To remember the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 at the close of World War II, August 6 is designated as Hiroshima Day. In only a few seconds, the explosions killed nearly 200,000 people and wounded countless more. Tracing the history, and remembering the lives, many books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki follow and narrate the exact events.
This week marks the 70th anniversary of the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima by the United States. It resulted in the death of more than 140,000 people—the most during World War II. A significant portion of the city was destroyed by the explosion, including a school where more than 80% of the victims were young children aged 6 to 10. Hiroshima Day is to remember the significant portion of lives that lost their life.
A nuclear weapon with the codename “Little Boy” was detonated in Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, during World War II, killing an estimated 140,000 people. (Five days later, Imperial Japan surrendered; three days after that, the United States detonated a nuclear weapon over Nagasaki.)
A major center of military and industrial activity in Japan that was a member of the Axis alliance alongside Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy was Hiroshima City. The United States, China, the Soviet Union, and Britain were among the Allies who stood against the Axis.
Books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Every year, Hiroshima Day is observed to encourage world peace and raise public awareness of the catastrophic effects of nuclear bombs. Every year, the day is marked as a remembrance of the horrible deaths of unarmed individuals.
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was one of the most tragic moments in human history. Many books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki narrate the events in detail. Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing was a monumental moment in history.
1.Hiroshima
Author– John Hersey
The author cleverly fuses storytelling, journalism, and testimonials in a cleverly crafted book. The book follows the events and aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It talks about 6 survivors who experienced the atomic bombing.
Described as “haunting” and “gut-wrenching” the book captures and narrates the story in a way that leaves a reader shocked.
2. Cảnh đồi mờ xám (A Pale View of Hills)
Author– Kazuo Ishiguro
The book follows a Japanese-born woman living in England while she reminisces about the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with her daughter. The books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki revolve around the neighborhood of the woman.
The book comes under Psychological Fiction and confuses the past and the present. It has two separate plot threads. One occurs in England at about the same time as the novel’s 1982 publication, which occurred in that country. The second plot line takes set around ten years after World War Two in Nagasaki, Japan. These books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki take an interesting take on the event and still narrate the realness of it all.
3. The Making of The Atomic Bomb
Author– Richard Rhodes
The book explores the making of the first atomic bombs in quite heavy and intricate detail. It lays out the events of Hiroshima Day and its entire surrounding as it was.
“The Making of the Atomic Bomb” is a fantastic and incredibly in-depth case study on the creation of a game-changing technology — the atomic bomb. The book covers a lot of ground, including the early trials, government intervention, the vast Manhattan Project, and its analogs in four other superpowers.
4. Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima
Author- Robert Jay Lifton
“Hibakusha” in Japanese refers to those who were harmed by an explosion, notably the 1945 detonation of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. In this renowned study, Lifton examines the psychological consequences of the bomb on 90,000 survivors. The book was awarded the 1969 National Book Award for Science winner. He believes that this research offers a final opportunity to comprehend nuclear war and be inspired to prevent it. The atomic era has greatly benefited from this kind of treatment.
5. Black Rain
Author- Masuji Ibuse
The novel is free of sentimentality while still managing to convey the scope of the human misery brought on by the atomic bomb. Ibuse based his story on actual diaries and interviews with Holocaust survivors. Periodic attacks of radiation illness and the worry that her unborn children could also be harmed permanently alter Yasuko’s life after the black rain.
With the kind humor for which he is renowned, lbuse softens the horror of his topic. Black Rain is one of the most praised tellings of the Hiroshima narrative because of the author’s understanding of the intricate web of emotions in a traditional society ripped apart by this historical catastrophe.
These books on Hiroshima and Nagasaki take a deep dive into the historic event and present it in a new form. It interests the readers and educates them with vital facts about history that will always remain unforgettable.
