Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World

There is no book on this topic that captures the impact on average people. Should be required reading on this topic

Before I read this book, I had read many other books about Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Manhattan Project. As I started reading the book, I wondered if I would even finish it because I feared I would learn nothing new. I quickly realized that the book contained a wealth of interesting and important information that I had not read before.I am baffled by the negative reviews that claim that this book is "anti-American" or that it paints the U.S. as the "aggressor." The book never once paints America as the aggressor in the Pacific War--it never even hints at such a view. As for the "anti-American" claim, true patriotism does not mean excusing or ignoring every action taken by your government. America is much more than just her government, and criticism of certain government actions is not a rejection of our form of government or the freedoms we enjoy.It is not anti-American to point out that there were credible, feasible alternatives to nuking two Japanese cities whose populations were mostly civilians at a time when Japan was already clearly, obviously beaten and trying to surrender. Nor is it anti-American to point out that the Truman administration tried to hide the horrible effects of the atomic bomb on human beings, especially the deadly nature of radiation exposure from the bomb.But the book is about much more than the merits of nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki or about the government's attempt to cover up the effects of the bomb. It provides a fascinating history of how Hersey came to write "Hiroshima" and of the relationship between the press and the military at the time. It also provides a revealing look at the government's reply to Hersey's book and at American attitudes toward the war, Japan, and the atomic bomb once the truth about its effects was revealed (largely thanks to Hersey).

Having just finished Hershey’s “Hiroshima,” Blume did a good job of providing the interesting backstory to the book. However, the 1 and 2 star reviews are correct in accusing the author of an obvious bias. If you’re not familiar with the fragility of the Japanese government in summer 1945, the fanaticism of leading elements of the Japanese army, and a more realistic overview of the likely results of an American invasion of the home islands, do yourself a favor. Sit down with something more objective, like Ian Toll’s “Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945” and draw your own conclusions.

This is an enthralling and important story. I long ago had read John Hersey's Hiroshima, in book form, and it has stayed with me ever since. So this work is a fascinating addition to history: the backstory of how Hersey's Hiroshima came to be.The book tells how the founder of the New Yorker, Harold Ross, and his assistant editor, William Shawn, decided to send Hersey to Japan to learn from victims first hand about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and how they then decided to publish the entire resulting piece in an edition that contained no other content. In so doing, their vision and courageous creative choices transformed the New Yorker from a primarily humor magazine into a vital source for contemporary commentary, and they, along with Hersey, changed journalism and non-fiction writing in the process too.The book reports how hands-on Ross and Shawn were as editors; no word, phrase or detail was too small to escape their scrutiny, and they always wielded their red pencils heavily. The book also explains that Hersey modelled his format for Hiroshima (which tells the history of the bombing and its aftermath through the eyes and experiences of six people who survived) on Thornton Wilder's novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey. Through the use of the first person narrative, Hersey and the New Yorker transformed the writing of history, and set the stage for subsequent authors like Studs Terkel and Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexandrovna, whose wonderful works also present history through the voices of those who lived it.

When I was a teen looking for things to watch online I came across an animated movie called Barefoot Gen, about the aftermath of the nuclear bombings in Japan. Ever since then I've been an avid supporter of nuclear disarmament. When I heard the interview with the author playing on the radio one day I knew I had to read her book.Fallout is a wonderful history of reporting and the struggles of reporters wishing to preserve the right of free press. Reading it is a good reminder of what can happen when press is censored and reporters are not allowed to report the facts. To be honest, I don't know why some other reviewers are so upset and think that the book is "America blaming." The book is honestly a wonderful history and a wonderful reminder of what can happen when nuclear weapons are used, what can happen when press is censored, and the amazing work of one journalist to overcome that censorship when he knew what his government (and other governments of the world) were wrong. Totally a must read for anyone interested in history or nuclear disarmament efforts.

This is a good book for anyone who questions why one, let alone two, atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. I loved John Hersey’s Hiroshima (and even more his The Call), but I was really enlightened with the challenge he had to write it. Fallout is really well written and informative and should be a must read for holding the US government accountable.

日本語版の翻訳や特集番組や映画が作られるといいなと思います。