James M. Scott

Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporising thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose the war, we’ll be tried as war criminals". James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later. Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date.

Seven minutes past midnight on 9 March 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a more than 1,800-degree firestorm that liquefied asphalt and vaporised thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: “If we lose, we’ll be tried as war criminals”. James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight “precision” bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians—which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later.

Few New Testament scholars of recent decades have set the pitch for academic discussion and debate in their field like N. T. Wright. His signature contention, that Israel's continuing exile was a pivotal issue in the emergence of Christianity, has found a central place in contemporary New Testament scholarship. Israel had grievously sinned against Yahweh and suffered the judgment of exile from its land. But even though Israel had returned, the majority of Jews of the second temple era regarded themselves in paradoxical exile under Roman rule and still awaiting their full restoration. It was this crisis of exile that reached its climax and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This, according to N. T. Wright, is the controlling narrative that shaped the thinking of Jesus and Paul. While many find this a compelling key to understanding the New Testament, critical responses also abound. This book engages a variety of scholars in conversation with Wright's thesis. The scene is set in an introduction by James M. Scott, who has made significant contributions to the debate. Then, in a programmatic essay, Wright clearly restates his thesis. Next come eleven essays from scholars such as Walter Brueggemann, Philip Alexander, Jörn Kiefer, Dorothy Peters, and Scot McKnight. They interact with Wright's thesis from various perspectives: Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, early Judaism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the New Testament. Hans Boersma and Ephraim Radner then engage Wright's thesis from theological perspectives. Finally, Wright offers a lively response to his interlocutors. Exile: A Conversation with N. T. Wright takes our understanding of this critical issue to a new level. It is essential reading for anyone engaged with Wright's work and the Jewish setting of Jesus and Paul.

Over three days in August 1945, a nation once morally opposed to the bombing of civilians killed 120,000 men, women, and children; doomed tens of thousands more to agonizing death in the weeks and months ahead; and annihilated two cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Empire of Ashes explores the final brutal months of the war in the Pacific, featuring the voices of never-before-heard victims of the atomic bombs. Through interviews with survivors and accounts gleaned from Japanese sources, New York Times best-selling author James M. Scott combines the attacks’ heart-wrenching details with their causes and consequences, from debates within the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, Oakridge, and Hanford to the fallout that would alter decades of life in Japan. From “an exceptional writer with a keen eye for dazzling detail and gripping, suspenseful storytelling” (Henry Richard Marr II, Journal of Military History), Empire of Ashes illuminates the moral dilemma at the center of America’s decision to inflict total war upon Japan with startling immediacy.

The first in a new in-depth nonfiction series examining the devastating terrorist attacks that changed the course of history from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott, beginning with the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. 1983: the United States Marine Corps experiences its greatest single-day loss of life since the Battle of Iwo Jima, when a truck packed with explosives crashes into their headquarters and barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. This horrifying terrorist attack, which killed 241 servicemen, continues to influence US foreign policy and haunts the Marine Corps to this day. Now, the full story is revealed as never before by Jack Carr and historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott. Based on comprehensive interviews with survivors, extensive military records, as well as personal letters, diaries and photographs, this is the authoritative account of the deadly attack.

This topical textbook outlines conflict, crisis, and war as central challenges in the international security arena, exploring their history, evolution, nature, dynamics, and trends. Patrick James and James M. Scott discuss the major approaches to analysing conflict, crisis, and war and identify the key avenues for managing them. Engaging with major scholarly work, the textbook combines scientific realism, analytic eclecticism, and the multilevel and graphic approach of systemism to establish the meaning and importance of theory and linkages across levels of analysis. Reflecting on policy and practice, James and Scott explore system, state and individual level explanations of conflict, crisis, and war, and review the nature and effectiveness of key approaches to their management and prevention. They ultimately advocate for an integrated approach that addresses and connects multiple levels of analysis for a more thorough and nuanced understanding. Key Features:Applies an innovative approach with unique visual toolsEncourages comprehension of major concepts, theories, and practices and critical thinkingIncludes core feature boxes which present real-world applications to illustrate a concept and reflect on a point of explanation in greater depthTheoretically informed and conceptually innovative, this textbook is vital to students and scholars of international politics, international relations, and terrorism and security.

