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Choices Under Fire: Moral Dimensions of World War II
World War II remains a celebrated event in our collective memory—a time of great high-minded clarity, patriotic sacrifice, and national unity of purpose. It was the quintessential “good war,” in which the forces of freedom triumphed over the forces of darkness. Now, in his provocative new book, historian Michael Bess explodes the myth that this was a war fought without moral ambiguity. He shows that although it was undeniably a just war—a war of defense against unprovoked aggression—it was a conflict fraught with painful dilemmas, uneasy trade-offs, and unavoidable compromises. With clear-eyed, principled assurance, Bess takes us into the heart of a global contest that was anything but straightforward, and confronts its most difficult Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the Nuremberg and Tokyo war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy bequeathed to the world by Hiroshima? And what are the long-term ramifications of the Anglo-American alliance with Stalin, a leader whose atrocities rivaled those of Hitler?
Viewing the conflict as a composite of countless choices made by governments, communities, and—always of the utmost importance—individuals, Bess untangles the stories of singular moral significance from the mass of World War II data. He examines the factors that led some people to dissent and defy evil while others remained trapped or aloof, caught in the net of large-scale operations they saw as beyond their control. He explains the complex psychological dynamics at work among the men of Reserve Battalion 101, a group of ordinary working-class Germans who swept through the Polish countryside slaughtering Jews, and among the townspeople of the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon, who rescued thousands of Jewish refugees at their own peril. He asks poignant hypothetical questions, such as what would have happened had the Catholic Church taken a hard line against Nazism, placing an imperative on its members to choose between their loyalties.
As Bess guides us through the war’s final theater, the politics of memory, he shows how long-simmering controversies still have the power to divide nations more than half a century later. It is here that he argues against the binaries of honor and dishonor, pride and shame, and advocates instead an honest and nuanced reckoning on the part of the world’s nations with the full complexity of their World War II pasts.
Forthright and authoritative, this is a rigorous accounting of the war that forever changed our world, a book that takes us to the outer limits of moral reasoning about historical events.
Viewing the conflict as a composite of countless choices made by governments, communities, and—always of the utmost importance—individuals, Bess untangles the stories of singular moral significance from the mass of World War II data. He examines the factors that led some people to dissent and defy evil while others remained trapped or aloof, caught in the net of large-scale operations they saw as beyond their control. He explains the complex psychological dynamics at work among the men of Reserve Battalion 101, a group of ordinary working-class Germans who swept through the Polish countryside slaughtering Jews, and among the townspeople of the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon, who rescued thousands of Jewish refugees at their own peril. He asks poignant hypothetical questions, such as what would have happened had the Catholic Church taken a hard line against Nazism, placing an imperative on its members to choose between their loyalties.
As Bess guides us through the war’s final theater, the politics of memory, he shows how long-simmering controversies still have the power to divide nations more than half a century later. It is here that he argues against the binaries of honor and dishonor, pride and shame, and advocates instead an honest and nuanced reckoning on the part of the world’s nations with the full complexity of their World War II pasts.
Forthright and authoritative, this is a rigorous accounting of the war that forever changed our world, a book that takes us to the outer limits of moral reasoning about historical events.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
31 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 5, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. Some of it is simply spectacular. Bess fully examines the nuance and subjectivity of every element of WWII, offering perspectives on events, ideologies, people and groups that I’d never learned about, let alone considered ethically. His balanced approach to morality is refreshing and thought-provoking.
Where the approach isn’t balanced, I might argue, is the fluidity of where he draws morality. The book isn’t anchored in one set of ethics — like a Jesuit perspective or the ethics of a philosopher. This makes the structure kind of random. For instance, in one chapter he roots morality into the concept that “most of us were brought up to believe [X].” Then, during the atomic bombing chapter, he kicks off with 13 questions about different angles of morality. It isn’t incorrect but it just feels inconsistent.
In this ambiguity, also, it’s sometimes hard to tell where Bess is going. The entire chapter ‘Decisions at Midway’ feels like a storytelling endeavor; he explains in detail the events of the Midway battles, and seems to hastily throw in a sentence or two about morality (something about honor and prudence?) at the very end. That chapter feels much more like a history lesson than any sort of investigation of morality.
All said, I’d recommend the book to those who want to learn more about some lesser-known elements of World War II. Though it feels choppy and not always on message, there are many nuggets of good information — and great analysis on the ethical dilemmas that carry into today and will carry into the future.
