Napalm: The Original Weapon of Mass Destruction

Coming in From the Cold: Untold Stories from the Cold War

The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is seen by most as the ultimate display of man’s capacity to destroy. While the destructive power of nuclear weapons cannot be denied, there was another weapon used in the Pacific campaign which was responsible for even more civilian death, Napalm.

In this episode, Bob Neer, author of “Napalm an American Biography,” joins Bill to discuss the history of Napalm and its complicated role in U.S. Military history.

Bob Neer’s Website: https://www.bobneer.com/publications/napalm

“'Napalm Girl': An Iconic Image Of War Turns 40,” NPR, June 3, 2012, https://www.npr.org/2012/06/03/154234617/napalm-girl-an-iconic-image-of-war-turns-40

“Remembering the Halabja Massacre,” Voice of America, March 15, 2018: https://editorials.voa.gov/a/remembering-halabja-massacre/4298678.html

Bombing of Civilians and Civilian Targets by the Air Force,” Human Rights Watch, July 24, 1990: https://www.hrw.org/reports/archives/africa/ETHIOPIA907.htm