Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima – The Dramatic True Story of the Atomic Bombing that Ended WWII and Defined the 20th Century

by Stephen Walker

The story of the bombing of Hiroshima presented in a new and dramatic way: a minute-by-minute account told from multiple perspectives, both in the air and on the ground British feature and documentary director Stephen Walker tells the story of the bombing of Hiroshima in a way only a filmmaker can―not as a dry history of the sad, regrettable, mission, but as an immediate and perilous drama. Walker has extensively interviewed American soldiers, Los Alamos scientists, and Japanese survivors that were involved in the bombing, and thus is able to tell the story through truly alive-on-the-page characters. The result is a narrative that―without either trivializing the tragedy of the bombing or ignoring its importance in WWII’s end―tells the real story of why and how one of the most important events of the 20th century took place. Shockwave might not change anyone’s opinion about the justification of the Hiroshima bombing, but it will provide readers with an unprecedented viewpoint that is sure to educate and enthrall its audience.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Japan, Science, Military Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 2005

Reviews

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent follow-up to “100 East Palace” by Jennet Conant. While the latter deals with Oppenheimer and General Groves and the development of the bomb, this work deals with Tibbets and the 509th Composite Air Group and its inception and execution.
Imagine a country spending 2 billion dollars on only an idea and hoping by all hopes it works and then if it does, how will it affect humanity. Yes, that is one of the weighty questions many will ask after the successful test on July 16, 1945. The world will never be the same again.
I thoroughly enjoyed the way Walker put the book together. He covers all the training Tibbets put his men through and how he selected the men who would support and fly the missions. Believe me, this is a true story of the “Dirty Dozen” only encompasses over 2000 individuals. He also picks out about six Japanese, from different sects and traces their lives to that fateful day of August 6th, 1945. This format builds up an excellent wave of tension to when the bomb is dropped and the horrendous aftermath.
It is easy for us to look back and criticize the use of the weapon, but at the time, Truman was faced with a estimate of American casualties topping over 250,000 just for the invasion of Kyushu. Honsho would be much larger. Given those numbers and the fact the country was tiring of the war, what would you do? Continue to firebomb every city in Japan and use conventional warfare on a people who refused to surrender or try and bring them to their knees with one swift strike? I chose the latter. For the men that flew and witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima, they had no compunction in what they did. They were given a mission and carried it out flawlessly. It’s what they were ordered to do and given the facts of the “Bataan Death March” and the treatment of Allied Prisoners and Pearl Harbor, it was payback time and none of them gave it a second thought.
The descriptions from the survivors will have you cringing from the horrible burns and disfigurements many witnessed. This should be warning enough to never use these weapons again on this planet.
An excellent addition to you World War Two library.
Definitely a five -star work.

[Doreen Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding well written book!!! For those interested in WWII history this is definitely a must read!!!

[Nick Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

very well-written survey of the events culminating in WWII's end, but definitely disappoints in terms of new material; despite numerous references to coveted interviews and esoteric primary sources, there's absolutely nothing within these 338 pages I didn't know beforehand. I'm hardly the only Oppenheimaniac driving this unceasing train of nukeporn out of our bookshelves and into the streets, and similarly-fascinated individuals will notice numerous direct reproductions of material from Rhodes, Kay+Sherwin, and the swarm of Project-spawned biographies (particularly those of Szilard and Fermi).

walker's science is pretty admirably on for a documentary-maker. i recall wincing only twice (over four hundred isotopes of plutonium? that was news to me! maybe it's accurate -- too bad there's NO FUCKING CITATION argh!!)

anyway, a nice solid intro for those unwilling to read American Prometheus and Richard Rhodes, though anyone interested in hot death served worldwide in thirty minutes (or the next one's free) would IMHO do well to just work through my recommendations on the topic.

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the three weeks leading up to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 that effectively ended world war 2. Follow the testing procedures and science behind the bomb. And then on that fateful day when it is released over Hiroshima. The cruel events that led Hiroshima to being the target, not the one originally planned.
If nothing else strikes home you will always remember the pilots as they flew away from the site. A massive mushroom fire ball rising in the air behind them as they look at each other in the cockpit. "What have we done?"