Where the approach isn’t balanced, I might argue, is the fluidity of where he draws morality. The book isn’t anchored in one set of ethics — like a Jesuit perspective or the ethics of a philosopher. This makes the structure kind of random. For instance, in one chapter he roots morality into the concept that “most of us were brought up to believe [X].” Then, during the atomic bombing chapter, he kicks off with 13 questions about different angles of morality. It isn’t incorrect but it just feels inconsistent.
In this ambiguity, also, it’s sometimes hard to tell where Bess is going. The entire chapter ‘Decisions at Midway’ feels like a storytelling endeavor; he explains in detail the events of the Midway battles, and seems to hastily throw in a sentence or two about morality (something about honor and prudence?) at the very end. That chapter feels much more like a history lesson than any sort of investigation of morality.
All said, I’d recommend the book to those who want to learn more about some lesser-known elements of World War II. Though it feels choppy and not always on message, there are many nuggets of good information — and great analysis on the ethical dilemmas that carry into today and will carry into the future.
April 13, 2024
How a nation conducts its wars, and how an individual citizen or soldier chooses to behave during wartime, say a great deal about who they are.
All of us must now live, day by day, with the knowledge that our civilization is mortal, and that we ourselves may be the instruments of its passing.
- I took Dr. Bess’s World War II class this semester and really enjoyed reading this book alongside his lectures because it did a great job capturing his personality and thought process in writing. The work offers a very non-traditional take on the war, opting to focus on the ethical and moral implications of wartime decisions on major populations rather than on military histories or great-man histories more typical of “the good war.” Instead, the book pushes the envelope on accountability for Allied actions during the war, with sharp but balanced criticisms of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nuremberg. The writing itself was very well organized, with each chapter following a numbered outline and with explicit evidence and anecdotes to support each point. Overall, this approach to history made studying World War II much more personally impactful and real to me, being a young adult in the world.
B+
All of us must now live, day by day, with the knowledge that our civilization is mortal, and that we ourselves may be the instruments of its passing.
- I took Dr. Bess’s World War II class this semester and really enjoyed reading this book alongside his lectures because it did a great job capturing his personality and thought process in writing. The work offers a very non-traditional take on the war, opting to focus on the ethical and moral implications of wartime decisions on major populations rather than on military histories or great-man histories more typical of “the good war.” Instead, the book pushes the envelope on accountability for Allied actions during the war, with sharp but balanced criticisms of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nuremberg. The writing itself was very well organized, with each chapter following a numbered outline and with explicit evidence and anecdotes to support each point. Overall, this approach to history made studying World War II much more personally impactful and real to me, being a young adult in the world.
B+
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October 18, 2022This was an odd experience. I loved everything about this book until I didn't, then I couldn't stand it. I think the strength of this book is in the historical details and arguments weighed against each other. Where it went awry for me was once it turned from history to evangelization in the last chapters. The book makes strong arguments for collectivism, and then disregards basic cultural artifacts. I didn't complete the last two chapters, non-enthused, but terrorism and hacking seem to undermine the premise I cared to gathered. Seemed to be an awkward addition to the book.
April 27, 2018
LOVED Bess! Very useful and thought-provoking.
December 14, 2025
3.5
Overall, Bess constructs a very compelling narrative that is easy to read and accessible. His writing isn’t quite debased enough to be considered “pop,” but this is a relatively light source of history making it great for those new to the ideas and concepts discussed. I also find that the undertaking of the book, to examine some of the moral gray areas of the war, to be worthy of discussion and oftentimes more engaging than a straightforward account of events. This book does cover a lot of the actions and events in order to get you up to speed and provide good historical footing, but it’s focus is undoubtedly on the more human aspect. I personally am very fond of this type of study and I think Bess does it pretty well.
That said, I did have a few qualms with it. For one, this reads as a thoroughly American book. That’s not to say that the book doesn’t focus on other nations, but there are weird bits of writing that tip you off. For example, the chapter on Midway is the most egregious, with his final argument for why the Americans won being that they had superior moral character. He writes, “the outcome depended less on purely military factors than it did on the moral fiber of the fighting men” (164). Huh? I just read your entire chapter (one of the longest in the book) about this battle and I’m not sure I agree with that assessment. Bess is one to focus much on the courage and bravery of the soldiers and officers, which although technically true, began to feel excessive and certainly not unique to the Americans or a quality that all Americans intrinsically hold. Fortunately, Bess clearly isn’t one to ignore atrocities or wrongdoing by the allies. He’s good at acknowledging potential hypocrisies. Ultimately a thesis I’d articulate as WWII was a just war, but has more gray areas than people often admit. He doesn’t defend the allies or the US unconditionally.
