Introduction by Henry L. Stimson
Part I: On Many Fronts
I. Attorney for the Government
II. With Roosevelt and Taft: Running for Governor - Secretary of War - The Split of 1912
III. Responsible Government: Framing a Program - In Convention Assembled - Success, Failure, and Victory - Credo of a Progressive Conservative
IV. The World Changes: War Comes to America - Colonel Stimson
V. As Private Citizen: The League of Nations Fight - At the Bar - The Peace of Tipitapa
VI. Governor General of the Philippines: The Background - A Happy Year - Later Disappointments and Some Hopes
Part II: With Spears of Straw
VII. Constructive Beginnings: Washington in 1929 - London in 1930 - Latin America in 1931
VIII. The Beginnings of Disaster: Before the Storm - Economic Crisis in Europe - More about "These Damn Debts"
IX. The Far Eastern Crisis: A Japanese Decision - From Conciliation to Non-recognition - Shanghai - The Borah Letter - Conclusion and Retrospect
X. The Tragedy of Timidity: Disarmament, A Surface Issue - The Failure of Statemanship
XI. Out Again: The Campaign of 1932 - Middleman after Election
XII. Toward General War: Citizen and Observer - 1933-1940 Cast as Casandra
Part III: Time of Peril
XIII. Call to Arms: Back in Washington - The Newcomer - The Best Staff He Ever Had
XIV. The First Year: Men for the New Army - Supplies - To Britain Alone
XV. Valley of Doubt: A Difference with the President - The Price of Indecision
XVI. The War Begins: Pearl Harbour - Mission of Delay - War Secretary
XVII. The Army and Grand Strategy: Pearl Harbour to North Africa - The Great Decision
XVIII: The Wartime Army - Reorganisation - "Dipping Down" - The Place of Specialists - Student Soldiers - The Army and the Negro- Science and New Weapons
XIX: The Effort for Total Mobilisation - Military Manpower - National Service - Labor and the War - The Army and War Production - A Note on Administration - Public Relations
XX. The Army and the Navy: Stinson and the Admirals - Lessons of Antisubmarine War - Unifaction and the Future
XXI. The Army and the Grand Alliance: Stilwell and China - France, Defeat, Darlan, DeGaulle, and Deliverance - FDR and Military Government - A Word from Hindsight
XXII. The Beginnings of Peace: A Shift in Emphasis - The Morgenthau Plan - The Crime of Aggressive War - Planning for Reconstruction - A Strong America - Bases and Big Powers - The Emergent Russian Problem
XXIII. The Atomic Bomb and the Surrender of Japan: Making a Bomb - The Achievement of Surrender
XXIV. The Bomb and Peace with Russia
XXV. The Last Month: Judgement of the Army - The Chief of Staff - The Commander in Chief - The End
Afterword by Henry L. Stimson
A Note of Explanation and Acknowledgement by McGeorge Bundy
Brief Chronology of World War II
Index