This topical textbook outlines conflict, crisis, and war as central challenges in the international security arena, exploring their history, evolution, nature, dynamics, and trends. Patrick James and James M. Scott discuss the major approaches to analysing conflict, crisis, and war and identify the key avenues for managing them. Engaging with major scholarly work, the textbook combines scientific realism, analytic eclecticism, and the multilevel and graphic approach of systemism to establish the meaning and importance of theory and linkages across levels of analysis. Reflecting on policy and practice, James and Scott explore system, state and individual level explanations of conflict, crisis, and war, and review the nature and effectiveness of key approaches to their management and prevention. They ultimately advocate for an integrated approach that addresses and connects multiple levels of analysis for a more thorough and nuanced understanding. Key Features:Applies an innovative approach with unique visual toolsEncourages comprehension of major concepts, theories, and practices and critical thinkingIncludes core feature boxes which present real-world applications to illustrate a concept and reflect on a point of explanation in greater depthTheoretically informed and conceptually innovative, this textbook is vital to students and scholars of international politics, international relations, and terrorism and security.

The first in a new in-depth nonfiction series examining the devastating terrorist attacks that changed the course of history from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott, beginning with the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. 1983: the United States Marine Corps experiences its greatest single-day loss of life since the Battle of Iwo Jima when a truck packed with explosives crashes into their headquarters and barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. This horrifying terrorist attack, which killed 241 servicemen, continues to influence US foreign policy and haunts the Marine Corps to this day. Now, the full story is revealed as never before by Jack Carr and historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott. Based on comprehensive interviews with survivors, extensive military records, as well as personal letters, diaries, and photographs, this is the authoritative account of the deadly attack.

The first in a new in-depth nonfiction series examining the devastating terrorist attacks that changed the course of history from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott, beginning with the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. 1983: the United States Marine Corps experiences its greatest single-day loss of life since the Battle of Iwo Jima, when a truck packed with explosives crashes into their headquarters and barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. This horrifying terrorist attack, which killed 241 servicemen, continues to influence US foreign policy and haunts the Marine Corps to this day. Now, the full story is revealed as never before by Jack Carr and historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott. Based on comprehensive interviews with survivors, extensive military records, as well as personal letters, diaries and photographs, this is the authoritative account of the deadly attack.

Set in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the North Cascades, Image Lake is a stirring hymn to Nature's grandeur and its unfailing power to awe, sustain, and heal us. The lure of a high-mountain lake surrounded by rugged heights serendipitously brings together four misfits: a beleaguered Indigenous woman for whom Image Lake is sacred; a former backcountry ranger who has tried writing an eco-fiction novel about the area with little success; a New York City lawyer and fixer for a mining company who has broken almost everything and everyone in his path, including himself; and a professor of religious studies who, after thirty-three years of teaching and being the only Black person at every faculty meeting, feels burned out. Together, this unlikely fellowship laments the physical, mental, and spiritual damage that results when we are separated from Nature and from each other. But this unconventional novel is not just unflinchingly pessimistic; it is also resiliently hopeful as it confronts the clash of worldviews, breaks down rigid barriers--the "us vs. them" dichotomy and the "that's not my backyard" mentality--and refuses to let despair be the final word. Image Lake explores what it means to find deep friendship even when the world is falling apart. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound insight, emotional sensitivity, and a delightful touch of humor. It will leave you with the sense of standing before an impossible task with unexpected energy to take the first step.

What are the factors that shape and determine the foreign policy choices of the United States? The Politics of United States Foreign Policy helps students consider the players, processes, and politics that drive US decisions and involvement in foreign policy. Blending substance, theory, and stimulating analysis, James Scott and Jerel Rosati emphasize that society, government, and global forces play a role in the struggle over competing values when it comes to foreign policymaking. The book discusses historical patterns, the president’s ability to influence both at home and abroad, and the tension between democracy and national security. The Eighth Edition has been updated to cover developments since the end of the Trump administration, the transition to the Biden administration, the challenges of changing international and domestic contexts, and the increasingly partisan political environment. It also incorporates key recent national and international developments, including the global pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, US global reengagement, and competition between the US and key rivals like China and Russia.

This introduction to a biblical theology of the New Testament seeks to revitalize our engagement with the Scriptures for the twenty-first century by showing not only how the assemblage of ancient writings consisting of both Old and New Testaments is intrinsically relevant, but also how we can remain faithful to Jesus Christ, the organizing principle of those writings, in the process. The book is an invitation to all people of goodwill--believers and unbelievers, liberals and conservatives--to put aside their differences in order to cooperate in the revolution that Jesus inaugurated, the creation of a new and better world in the here and now as an anticipation of the eschatological finale. In an age in which many people are overwhelmed by life and looking for ways to cope, this book offers fresh perspectives and penetrating insights that are grounded in solid biblical scholarship with the aid of contemporary philosophical concepts.

One “apocalyptic” reading of Paul’s letter to the Galatians has been attempted before and is now widely accepted, but that reading is not based on a thorough engagement with Jewish apocalyptic traditions of the Second Temple period. In this book, James M. Scott argues that there is an essential continuity between Galatians and Paul’s Jewish past, and that Paul uses the apocalyptic Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 92–105) as a literary model for his own letter. Scott first contextualizes the Epistle of Enoch using the entire Enochic corpus and explores the extensive similarities (and some differences) between the Enochic tradition and early Stoicism. Then he turns to deal specifically with Paul’s letter to the Galatians, showing that, despite their obvious differences, the two apocalyptic letters have some remarkable features in common as well. This approach to the interpretation of Galatians fundamentally stands to change the way biblical scholars understand Paul’s letter and the gospel that he preached. Paul is “within Judaism,” if the net for what is included in “Judaism” is wide enough to encompass the Enochic tradition.

IR: Seeking Security, Prosperity, and Quality of Life in a Changing World invites students into the debates in world politics and supports them as they engage with ideas and events by providing a clear introduction to not just what happens, but why and how it happens. Assuming no prior knowledge about international relations, award-winning teachers and scholars James M. Scott, Ralph G. Carter, and A. Cooper Drury meet students where they are and provide them with a framework to make sense of the complicated events and interactions of world politics. The latest edition is thoroughly updated to provide insights into recent world developments.

By early 1945, the war against Japan was at its height and General Douglas MacArthur began to fulfil his vow of liberating the Philippines. He was already planning his own victory parade down Dewey Boulevard in Manila, a city he loved dearly. But the Japanese had other ideas. While their command had agreed to abandon Manila after the fall of Leyte, a rogue Japanese admiral instructed his troops to fight to the death. The result was the catastrophic destruction of the city, and a rampage that terrorised the civilian population. An estimated 100,000 civilians lost their lives in a massacre as heinous as the “Rape of Nanking”. Based on extensive research, war-crimes testimony, after-action reports and survivor interviews, Rampage recounts one of the most heart-breaking chapters of Pacific war history.

By early 1945, the war against Japan was at its height and General Douglas MacArthur began to fulfil his vow of liberating the Philippines. He was already planning his own victory parade down Dewey Boulevard in Manila, a city he loved dearly. But the Japanese had other ideas. While their command had agreed to abandon Manila after the fall of Leyte, a rogue Japanese admiral instructed his troops to fight to the death. The result was the catastrophic destruction of the city, and a rampage that terrorised the civilian population. An estimated 100,000 civilians lost their lives in a massacre as heinous as the “Rape of Nanking”. Based on extensive research, war-crimes testimony, after-action reports and survivor interviews, Rampage recounts one of the most heart-breaking chapters of Pacific war history.

On April 18, 1942, sixteen U. S. Army bombers under the command of daredevil pilot Jimmy Doolittle lifted off from the deck of the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to pummel Japan’s factories, refineries, and dockyards in retaliation for their attack on Pearl Harbor. The raid buoyed America’s morale, and prompted an ill-fated Japanese attempt to seize Midway that turned the tide of the war. But it came at a horrific cost: an estimated 250,000 Chinese died in retaliation by the Japanese. Deeply researched and brilliantly written, Target Tokyo has been hailed as the definitive account of one of America’s most daring military operations.