A personal account from the only pilot who was part of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing missions: “A must read for any student of WWII” (John McCain).
On August 9, 1945, on the tiny island of Tinian in the South Pacific, a twenty-five-year-old American Army Air Corps major named Charles W. Sweeney climbed aboard a B-29 Superfortress in command of his first combat mission, one devised specifically to bring a long and terrible war to a necessary conclusion . . .
The last military officer to command an atomic mission, Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney has the unique distinction of having been an integral part of both the Hiroshima and the Nagasaki bombing runs. Now updated with a new epilogue from the coauthor, Sweeney’s book is an extraordinary chronicle of the months of careful planning and training; the setbacks, secrecy, and snafus; and the nerve-shattering final seconds and the astonishing aftermath of what is arguably the most significant single event in modern history: The employment of an atomic weapon during wartime.
“A splendid book . . . A gripping account of one of history’s greatest events.” —Stephen E. Ambrose, New York Times–bestselling author of Band of Brothers
“Charles Sweeney is the best kind of warrior, motivated by real patriotism. For setting straight a difficult record, his book is invaluable. For commemorating a generation of heroes, his book is unforgettable.” —Dan Rather, former CBS Evening News anchor
“Chuck Sweeney vividly portrays the dawning of the nuclear age and explains why it was necessary.” —Dick Cheney
