Rain of Ruin

The narrative delves into the devastating impact of air raids on Japan during the final months of World War II, highlighting the moral implications of targeting civilians and the normalization of mass destruction. Richard Overy challenges the notion that bombing directly led to Japan's surrender, placing it within a broader context of Japan's complex cultural stance on surrender. By interweaving the strategies of firebombing and atomic attacks with Japan's internal struggles to end the war, the book offers a thought-provoking reevaluation of this pivotal moment in history.