Kruh se uzavírá - Válka v Tichomoří 1945 – Hoyt Edwin P. (2022)

Readers are presented with the book by Edwin P. Hoyt, an American military historian and journalist, dedicated to the last sixty days of World War II in the Pacific. In it, the author does not only focus on the final operations of Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet or the battles for Okinawa. Attention is also given to the increasingly complicated political negotiations among the Allies in Potsdam, as well as the frantic efforts of the Japanese General Staff to defend their homeland from invasion. The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is, of course, also covered. The description of the uranium bomb explosion over Hiroshima is taken directly from the translation of the official Japanese history. Equally interesting are the sections dedicated to the Soviet Union's entry into the war against Japan, allowing it to partake in the spoils. Hoyt devotes significant attention to analyzing the long-standing reluctance of Japanese militarists to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and surrender, even in the face of the threat of further atomic bombs, as well as the role of Emperor Hirohito in ensuring peace efforts. The publication also does not overlook the tragedy of the heavy cruiser Indianapolis, sunk at the end of July 1945, and offers perspectives on this event from both the survivors of the American ship and Captain Hashimoto,…