[Michelle Lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put this on my "to-read" list because of Ann Marie's 5 star review of the book along with my interest in learning more on the subject. Watching season 2 of 24 caused the book to jump to the top of the list.

It was definitely a page turner - one of the quotes on the back of the book refers to how it reads like a thriller novel, which I would agree with. The book brought out the following emotions for me - sadness, anger, disgust and disbelief.

Prior to reading this book, my rather un-informed opinion on the United States' use of the atomic bomb was simply that I could not believe that we were the ones to use it. My slightly more informed opinion after reading this book is much of the same - not only can I not believe that it was my country that used this weapon which resulted in the horrific deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, but the people in position to make the decision had "no regrets and would do it all over again". I also do not buy into the arguments for using the bomb - redemption for Pearl Harbor or putting an end to the war sooner. In my opinion there is absolutely no justification for the use of the atomic bomb.

This would actually make a great book club read. I could go on and on discussing my utter disgust with our government....

[AnnaG · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best history books I have read in a long time. This put is highly accessible and a real page-tuner as the drama of dropping the bomb unfolds minute by minute. You get a full picture of the scientific advances, the military logistics, the political decisions and the residents of Hiroshima, Thoroughly recommended.

[Paul Lockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. RTC.

[Michael Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have read about the development of the atomic bomb and the mission to drop one on Hiroshima in "Enola Gay" by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts, "Shockwave" is still an exciting read. One can feel both amazement and terror at this awesome weapon. As someone from the Philippines, one of the countries victimized by Imperial Japan, I support the use of the Bomb against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These cities were not wholly civilian cities. They contained military installations and many in the populace worked in Japan's war industry. The gall of some in today's Japan to portray themselves as victims. For the record, Japan was not a victim; it was an AGGRESSOR in the Second World War. Imperial Japan deserved to be defeated by the Allied countries.

[Hans Brienesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that has it all: drama, technical specs, history, ethics. The time frame of this book is reasonably short covering basically the events from the first atomic test until the drop on Hiroshima. But within that text is contained a wealth of information not only about the bomb, but the scientists, aviators, ancillary staff, victims, as well as a wealth of information not normally seen. Five well earned stars.

[Arwen56 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minuziosa ricostruzione delle tre settimane che hanno preceduto il lancio della prima bomba atomica sul Giappone, scritta in maniera vivace e davvero appassionante.

[Apoorv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much has been written about the first ever (and so far, the only ever) use of a nuclear weapon in Hiroshima in August 1945. However, I have yet to read an account as riveting, as moving, and as thought provoking as this one by Stephen Walker. The book leaves the reader with troubling questions - should the men and women of science closely involved with the Manhattan Project have been proud of the Trinity Test and the subsequent use of the atomic bomb for the giant leap in nuclear physics that these represented? Should those in the US government responsible for the decision to use the bomb be proud of what these bombings were able to avert? Or did they forever live in guilt and remorse? Was there even a moral question worth considering after the atrocities of the Japanese army during WW-II? And most pertinently, could anyone have anticipated the long-term consequences of this decision - both good and bad?

The book attempts to answer these and other questions through an account of real life characters and events - in Los Alamos, Tinian Island, and in Hiroshima. Stephen Walker does a marvellous job of juxtaposing the unimaginable horror and grief of the victims, against the unbridled joy of those for whom this represented progress, victory and retribution.

Highly recommend this book.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is amazing. strieght talking and to the point, half way through it sounded like the author was getting excited when describing the bomb and its parts but he toned it down and carried on reading as normal.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was my favorite out of the 3 books my history class required me to read! It still dragged on at times, but overall it was pretty captivating to read about!

[Madeline Kilness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gut-wrenching. A very important read.

[Mark Ehlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy-to-read book, and fairly enthralling given its focus on the people and personalities associated with the first bombs. There is a lot of great detail, based on careful research and interviews with the number of the key people that were there.

But I really wasn’t a fan of the writing style where many chapters ended with a statement that through a style of contradiction, made it feel like it was trying to grip you with the point. The entire subject is gripping.

