By April 1945, the Second World War wasn’t over, but the tide had shifted in favor of the Allies in both Europe and the Pacific. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt sat for his portrait in Warm Springs, Georgia, the fate of the world remained on his mind. He had guided the country through an economic depression and three years of war. But on April 12, 1945, his body could no longer bear the strain, and he slipped away from the world.

When Vice President Harry S. Truman received an urgent summons to the White House, the former haberdasher turned Senator from Missouri assumed the role of Commander in Chief and 33rd President of the United States. He needed to quickly acquaint himself with the ongoing military campaigns being waged in Europe and Asia. More importantly, Secretary of War Henry Stimson had to inform him about an extensive project that was secretive but potentially crucial to winning the war.

"...a well-rounded historical narrative encompassing the final but critical months of World War II.... Scott’s work is of an endlessly compelling nature... This immensely significant book is suffused with drama from its inception to its brilliant conclusion."

In Japan, Hirohito was the emperor of a once mighty empire that now faced calamity and ruin as the country’s military might had been checked by American and Allied forces since mid-1942. While Hirohito was the titular head of the military, much of the decision-making before and during the war was done by his cabinet --- men such as his one-time Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo.

Despite the strength and ferocity of its attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japan was already stretching its resources to the breaking point. By 1945, the population was starving as a result of overseas food supplies being blocked by Allied ships, along with poor harvest output. In addition, cities like Tokyo were being subjected to US bombing campaigns that turned them into ashes. As Truman was being briefed about the Manhattan Project, Japan’s ministers mulled over their dwindling options.

While the surrender of the German forces in May 1945 brought down the curtain on the European side of the war, Truman knew that there were still issues to contend with. One of his first decisions in the wake of Germany’s defeat was that he would only accept a Japanese surrender if it was unconditional. He also had growing concerns over the Soviet Union and its plans for Europe in the years ahead.

A conference was set for the early summer in Potsdam, Germany, where Truman could discuss postwar plans for Europe and how to defeat Japan alongside British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Josef Stalin. As he made his way to war-scarred Germany, he was hoping for an ace up his sleeve that could conceivably end the war in the Pacific. In July 1945, the men gathered at Alamogordo, New Mexico, and impatiently waited to fulfill the President’s desires.

EMPIRE OF ASHES is a well-rounded historical narrative encompassing the final but critical months of World War II. It showcases two leaders on opposing sides of the world: a Chief Executive still getting his feet wet and a beloved Japanese sovereign. Scott impressively builds his story with the background of Truman, a man who pulled himself up by his bootstraps throughout much of his life and was chosen as FDR’s running mate in 1944. He shows Truman to be a man who overcame adversity and would do so again as President, faced with a steep learning curve as a global leader during wartime. Whereas Truman had big shoes to fill, Hirohito listened to a discordant chorus of advisers who gave him little guidance in bringing the war to a merciful resolution. 

Scott’s work is of an endlessly compelling nature, whether it be the maneuvering of the military and scientists to perfect a weapon capable of achieving victory or the foreshadowing of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. This immensely significant book is suffused with drama from its inception to its brilliant conclusion.