Furthermore, I’d say that Bess’ moral arguments, while usually relatively sound lack a coherent ideology. He goes into what I’d call quasi-specifics, breaking down points into numerical lists, but never labeling systems beyond things like “we should all work together.” This is all fine and good, but Bess ultimately seems to at once be advocating for a wildly different world yet unable to break into more radical modes of thought that look past our current situation. His goodness is very much still ingrained in existing structures.
Similarly, he attempts to argue that justice and equity is not only a moral good, but a practical one. At one point he paints a vivid picture of disease, instability, war, and environmental damage pouring out of the third world, those who we have failed to take care of. He writes, “their desperate emigrates will clamor at our gates and infiltrate our borders. Their suffering, in short, will rock our boat” (305). ICK! What a disgusting, apathetic, and xenophobic sentiment for someone who has spent the entire book declaring the need for a common good. I understand his appeal to the types of people unmoved by pure morality, those who still believe in an ideology of dominance, but this particular passage stood out to me as uncharacteristically disgusting. Taints much of the work.
“We take our wonderful planet, our sheer pigheadedness and a failure to imagine alternatives. Senseless waste, criminal folly: that is the admonitory image we need in our minds as we look to the future” (341).
Who were the real victors of WWII? Those who were able to learn from the destruction and ideology of those like Hitler, to push the world in the opposite direction towards one of understanding and community rather than one that prizes ruthless competition and hate.
I think that this book would be perfect for someone interested in WWII history but still has a relatively narrow view of events against a backdrop of moral black and white thinking. A useful tool for probing at previously unexamined beliefs, but maybe less so for those already neck deep in critical examination.
Overall, Bess constructs a very compelling narrative that is easy to read and accessible. His writing isn’t quite debased enough to be considered “pop,” but this is a relatively light source of history making it great for those new to the ideas and concepts discussed. I also find that the undertaking of the book, to examine some of the moral gray areas of the war, to be worthy of discussion and oftentimes more engaging than a straightforward account of events. This book does cover a lot of the actions and events in order to get you up to speed and provide good historical footing, but it’s focus is undoubtedly on the more human aspect. I personally am very fond of this type of study and I think Bess does it pretty well.
That said, I did have a few qualms with it. For one, this reads as a thoroughly American book. That’s not to say that the book doesn’t focus on other nations, but there are weird bits of writing that tip you off. For example, the chapter on Midway is the most egregious, with his final argument for why the Americans won being that they had superior moral character. He writes, “the outcome depended less on purely military factors than it did on the moral fiber of the fighting men” (164). Huh? I just read your entire chapter (one of the longest in the book) about this battle and I’m not sure I agree with that assessment. Bess is one to focus much on the courage and bravery of the soldiers and officers, which although technically true, began to feel excessive and certainly not unique to the Americans or a quality that all Americans intrinsically hold. Fortunately, Bess clearly isn’t one to ignore atrocities or wrongdoing by the allies. He’s good at acknowledging potential hypocrisies. Ultimately a thesis I’d articulate as WWII was a just war, but has more gray areas than people often admit. He doesn’t defend the allies or the US unconditionally.
Furthermore, I’d say that Bess’ moral arguments, while usually relatively sound lack a coherent ideology. He goes into what I’d call quasi-specifics, breaking down points into numerical lists, but never labeling systems beyond things like “we should all work together.” This is all fine and good, but Bess ultimately seems to at once be advocating for a wildly different world yet unable to break into more radical modes of thought that look past our current situation. His goodness is very much still ingrained in existing structures.
Similarly, he attempts to argue that justice and equity is not only a moral good, but a practical one. At one point he paints a vivid picture of disease, instability, war, and environmental damage pouring out of the third world, those who we have failed to take care of. He writes, “their desperate emigrates will clamor at our gates and infiltrate our borders. Their suffering, in short, will rock our boat” (305). ICK! What a disgusting, apathetic, and xenophobic sentiment for someone who has spent the entire book declaring the need for a common good. I understand his appeal to the types of people unmoved by pure morality, those who still believe in an ideology of dominance, but this particular passage stood out to me as uncharacteristically disgusting. Taints much of the work.
“We take our wonderful planet, our sheer pigheadedness and a failure to imagine alternatives. Senseless waste, criminal folly: that is the admonitory image we need in our minds as we look to the future” (341).
Who were the real victors of WWII? Those who were able to learn from the destruction and ideology of those like Hitler, to push the world in the opposite direction towards one of understanding and community rather than one that prizes ruthless competition and hate.
I think that this book would be perfect for someone interested in WWII history but still has a relatively narrow view of events against a backdrop of moral black and white thinking. A useful tool for probing at previously unexamined beliefs, but maybe less so for those already neck deep in critical examination.
