This was quite an interesting book and I thought it painted a brief overview. I would have liked more detail though. A good beginner book to this topic.

An incredibly detailed and layered dive into the days and circumstances that lead to the bombing at Hiroshima, as well as the day of and after. Very dense, not for the lighthearted reader, and the mounting doom with every page turn is electrifying. As a reader, you go into this book knowing the when, the how and the why--but do you? The detail, the names and people whose lives you're put in the shoes of right as something world-endingly terrible happens to them. Overall it's written incredibly well, though it does tend to drag around the middle, but with so much information that seems hardly avoidable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of so much information I didn’t know, but I also felt it was very scattered. At the beginning, it was super chronological, with minute-by-minute updates as to what was happening on the plane and down on the ground in the minutes up to the dropping of Little Boy. But then it starts to get scattered, with accounts of the bombing felt by individuals, to details about the author’s visits with the hibakusha, to information about the building of different monuments. I felt like the book was told a bit out of order. In addition, in the very beginning of the book, we are introduced to a bunch of people who survived the bombing, but so many names are thrown out quickly, and we move between view-points so often, that it’s hard to keep track of who everyone was. For me, the information I wanted to read was all in this book, but I wish I could just take all the chapters and restructure it.

I cannot possibly tell you how often I cried while reading this book.

I imagine we all know that the heavily Eurocentric and sanitized curriculum of American public education really does not scratch even the surface of the atomic bombings upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. What is taught is cursory and without feeling: dates, places, death tolls, the end of the war thereafter. Wave an American flag and call it victory.

This never did sit particularly well with me, but I also never really thought about it very deeply. It had occurred to me that we were not teaching our children about the human cost of war generally and the atomic bomb specifically, and that that felt wrong, yet still I was comfortable enough not to pursue that thought any further, not to seek out for myself a deeper understanding and feeling for those human costs.

Enter “Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses,” authored by M.G. Sheftall.

It’s a lot harder to ignore the real people who were going about their lives in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, when their names, their stories, their words, their lives, their suffering are laid before you. They’re not numbers, and they’re not half a page in a 10th grade world history textbook, they’re people, and Sheftall shares their stories with us with care and the dignity that they deserve.

I feel, after reading this book, that I have a much stronger sense of Hiroshima as a place, of what the lives of people and families were like there, of the land and layout, of the architecture, of Hiroshima the city, of what was *there*, both before and after its destruction. Sheftall does a great job of really creating the scene so that you feel like you understand where and how things are happening when they’re recounted. A lot of times when I read history books, a lack of strong sense of place is my biggest barrier to retention, so I think that this is really all credit to the author as one way that this book stands out.

I had absolutely never been taught nor considered that, by the nature of the involuntary “voluntary” work they were being made to do at the time, so many children were the most instantaneous victims of the bomb. Sheftall does not pull any punches in describing the labor those kids were being compelled to perform, nor the absolute horror of how they were killed and what their families went through in trying to reunite amidst the chaos. Nobody ever REALLY describes the hell that was Aug. 6th for those who survived the blast - even if only for a short while. I won’t describe the accounts given of the scene on the ground that day by the survivors Sheftall spoke with. Read the book and cry as I did reading them.

Reading this book made me want to be a better person, honestly. And made me a little ashamed of how easy my life is. I already considered myself a pacifist and that feels more deeply pressed into my core today. Rarely do I finish a book and have to stop and reflect on how glad I am that I read it. That’s why I’m giving “Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses” five stars, and will absolutely be reading its companion book on Nagasaki when it comes out next year.

While this may be a good book for academic libraries and those with a scientific background, it is far too technical to interest high school students.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Book Review: "Hiroshima" by M.G. Sheftall

M.G. Sheftall's "Hiroshima" is a poignant and powerful account of one of the most devastating events in human history. Through meticulous research and sensitive storytelling, Sheftall provides a comprehensive examination of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and its aftermath.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its human focus. Sheftall skillfully weaves together personal accounts, survivor testimonies, and historical analysis to create a vivid and deeply moving portrait of the tragedy. By putting a human face on the event, Sheftall forces readers to confront the true cost of war and the profound impact it has on individuals and communities.

Sheftall's writing is clear and engaging, making complex historical events and political contexts accessible to readers. He navigates the complexities of the bombing, its justification, and its legacy with sensitivity and nuance, offering a balanced perspective that encourages reflection and critical thinking.

Despite the heavy subject matter, "Hiroshima" is ultimately a story of resilience and hope. Sheftall highlights the strength and courage of the Hiroshima survivors, known as hibakusha, who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war are never forgotten.

In conclusion, "Hiroshima" is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking book that sheds light on one of the darkest moments in human history. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the full impact of nuclear war and the importance of working towards a more peaceful world.