It felt more like reading a Hardy boys book where the last sentence in every chapter ends with an exclamation point. I find this writing style to be a little forced and distracting. What I did like was the epilogue where in a more somber tone, it described how many of the key players were doing today. That style, while a bit sober, was easier for me to read.

[Zachary Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”
Robert Oppenheimer quoting Hindu scripture to describe his reaction to the Trinity nuclear test.

I became a fan of the author Stephen Walker after reading one of his later works “Beyond”, a narrative history about Yuri Gagarin’s first orbital space flight. This was one of the best books I have written in recent years, with an engaging narrative style that brought even smaller characters in the history to life.

While Beyond is powered on by a sense of wonder, inspiration alongside superpower rivalry the tone of this book is notably more serious and sombre. The author does well to fill the reader with a sense of awe about the enormity of the scale of the Manhattan Project. A select few of the finest and most ambitious physicists of the last century, some of whom were refugees from the Nazis, had the enormous resources of the emerging American superpower behind them. Facilities as large as cities and even states were constructed at their whim to tap the power of the atom. The tension is drummed up in the run up to the Trinity test, with military overseers of that test ready to implement evacuations over state lines in case they could not control the forces they unleash. The author does well to convey the mix of emotions released by the midwives of this new destructive force. On a cautionary note the progress solitary campaign of Leo Szilard, the person who first conceived of an atomic bomb, to ensure it is not used is documented. This is sombre reminder that there were those who clearly worried about the long term consequences of releasing this power.

The characters in this true story are done justice, having their personal quirks, virtues and real faults fleshed out. The characters themselves are largely over 4 levels; military, politicians, scientists and civilians. The latter’s stories are largely the stories of residents of Hiroshima leading up to and through the bombing of their city. These were ordinary people, directed by their government in a fanatical national effort, to then be confronted by a tragedy of immense proportions that marked them for the rest of their lives.

The author tantalises the reader by showing some glaring “what ifs”. What if the terms of surrender directed to the Japanese were mildly modified? What if the Russians didn’t have secret foreknowledge of the results of the Manhattan Project? What if Hiroshima had different weather on that fateful day? At the same time the efforts of the special air group to perfect the bombing techniques needed to drop an atomic bomb is documented. I found myself feeling conflicted. I was rooting for the airmen on every practice run but was sobered when I reflected on what their task would lead to.

Overall, I rate this book highly. I am not sure if it feels right to say this book is enjoyable, given the subject matter. But it reads very smoothly, and the story spans out like a thriller. This book does justice to all sides. It conveys the relentlessness of the Americans in their efforts to end the war, at great cost, from the small players up to the big ones. You can feel the sense of powerlessness and fatalism amid the Japanese and their leaders as the clock ticks down to the bomb. I am not entirely sure this book would be as rewarding with repeat reading unlike Beyond, which I can’t recommend enough. But as it is, this book does well to convey the drama, spectacle and tragedy of this important time in history.

[Doughlas Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shockwave is an exceptionally detailed and deeply moving account of the atomic bombing of Japan. Stephen Walker’s meticulous research and balanced storytelling offer readers an unbiased perspective from both the American and Japanese sides of this tragic chapter in human history. His writing captures not only the historical facts but also the profound emotional and moral complexities surrounding the event.

Walker’s work evokes deep empathy for the countless innocent Japanese families whose lives were shattered in an instant. At the same time, it highlights how the arrogance, pride, and political ambitions of leaders on both sides contributed to the immense suffering endured by ordinary citizens. The book makes it clear that while nations may wage war in the name of victory or peace, it is the everyday people—mothers, fathers, and children—who bear the heaviest burdens and pay the ultimate price.

What stands out most in Shockwave is its reminder that history is rarely black and white. There are no true winners in war, only survivors left to rebuild their lives amid the ashes of devastation. Walker’s portrayal encourages readers to reflect deeply on humanity’s capacity for both destruction and resilience, urging us to learn from the past so that such horrors are never repeated.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding not only the events that led to the atomic bombings, but also the broader human consequences of decisions made in times of fear and power struggle. It serves as a sobering warning against the dangers of ego-driven leadership and a call for compassion, diplomacy, and accountability in the modern world.

In the end, Shockwave reminds us that history, when told honestly, can be one of humanity’s greatest teachers—if only we have the courage to listen and to learn.

[David H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walker put together a very time-defined book here: the three week period in 1945 between the Trinity test (the first detonation of a nuclear weapon) and the detonation of an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. With eyewitness interviews and other sources, the book provides a slice-by-slice timeline that both helps the reader follow along and see how people behaved in the lead up and immediate aftermath, including several Hiroshima survivors and the crews of the B-29s on the bombing mission and the American politicians and scientists. I thought this was fascinating, but perhaps a little too focused for me; I think Walker did his best to provide context for everything, but sometimes I think he let the people or the situations speak for themselves which wasn't always the best method, in my opinion.

All in all, I did feel like I saw why the bomb went forward despite everything, and I was gutted at the descriptions of Hiroshima. War is hell.

I read this as part of my personal project to read Dayton Literary Peace Prize winners. This book was the 2006 Nonfiction Winner (the inaugural winner, in fact). I'm actually surprised this book won this award, as I think it was a bit too passive a book to really be about seeking peace (and using the atomic bomb as your peace-seeking method is a bit screwed up). Maybe the awards judges were still feeling their way through the Prize's criteria, as later winners are much better at fitting them.

[Holly-Marie Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish, but I very much enjoyed this book. The level of research was painstaking to great effect; I have never read a book that delves so deep. The prose was easy and effective and painted the scene vividly. I appreciated how much information this book provided on the run up to and including the subsequent tragedy itself, although I felt at times that I was taking in so much but not getting very far through the pages, which did make it a struggle to complete (but that could just be my own attention span). The beginning of the end was easily the best part for me, as Walker juxtaposes the heartbreaking stories of survivors, aimlessly travelling the bleak and flattened landscape in search of family and only finding the dead, with the relief of the American leaders and the joyous celebration of the 509th's triumph.

A great read for a beginner with an interest in American history to explore such a historical travesty with unparalleled attention to detail.

[✲ pau ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i showed my mom the trailer of christopher nolan's oppenheimer and she said "boy do i have just the book for you."

a compelling account of the moments leading up to the dropping of the atomic bomb. the way it was written in dual perspectives of the americans and the residents of hiroshima made it all the more powerful. it was really heartbreaking reading about the aftermath of the bomb from the perspective of the victims. stephen walker can definitely tell a story, and as a non-fiction book it made for a page turner. he can weave two different viewpoints in the most interesting ways (e.g the way the americans were planning a huge celebration post-drop at their base vs the ongoing turmoil of nuclear fallout in japan). for those into history i would recommend this book. i know there are a lot of forms of media that covers this horrifying and haunting moment in history but i do find that what the author did here made it very accessible and engrossing.

[Jacob Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enthralling and moving read on one of the most important events of WW2 and the 20th century more broadly. I got new edition of the book published for the 75th anniversary of the Trinity Test and Hiroshima bombing.

As others have noted, the book read almost like a thriller, with a wide cast of characters and excellent pacing. As someone very familiar with the history of WW2, I was surprised to find a lot of information I hadn’t known before.

The decision to drop the bomb is looked at in depth, with moving stories of the Japanese survivors contrasted with the American scientists, politicians and soldiers. Personally I believe the bomb’s use was justified, as the war may well have dragged on far longer without the atom bomb’s use- thereby costing many more lives than the bombs took.

The author leaves you in no doubt however how horrendous nuclear weapons are- and that they must never be used again.

[Mark Ehlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy-to-read book, and fairly enthralling given its focus on the people and personalities associated with the first bombs. There is a lot of great detail, based on careful research and interviews with the number of the key people that were there.

But I really wasn't a fan of the writing style where many chapters ended with a statement that through a style of contradiction, made it feel like it was trying to grip you with the point. The entire subject is gripping.

It felt more like reading a Hardy boys book where the last sentence in every chapter ends with an exclamation point. I find this writing style to be a little forced and distracting. What I did like was the epilogue where in a more somber tone, it described how many of the key players were doing today. That style, while a bit sober, was easier for me to read.

[Valerio Pastore · Rating 5 out of 5]

La versione romanzata di quanto successe nelle settimane precedenti e nel giorno della bomba di Hiroshima. Un racconto mozzafiato di quanto successe, una splendida cornice narrativa per qualcosa che allo stesso tempo esalta e colpisce allo stomaco. Le ragioni politiche e strategiche dell'orrore supremo di una guerra, l'ingresso nella terribile era atomica.
Sì, l'ho detto, c'è qualcosa di esaltante in questa storia, nel modo in cui ogni ingranaggio va al suo posto, in cui ogni 'dramatis persona' ha il suo perché, uscendo dai facili stereotipi. Si percepisce la STORIA dietro i momenti più casuali. Ci si sente trascinati verso l'inevitabile, spaventati e consapevoli e impazienti di vedere cosa e come succederà, pur conoscendo già i fatti.
Un lavoro eccezionale che merita di essere ricordato negli annali!

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books in high school. I read it at least twice, and used it for two research papers that I wrote about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. (I switched it up and wrote about the Chernobyl accident for my senior research paper.)

This book is an amazing, incredible play-by-play, minute-by-minute account of the testing of the bomb at Los Alamos and later using the bombs named Little Boy and Fat Man on civilian populations. What a fantastic book! I want to read it again, but I'm pretty sure it's been weeded from my local library's collection. Because I've read it a few times before, perhaps I should invest in my own copy! It was a fascinating and disturbing read. Highly recommended.

[Clifton Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Walker, British author, has provided us with a fast-moving account of the three weeks from the testing of the first atomic bomb in New Mexico, to the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in “Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima.” He provides a behind the scenes look at the personalities involved, including President Harry Truman, the scientists involved in the development, General Groves and Oppenheimer, Paul Tibbets and his crew, and, also, many Japanese in Hiroshima on the fateful day in August, 1945. The reader is made aware of both the great accomplishment, and the unspeakable horror that brought World War II to an end.

[Suresh Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

If not for the stark reality of the actual tragedy of the event, this book would have felt as nail biting first rate thriller. It is interesting to read the build up and preparation behind the event. A lot of details on the mechanics and logistics of the operation/ device and people involved in it.

The book does not dwelve or critic much onto the good or bad of the event, in any political sense. It happened and this is the account of how it happened. It still creates a lot of questions in the reader's mind, especially looking at it from a different lens and timeframe. An unputdownable but heavy read.

[Jonathan Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, well written account of the 30 days or so between the Trinity test and the bombing of Hiroshima. At times, the writing is a little too breezy, I suppose in an attempt to make it more accessible to readers.
It doesn't go into a lot of detail; it just hits the surface for the most part. However, it does have some interesting anecdotes that I'd never heard before and add to the story.
The author did a number of interviews with survivors from Hiroshima and members of the Enola Gay's crew which add a lot to the book.

[Edythe Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling reading. To experience the Nuclear Bomb through the experiences of those who created it and those who suffered the explosion was a real eye opener. Before reading this I knew the bomb was horrific, but this book put a face on the Japanese people living in Hiroshima, something I had not really been able to conceptualize before.
I borrowed this book the first time I read it, afterward I purchased my own copy.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very gripping read, that truly goes into every last detail and minute of the atomic bomb journey. Each stage and thought process is described extremely well and shows just how complicated it was. Walker also does not shy away from the true impact on the people of Japan, looking into individual lives, and portrays just how horrifying and unimaginable the consequences of the bomb were. It was fascinating to read both the Allies' side and the Japanese view.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read, incredibly informative, but also conveyed the emotions of all involved, both on the US side, and the Japanese side.

I have had this book for a while and picked it up after seeing Oppenheimer in theaters. The plot essentially starts right before the Trinity test and all the way through until VJ Day. It was a great way to fill in the holes left from that film (with the focus being on the bomb and less on the bomb maker). For the casual reader if WWII literature, this is a must.