October 20, 2025
An important and very relevant book. The author has chosen an extremely difficult topic, and treated it with a great deal of sensitivity and objectivity.
His qualitative distinction between planned and spontaneous sacrifice--that is, the difference between the Japanese kamikaze attacks and the American torpedo bombers at Midway--makes sense. Wanting death and accepting it are two different things.
On the other hand, the Allied bomber campaign was obviously planned, but the goal was to shorten the war, not simply to kill people. The fact that we could've been more selective by only targeting munitions and factories--which would've furthered the goal of ending the war sooner--without harming as many civilians points out an Allied mistake. The goal, however, wasn't terror, but victory.
The Allies couldn't have known that civilian casualties would not undermine their enemies' morale. And, although it might seem an excuse and not a reason, dropping bombs from 30,000 ft is not the same as torturing and killing innocent people face to face.
The Holocaust and the Japanese Army's mistreatment of Chinese civilians were by far the worst atrocities of the war. The fact that the Nazis meticulously planned the Holocaust while the Rape of Nanking was less directed than indulged in doesn't change German or Japanese culpability.
And then, as mentioned, the Soviets plundered their way across Eastern Germany in the closing months of the war. While that rampage wasn't any more inhumane than what the Chinese endured, it was engendered more by revenge for Nazi atrocities against Russians than out-and-out sadism. After all, the Chinese has done nothing to the Japanese to deserve retribution--Japan was the aggressor.
I wish he'd given more space to the Holocaust-denier issue. Those folks might as well say that WWII never happened to condone and support that level of delusion.
Overall this is a fair and unbiased view of what happens in Total War, whether it's planned or not. From the Allies perspective, the "good war" was fought to resist aggression, and it worked, imperfectly but honorably.
His qualitative distinction between planned and spontaneous sacrifice--that is, the difference between the Japanese kamikaze attacks and the American torpedo bombers at Midway--makes sense. Wanting death and accepting it are two different things.
On the other hand, the Allied bomber campaign was obviously planned, but the goal was to shorten the war, not simply to kill people. The fact that we could've been more selective by only targeting munitions and factories--which would've furthered the goal of ending the war sooner--without harming as many civilians points out an Allied mistake. The goal, however, wasn't terror, but victory.
The Allies couldn't have known that civilian casualties would not undermine their enemies' morale. And, although it might seem an excuse and not a reason, dropping bombs from 30,000 ft is not the same as torturing and killing innocent people face to face.
The Holocaust and the Japanese Army's mistreatment of Chinese civilians were by far the worst atrocities of the war. The fact that the Nazis meticulously planned the Holocaust while the Rape of Nanking was less directed than indulged in doesn't change German or Japanese culpability.
And then, as mentioned, the Soviets plundered their way across Eastern Germany in the closing months of the war. While that rampage wasn't any more inhumane than what the Chinese endured, it was engendered more by revenge for Nazi atrocities against Russians than out-and-out sadism. After all, the Chinese has done nothing to the Japanese to deserve retribution--Japan was the aggressor.
I wish he'd given more space to the Holocaust-denier issue. Those folks might as well say that WWII never happened to condone and support that level of delusion.
Overall this is a fair and unbiased view of what happens in Total War, whether it's planned or not. From the Allies perspective, the "good war" was fought to resist aggression, and it worked, imperfectly but honorably.
April 25, 2024
I learned so much from this book! It reads like a novel and really delves into the choices that were made by all parties during WW II. Since all the people who taught me history are likely no longer with us, I feel free to say that my history classes never covered history from the point of view of the people living it. Instead, it was memorizing dates and wars. If anyone had taught history to me in terms of the people who were in the thick of it, I would have majored in history! Read this book!
May 20, 2022
Great read that presents the War's moral complexities in a vivid, digestible manner. Bess does show a tendency to embellish his prose with dramatic language, however, as if trying to match the scale of World War II. Can't fault him for that, yet you may find yourself tuning out in the midst of such hyperbolic expression.
November 19, 2022
Thoughtful, conscientious and clearly laid out examination of multiple isssues and narratives from the conflagration that reshaped modern world. Bess's grasp of facts and multiple perspectives is impressive even if his conclusions -- especially relating to the Pacific theatre -- seem to tend toward orthodoxy.
April 21, 2025
4.5
Very good. Extremely well written.
My only note is that I would have liked the author to go into more detail on the moral and philosophical assumptions required for the popular schools of thought regarding the subjects discussed.
