What do you think?
Rate this book
Letters from the End of the World: A Firsthand Account of the Bombing of Hiroshima
A love story in the form of letters to the author's young wife, who died soon after the bombing of Hiroshima.
More than fifty years after the Second World War, the scars left by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima refuse to heal. This compelling account of one man's experience gives a human face to the events of August 6, 1945.
For a week after the bombing, the author, who was an assistant professor at Hiroshima University, wandered the decimated streets of the city, searching for his wife and his youngest son. He finally located them, but his wife died just days later. Grief-stricken, the author wrote her a series of
letters over the next year outlining the things he had seen and heard during her last days on earth. In 1948, the letters became the first eyewitness account of an atomic bombing ever published.
This powerful record shows how one family's future was altered in an instant. Comprised of correspondence, diary entries and drawings, Letters from the End of the World presents the events surrounding the close of World War II in terms so personal they will not soon be forgotten.
"By the time we reach the account of Fumiyo's horrifying death on Aug. 20, which we see from both Ogura's perspective and that of his 11-year-old daugther, Kazuko, who kept a diary, the sadness and anger that have been building up through the whole book are almost unbearable. . . . The
uncompromising anger toward Japan's military leaders that is expressed throughout is striking and unusual."
Elizabeth Ward, The Japan Times
More than fifty years after the Second World War, the scars left by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima refuse to heal. This compelling account of one man's experience gives a human face to the events of August 6, 1945.
For a week after the bombing, the author, who was an assistant professor at Hiroshima University, wandered the decimated streets of the city, searching for his wife and his youngest son. He finally located them, but his wife died just days later. Grief-stricken, the author wrote her a series of
letters over the next year outlining the things he had seen and heard during her last days on earth. In 1948, the letters became the first eyewitness account of an atomic bombing ever published.
This powerful record shows how one family's future was altered in an instant. Comprised of correspondence, diary entries and drawings, Letters from the End of the World presents the events surrounding the close of World War II in terms so personal they will not soon be forgotten.
"By the time we reach the account of Fumiyo's horrifying death on Aug. 20, which we see from both Ogura's perspective and that of his 11-year-old daugther, Kazuko, who kept a diary, the sadness and anger that have been building up through the whole book are almost unbearable. . . . The
uncompromising anger toward Japan's military leaders that is expressed throughout is striking and unusual."
Elizabeth Ward, The Japan Times
198 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 26, 2016
This is a series of letters written by Toyofumi Ogura to his wife who, by that time, was dead from radiation sickness from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. This was his way of working through his grief.
This is the type of book that at least some chapters should be used in high school history classes, and in college classes, to show young people some of the actual horrors of the results of an atomic bomb. Toyofumi did a lot of walking around Hiroshima, and the sights that he saw are truly horrible.
Innumerable women and children were killed in the bombing and many of the survivors were in terrible physical shape. His writing brings all this suffering to life and it is truly disturbing, but it is something that cannot be forgotten, ever. People must know what the effects of nuclear war really are and that, if a such a war would happen again, no one would truly be the winner.
A frightening, but still excellent work.
This is the type of book that at least some chapters should be used in high school history classes, and in college classes, to show young people some of the actual horrors of the results of an atomic bomb. Toyofumi did a lot of walking around Hiroshima, and the sights that he saw are truly horrible.
Innumerable women and children were killed in the bombing and many of the survivors were in terrible physical shape. His writing brings all this suffering to life and it is truly disturbing, but it is something that cannot be forgotten, ever. People must know what the effects of nuclear war really are and that, if a such a war would happen again, no one would truly be the winner.
A frightening, but still excellent work.
February 18, 2009
Engrossing first hand account of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. This book was originally published in 1948, taken from a series of letters the author wrote to his wife who died 2 weeks after the blast. The author chronicals in detail his own experiences as well as those of all he met in those first crital days and weeks. Heart wrenching. I bought this book in Heroshima when I was there in December of 2008.
September 9, 2017
In my head, I thought you either died instantly or died of radiation poisoning later. I never imagined there was so much terrible in between. It was morbidly fascinating to hear about the different ways the bomb caused such destruction. It is so tragic. I was surprised at how little the author seemed to blame America, especially when compared with the letter from one of his kids who was clearly very angry about it.
June 25, 2024
I was devastated while reading . Each page taking me back to a time and place where there was so much pain and suffering, though I find it tragically beautiful that the author was compelled to write these events down as a series of letters to his wife.
September 25, 2025
Very real, raw, and heartbreaking firsthand experience about the horrors of the atomic bomb. I was on my toes throughout the whole book wondering if his wife was still alive or not. It felt like we were the ones looking for her.
October 30, 2024
Very open account of one man's recollection of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. He does not hold back on describing what he has seen.
November 8, 2007
An iteresting take on the bombing of Hiroshima. The reader is told the sotyr through love letters he writes to his dead wife. I alwasy like reading books about history that are from a narrative point of view, (not so "text book-y") and this book does the trick.
September 4, 2016
This a really touching account of the bombing of Hiroshima. Professor Ogura had written very well about what he saw and feel in Hiroshima which I can almost feel. I was really sad how his wife died. I made us reflect the cruelty of war and how peace is so precious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2007
Brian and I read this for summer reading. Very moving.
November 13, 2008
While I was in Hiroshima on vacation I saw firsthand how devastated the Atomic Bomb was. This is a true account of the day of the A-bomb and what happened. Fascinating book.
August 16, 2011
Lugubrious!
It almost moved me to tears. A true personal account of how life was immediately before and after the bombing. You have to read this book.
It almost moved me to tears. A true personal account of how life was immediately before and after the bombing. You have to read this book.
February 20, 2015
Read this for RRC book club. We had a good discussion.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews