in Japan were actual cities rather than military sites. It doesn’t always paint the most flattering portrait of Truman, but I think that’s perhaps in keeping with his current historical status as a president who lucked into the role and wasn’t the same calibre as some men that came before him.

As an aside, Truman died in 1972, which feels quite late for the guy who replaced FDR. Seeing photos of him in the 1970s reminds me of seeing Hoover pictures in the 1960s. (And despite those two living far after their presidencies, by the time Nixon resigned in 1973, there were zero living ex-presidents!)

[Evan Þ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book about President Truman and the atomic bomb (not just the first bombs, but atomic policy throughout Truman's term of office), Wellerstein argues that Truman had no idea that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were cities until after the bombs had been dropped. When you look at the briefing papers, they all describe Hiroshima as "Hiroshima Naval Base" (a real thing in the heart of the city); Truman was overworked enough it's plausible he wouldn't have dug more; Truman's first draft of a statement claimed the bombs had been dropped on "purely military" targets. The theory's provocative, but it hangs together.

But Truman consistently took responsibility for the bomb, and - Wellerstein argues again - probably made the difference in refusing to use it in Korea and setting a precedent for future wars. He doesn't major on this as a character study of Truman, but I think it's thought-provoking.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Alex Wellerstein's previous book to be a bit too dense for me to fully appreciate--his explanation of how the nuclear weapons 'industry' created the modern secrecy state was exhaustively researched and cited and a bit overwhelming for me. In his second book I think he's much more dialed in, whether because he's more experienced or whether because having a more limited focus helps him keep things a bit tighter. In any event parts of this read like a page-turner. He's presenting a novel (and probably controversial) vision of the early days of the atomic age, but I think he does a good job of making it clear what documents exist to support his claims and why he's reading them the way he does.

Really an excellent read for history buffs or people interested in the history of nuclear weapons.

[Alex Nagler · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What is the measure of a civilized man?" This is the question Alex Wellerstein wrestles with in examining the history of the atomic bomb, "The Most Awful Responsibility." History tells us of Harry Truman's decision, or lack thereof, to use it against Japan and then never use it militarily again. Truman, it turns out, may have thought that Hiroshima was merely a military base and not a city. After finding out what it actually did, Truman initially wanted to jettison the remaining US stockpile into the ocean in hopes of never using them again. My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy and I hope that in today's era of "maybe we should renew atomic testing," this book winds its way into the hands of some of the right people.

[Thomas Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written easy read. Truman come off as a decent man that is often not as involved as he should be (sometimes not entirely willingly) in major decisions about the atomic bomb, such as the nature of the targets to be bombed in Japan and the use of the second bomb. In his portrayal here he doesn't come off as the most intelligent man, although he is able to pull off a balancing act which allows UN forces to be able to reverse major setbacks in the Korean war without allowing those under him to take overly aggressive actions which might lead to direct war with Communist China or the Soviet Union.

Overall a great read and it left me wanting to find another book which continues the atomic history through the rest of the cold war.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dull, pedantic, academic history -- the story of Truman's deployment of the first atomic bombs and the subsequent development of the U.S> A.'s nuclear policy. It is of course not a light topic, and Wellerstein's book is extraordinarily well-researched, but I struggled to get through it. It's one of those nonfiction books that feels like the author was compelled to report very fact he ever discovered about his topic --it's too long, too detailed, and somewhat repetitive. It does perk up toward the end, when the discussion turns to the Korean War and the discussions about whether atomic bombs should be employed, particularly as the discussions pertain to MacArthur. Still, I wouldn't recommend the book.

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Most Awful Responsibility offers a fascinating and surprisingly intimate look at Truman’s relationship with nuclear weapons one that’s far more complicated than the simplified story most of us grow up hearing. Wellerstein peels back the layers of myth and assumption to show a man caught between immense pressure, incomplete information, and a burden he didn’t fully understand until it was too late. The book feels both rigorous and deeply human, blending political history with the emotional weight of responsibility at a world shaping moment. It’s thoughtful, revealing, and the kind of nonfiction that stays with you long after you close it.

[Ron Nurmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a look at how President Truman was involved in the atomic bomb question. According to Wellerstein, Truman did not decide to drop the atomic bomb on Japan; his only decision was to either accept Kyoto or Hiroshima as the first site to use the bomb. I seemed to believe Hiroshima was not a city, but a military base, and would have few civilians.
The policy that the U.S. President would be the ultimate decision maker was a President Truman policy.

If you are interested in U.S. atomic bomb policy, this is a well-researched book and may change your opinion.

[J.w. Larrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting topic and one of my favorites to read about. The Manhattan project and the end of the war and the preparation for the potential invasion of Japan. This book is well researched, but my only criticism is that it was too deep in the weeds on the political background side. I think the president made a difficult but completely correct decision. I know several WWII veterans that felt that it ended the war and one veteran who told me that he felt the bomb saved his life and spared him from the invasion of Japan. Interesting and thoughtful book.

[Relena_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only our current political leadership was as capable of cooperation and contemplation as those described in this book. We're still dealing with the fallout of the initial creation and dropping of these bombs, but we're also lucky that thoughtful people were there to move things forward afterward. There are things that certainly could have gone better, but we owe a debt to Truman's attempts to keep control in civilian hands as long as possible, even if his push for ultimate presidential authority is a bit terrifying right now.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audioARC.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Week on History Happy Hour (Episode 299): President Truman’s choice to drop the atomic bomb is the most debated decision in the 20th Century. But what if he, himself, did not fully understand the decisions being made until after the atomic bomb was used.  Chris and Rick will talk to historian Alex Wellerstein about his highly regarded new book The Most Awful Responsibility: Truman and the Secret Struggle for Control of the Atomic Age.

[Paige Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid, well-researched piece of scholarship. It definitely changed how I view Truman; I always thought of him as the guy who just gave the order and moved on, but the book shows he was much more conflicted and even "anti-nuclear" in his own way. However, it is a very heavy lift. It’s not the kind of book you read at the beach. It’s dense with names, dates, and government acronyms. It’s great as a reference tool, but as a cover-to-cover read, it’s a bit of a marathon.

[Kenny Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough book taking on Truman and his decision making regarding the use of nuclear weapons in 1945 and their non-use during the Korean War in the 50s. The book expands on some areas well documented in history (namely that Truman was largely in the dark on the Manhattan Project until FDR passed away), but the book breaks new ground on questioning whether Truman truly made informed decisions on the use of the weapon or whether too much power was deferred to his generals both for target selection and execution.

While the book is a slow read, it does contain some real nuggets of unique interest, as it pertains to presidential decision making and personal leadership style in the (then) new atomic age. The contrast between Truman’s style and Eisenhower (especially in the early IKE years) is quite apparent. Eisenhower’s rhetoric seems to be an early precursor of the Nixonian madman theory (albeit in much more muted terms). In addition the book has some thinly veiled references/lessons for the current Commander in Chief.

In total, while it took me a while to get through this book, I greatly enjoyed it.

[Rick Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. I learned a great deal about the actual decision process which lead to the use of the first atomic bombs and Truman’s reaction in the subsequent years.

Throughly researched and the author was clear to point out what facts were found in the records, and what could only be surmised.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific read. Delves into the events and decisions around the United States' early nuclear program and Truman's influence on it.

This is a perfect sequel, unintentionally probably, to Annie Jacobsen's "Nuclear War: A Scenario". In fact, it's probably worth re-reading that after having read The Most Awful Responsibility.

[Joe McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular book in every way that clearly presents the arguments for even possibly more controversial conclusions

[Sophie Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t underline much, but I thought a lot. That says something about the way this book works on you.

[Bikerider99 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extensive and well researched documentary of the initial use of the atomic bomb. Written at the grad-student level for historians with numerous references. Complex problems explained.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Despite being the only U.S. President who used nuclear weapons, Truman is perhaps the most anti-nuke president in history.

[Brandon Blackhurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5