Hiroshima Diary: The Journal of a Japanese Physician, August 6-September 30, 1945

by Michihiko Hachiya

Book Overview

The late Dr. Michihiko Hachiya was director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital when the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. Though his responsibilities in the appalling chaos of a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807845477
• ISBN13: 9780807845479
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.7" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Artistic, insightful and brilliant. An amazing first hand account of the bombing!

I agree with the previous review and shall vote 5 stars to even us out at 4 1/2. In "Hiroshima Diary," Dr. Michihiko Hachiya recounts his experience as both a victim of the atomic bomb and a first-responder of aid. Hachiya's account graphically depicts the confusing, terrible weeks that followed the atomic attack on Hiroshima. His matter-of -fact interpretation revels how little modern portrayals of the bombing compare with reality. The destruction wrought upon the Japanese people at Hiroshima is not to be underestimated, however, Hachiya bares facts that today seem unbelievable in light of the vast devastation. For all his suffering and all he has been witness to, Hachiya demonstrates little resentment towards the Americans who completely altered his way of life. A profound book that is both troubling in its imagery and beautiful in its language. No less poignant today than so many years ago. REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

I wish I could give it 4.5 stars, but:

I liked this book because it was fast paced and easy reading. I finished it in 5 days of casual reading. It is very entertaining, although it is horrifying at times, and very descriptive of the human damage done by the A-Bomb. I walked away with a very chilling sense of the psychological damage that the Japanese suffered after Hiroshima was bombed. The sheer disorientation of the people and the clear and disturbing imagery of the immediate aftermath of the bombing indeed shows the horror of nuclear weapons in their entirety. This book is a must read for everyone! Why? This is a nuclear world we live in, and before someone casually suggests "We should just nuke them off the map" you should understand the human impact, the sheer suffering, and the good humanity is capable of in the presence of such destruction. Please read this, I believe it will make you a better person.