A moving historical document: the first Western account of the aftermath of the Hiroshima bomb, based on a half-dozen victims, and published in book form. ( )

John Hersey was an American journalist and was one of the first writers allowed into Hiroshima, right after the bombing. First published in 1946, this short, powerful account centers on 6 of the survivors. In their own words they describe the day of the bombing and the horrifying aftermath. It is painful to read at times but their own resilience shines through. Forty years later, Hersey returned to Hiroshima and updated their stories. I am so glad I stumbled on this classic book and it made a terrific audio experience too, narrated by the masterful George Guidall. ( )

Reading the personal accounts of this tragedy was a harrowing read. Very moving and told in a reporting tone. It was however quite a slow read. 3.25/5 ( )

The first half of the book was fairly good. It follows 6 survivors of the Hiroshima bomb, and the details of the day of the bomb are harrowing. However in the second half, the book falls off a lot. It continues to follow these survivors, but goes far into the mundane details of their lives years or even decades after the bomb. I understand that the intent was to show the long lasting effects of the bomb, physical (radiation), spiritual, and psychological. But it just wasn't interesting, plain and simple. ( )

The atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were at least 100x weaker then the missiles currently in our nuclear arsenal. Despite this, roughly 100,000 people were killed both from the immediate blast and the lingering effects of radiation sickness. The morality of this decision are not really discussed in _Hiroshima_ Rather, Hersey focuses on the stories of individual survivors, the hibakusha. What was most striking about the immediate aftermath of the bombing was that the people of Hiroshima acted selflessly and with a sense of humanity and community. People suffered through the horror uncomplainingly, with politeness and a gambare spirit. ( )