There are plenty of fascinating examples in here, and Bess gives a really thoughtful and intelligent account of WWII from a moral perspective.
Very good. Extremely well written.
My only note is that I would have liked the author to go into more detail on the moral and philosophical assumptions required for the popular schools of thought regarding the subjects discussed.
There are plenty of fascinating examples in here, and Bess gives a really thoughtful and intelligent account of WWII from a moral perspective.
May 16, 2019
An outstanding and challenging history that considers how we might apply our understanding of ethics to a war that is often painted in black and white, and imagines how we might apply those lessons toward building a better world today.
January 5, 2018
read for class, but was a super informative and in-depth look at some of the little-known stories of World War II. enjoyable read
January 27, 2018
A look at what and how a moral viewpoint is and is derived. Very accessible, and worth reading and thinking about. WWII turns out not to be entirely the "good" war.
February 23, 2014
Among the many moral and ethical dilemmas the author Bess covers are; The causes of the European and Asian conflicts, bombing civilian populations, Kamikazes, the Allied alliance with Stalin, use of the atomic bomb, character at Midway, The Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes trials, and the politics of remembrance of the war. He consciously and adeptly covers these, among other issues I didn't mention, in three main sections of the book; Fomenting War, Making War, and Long-Term Consequences of the War. Each issue is covered from both sides, giving the reader a look through the eyes of the people on both the delivering and receiving ends of the actions. The chapter on the bomb was one of the best that I have read, giving reason for its use, along with reason for not using it. He covers this issue from all sides and comes to a very fair and insightful conclusion concerning the bomb's use. This chapter alone is worth reading the book!
I wanted to give this work the full five stars but was unable to due to his writing and thoughts that appear to lean toward a world court and authority, along with his apparent praise for the European welfare state. I look at the U.N. and see some good, but more failure. I look at my government and see something far removed from what was originally envisioned and as set forth in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I realize both the U.N. and our Government for the most part mean well, but both would rather take some of our liberty and replace it with some security. That is not a road I want to take ans it is full of potential traps and pitfalls. A World Order would be no better, most likely worse, it is best that it be The Road Not Taken. We can, and must, work towards peace in other ways, ways that all people will retain their freedom.
I wanted to give this work the full five stars but was unable to due to his writing and thoughts that appear to lean toward a world court and authority, along with his apparent praise for the European welfare state. I look at the U.N. and see some good, but more failure. I look at my government and see something far removed from what was originally envisioned and as set forth in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I realize both the U.N. and our Government for the most part mean well, but both would rather take some of our liberty and replace it with some security. That is not a road I want to take ans it is full of potential traps and pitfalls. A World Order would be no better, most likely worse, it is best that it be The Road Not Taken. We can, and must, work towards peace in other ways, ways that all people will retain their freedom.
April 18, 2016
An indictment of war, essentially. No country is above committing atrocity to further their goals. This book does not pull punches: America has much to answer for. Not just with Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but Dresden and the fire bombings over Japan. If you are queasy when it comes to graphic descriptions of war-time atrocities, do not read this book. I could barely stomach it, at times. However, as a student of history it's extremely important to know what many would not have us know. We all have blood on our hands. Let's learn something from it, at least.
January 5, 2011
This book is for the serious student of history and a must read.
If you think you know everything about WWII, then this will open lots of doors to places you
have never been. You will do some soul seaching as you read how others made their moral or immoral
choices, and have to wonder what you would have done. Are you part of the 10-20% who resist evil when the chips are down, or part of those who go along for whatever reason or rationalization?
If you think you know everything about WWII, then this will open lots of doors to places you
have never been. You will do some soul seaching as you read how others made their moral or immoral
choices, and have to wonder what you would have done. Are you part of the 10-20% who resist evil when the chips are down, or part of those who go along for whatever reason or rationalization?
October 3, 2009
There's a lot of "what ifs" in this book, but there's also a great deal of information about decisions and their effects. so many decisions that were actually wrong but no one knew that for months, years, even decades later. Effectively, he's saying you have to go with what you've got at the time and hope that you're right. Very well written & quick reading.
December 11, 2015
This is my favorite history book. We often look at World War II as the ultimate fight between good (the Allies) and evil (the Axis powers), but Bess shows that things aren't quite that black and white. He makes the gray area fascinating.
August 22, 2010
well written, well reasoned book exploring the nuances of "the moral dimensions of world war II"
June 13, 2016
Awesome book! This is truly a really good read!
November 2, 2020
Great book; while I disagree with some of the ultimate conclusions Bess draws I respect the breadth of his research and the way he goes about forming his ideas.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews