ABSTRACT
IF CURIOSITY DRIVES the historian to investigate the Great Tokyo Air Raid he is soon aware of the destructive power of his fellow scholars. It is inevitable that researchers omit and discard much of the human past when transmitting a serviceable version of events to the next generation; but in this instance one is drawn to analyse the process of selection which has almost removed this incident from historical consciousness. Such an analysis may not only spotlight the event itself but also amplify the rhythms and dissonances of a whole period. Furthermore, this investigation may further clarify the prejudices and priorities of important and influential historians.
