Death in Life: Survivors of Hiroshima

by Robert Jay Lifton

In Japan, "hibakusha" means "the people affected by the explosion"--specifically, the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945. In this classic study, winner of the 1969 National Book Award in Science, Lifton studies the psychological effects of the bomb on 90,000 survivors. He sees this analysis as providing a last chance to understand--and be motivated to avoid--nuclear war. This compassionate treatment is a significant contribution to the atomic age.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan, Psychology, War, World War II, Biography

594 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Robert Jay Lifton was an American psychiatrist and author, chiefly known for his studies of the psychological causes and effects of wars and political violence, and for his theory of thought reform. He was an early proponent of the techniques of psychohistory.

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a spate of books releasing this year on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Surprisingly, I found this 58 year old book on internet archive. How can you report that this account of those horrific bombings, not just on the tens of thousands of lives lost on day one, but the tens of thousands left to die from “atomic poisoning” in the days, weeks, months, and even years afterward as a “very good” book? Sobering? Yes. Heart-rending? Absolutely. Very good? Yes, in an agonizing and sorrowful fashion. That said, there is also strength and hope when reading the narrative of those who survived this hell brought to earth. It is certainly both an antiwar read and an appeal to never use these bombs again. I highly recommend reading it.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cuba missile crisis has left an indelible imprint on Americans of my age. I was seven at the time and suddenly encountered the possibility of the impending end of the world and first learned the names Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Therefore, my interest.

Because I know Lifton’s sociohistorical research methods are impeccable, I figured this book had promise. The front matter covers both the author’s methods of research and the issues that arise when we consider the brutalized humans left in the wake of this bomb as well as what they witnessed. The first chapter consists of extensive verbatim testimony of survivors and these alone make that chapter worthwhile Thereafter, the book declines rapidly as the author’s (a psychiatrist) biases obscure the value of the statements of the habushuka (a Japanese word for those who encountered the bomb and for which we have no term) and minimize their statements. For example, Lifton consistently minimizes and casts doubt on such empirically non-verifiable symptoms such as extreme fatigue and nausea reported by habushuka even years after the event. What cancer patient is not aware of these side effects of radiation treatment? Also, because he is unaware of the long-term effects of trauma, the book and Lifton’s conclusions could never be of much value. He is enmeshed in psychiatry and it has not done us a service in this book. I didn’t see the value of finishing the book although I skimmed most of it. Two stars for the research and for the first chapter.
Update: How could I have forgotten Lifton's statement that prostitution by female habushuka represents a flowering of lost sexuality impaired by the bomb? Now that's a Freudian slip. That was the end of my respect for this author. It is well known that prostitution is not a sexual act. In fact, prostitutes loathe their customers. It is a financial transaction that objectives the woman. In fact, the habushuka prostitute specifically said that prostitution erased her and made her an object. In grim humor, she stated that the erasure of her self as habushuka might be the only possible benefit but that it was her only financial option.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book discusses the impact of not only World War II, but the dropping of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima on people who survived. Survivor stories are vital to the historical record. People that lived during a certain time and experienced a historical event are able to recount so many important details. The author of this book is a renowned psychologist, and thus studies the psychological effects of the bomb and the experiences on the survivors. I found this book to be exceptionally interesting and moving. I cannot even begin to fathom what living through something like this must have been life.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This unexpectedly turned out to be a combination oral history and psychoanalytical take on the aftereffects of the A-bomb on the survivors in Hiroshima. Went into a lot of different areas of enquiry and thought them through carefully. A good read.

[Valerie]

Lifton's works are critical because he interviews people directly affected by extreme situations. His editorial voice is light, although, of course, since he's the one who did the interviews, the questions he asked affect the answers.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a long time since I read this book about the Hibakusha ( "bomb-blast people") who survived the Atomic bombings of 1945. It is a fascinating telling of the events and aftermath... the scarring, physical and mental. So much is unforgettable.

[Chris S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing. Sad. Terrifying....

Vital.