Was World War II really the "Good War," as it often called? Or did it cause more harm than good? This is just one of many controversial issues surrounding that great conflict, here examined in a series of essays by noted scholars. Among the many other topics included are the incarceration of Japanese Americans and the decision to drop the atomic bomb.

Who was to blame for the Pearl Harbor attack? -- High-ranking U.S. officials were unprepared for the attack / George Grunert, Henry D. Russell, Walter H. Frank -- The Japanese were solely to blame for the attack / U.S. Congress -- The attack was an unpreventable surprise / Roberta Wohlstetter -- The disaster resulted from preventable intelligence failures / Henry C. Clausen, Bruce Lee -- Was the internment of Japanese Americans justified? -- Japanese Americans constitute a dangerous security threat / Earl Warren -- Japanese Americans do not pose a security threat / Michio Kunitani -- The internment of Japanese Americans was racist / Allan W. Austin -- The internment of Japanese Americans was not racist / Dwight D. Murphey -- Was dropping the atomic bomb necessary? -- Dropping the atomic bomb was justified / Henry L. Stimson -- Dropping the atomic bomb was unjustified / Christian Century -- Dropping the atomic bomb helped to end the war and save lives / Samuel Eliot Morison -- The atomic bombing of Japan was unnecessary and avoidable / Hanson W. Baldwin -- Did the Allies fight World War II morally and effectively? -- The United States and the Allies could have done more to avert the Holocaust / Katherine E. Culbertson -- The United States and its leaders were not to blame for the Holocaust / William J. vanden Heuvel -- World War II benefited America and the world / William L. O'Neill -- The benefits brought by World War II are exaggerated / Michael C.C. Adams -- World War II resulted in less freedom in the world / Robert Higgs