Choices Under Fire

World War II remains in our collective memory the "good war" in which the forces of freedom triumphed over the forces of darkness. Now, historian Bess explodes the myth that this was a war without moral ambiguity. Although undeniably a just war--of defense against unprovoked aggression--it was fraught with painful dilemmas, uneasy trade-offs, and unavoidable compromises. Bess confronts its most difficult questions: Was the bombing of civilian populations in Germany and Japan justified? Were the war crimes trials legally scrupulous? What is the legacy of Hiroshima? And what are the long-term…