MacArthur's War - Douglas Niles, Michael Dobson

The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima brought a quick end to WWII. Many argue that these displays of massive devastation actually saved thousands upon thousands of lives. What if something had gone wrong in New Mexico? What if the US did not have the ability to unleash these attacks? What if the war had to be fought to the end?

That is the premise of this story. Niles and Dobson begin the story in the Paciic while MacArthur is still in the Philippines. They retell the move from Luzon to Corrigadore from the percpective of the logistics officers. MacArthur makes a brief and uneventful appearance. In fact, there is very little focus on MacArthur himself during the events preceding the bombing of Japan.

Of course, when the bombing does not occur, MacArthur becomes much more the focus of the story. Using the known history of MacArthurs actions and decisions, the authors weave and intricate mosaic of the battle for the Pacific. Keeping many of the characters introduced in the begining, they paint a vivid picture of what life in WWII might have been like should the need to fight to the end have been necessary.

This was an interesting read. I recommend it for those who are fond of "What if" scenarios.