Includes bibliographical references (pages 371-380) and index.

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 ramifications of the Anglo-American alliance with Stalin, whose atrocities rivaled those of Hitler? Bess examines the factors that led some people to dissent and defy evil while others remained aloof, caught in operations they saw as beyond their control, and shows how long-simmering controversies still have the power to divide nations more than half a century later.--From publisher description.

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