Headline Press Hiroshima The Last Witnesses.

by M.G. Sheftall

The stories of hibakusha - Japanese for atomic bomb survivors - lie at the heart of this compelling minute-by-minute account of 6 August 1945 - the day the world changed forever as the Enola Gay dropped its payload over Hiroshima, ushering in the nuclear age. These survivors and witnesses, now with an average age of over 90, are the last people alive who can still provide us with reliable and detailed testimony about life in Hiroshima before the bombings. In this heart-stopping account they relay what they experienced on the day the city was obliterated, and what it has been like to live with those memories and scars over the rest of their lives.M. G. Sheftall has spent years personally interviewing survivors who were just adolescents at the time but have lived well into their nineties, allowing him to construct portraits of what Hiroshima was like before the bomb, and how catastrophically its citizens' lives changed in the seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months and years afterwards. Fluent in spoken and written Japanese, his deep immersion in Japanese society has given him unprecedented access to the hibakusha in their waning years. Their trust in him is evident in the personal and traumatic depths they open up for him as he records their stories.The result is a deeply human history of an unfathomable tragedy, which continues to haunt the world today.

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

560 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

NetGalley and Penguin Dutton provided a copy of this book for my review.

[Elise Musicant · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses" is a record of oral histories of hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bomb.

What's good: This is a book that is both enormous and small. While grappling with the story of the bomb, it zooms in on the horrific hours in which, like survivors of a zombie apocalypse, survivors drifted after the bombing--looking for help, looking for healing, looking for family, looking for meaning. It is most powerful when the details of the survivors' stories emerge--a grieving mother gripping the wrist of a nearly catatonic survivor, a woman pleading for hot tea when it was being served practically scalding, two girls struggling to bear an injured classmate homeward because they couldn't imagine saying no. It's hard to forget any of those images.

What's iffier: The author interrupts the text every so often with a direct, first-person commentary. This is jarring. In addition, the book's structure isn't entirely clear--yes, it seems to be structured before/on-site/aftermath/survival, but within the chapters, it's harder to see these pieces fitting together. For example, there's an extended discussion about Christianity in Japan (from the point of view of the American government in particular) and it isn't clear quite why this particular backstory was so necessary that it required multiple chapters to discuss. Because of this, I almost felt like I was reading an edited collection of essays vs. a monograph.

With gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley and Edelweiss for allowing me to read this in return for an unbiased review.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a slog of a book this was. The order of the way the author chronicled the events made no sense, the book went from history, to travel guide, and to memoir/personal journal without any clear separation or direction. Besides the organization of the book that made no sense, I really did not know what Mr. Sheftall was trying to tell us. Like, the bomb was a terrible tragedy, and the gruesome details made my stomach turn no doubt, but was the idea to make sure the story gets out as the remaining habakusha start to die off? Was it to say that Japan's decade long period of imperialism and brutality did not matter and the the U.S. dropping the bomb was the worst thing to do in the history of mankind? I really want to know because I don't know the direction that it wanted to take. I guess I will never know.

I think the (a)? case could have been made if the book was written in a more cohesive pattern, and not a hodgepodge of what I think were personal essays that he threw together to make a book. If you really want to read this, find it at your local library and save yourself some money.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four days after I finished this [12.8.2024], still dealing with massive book hangover, I am still at a loss on how to review this important book.

As much as some people are claiming we cannot live in the past [they are wrong], this is past history [along with the attempted obliteration of Indigenous peoples and Slavery] that we must never forget and we must continue to teach to those who come after us, especially now.

Deeply and expertly researched [the author has lived and taught in Japan since 1987 - his notes at the end as to how he came to write this book are just amazing to read], this is part one of a very deep dive into the lives of the Japanese peoples before AND after the bombing of Hiroshima [part 2, that focuses on Nagasaki, releases sometime next year], and how the survivors navigated life after the bomb [it was mind-blowing to realize just how many DID survive, though there were many that I am sure wished they had not]. You also learn about the events after the bomb [a blow-fly plague AND a tsunami are just two of the events that overwhelm an already overwhelmed city] and if all of this doesn't complete shatter your heart, I'd have to wonder if you had one to begin with.

I was 11 when I first read the book "Enola Gay" by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts [my grandparents got the Reader's Digest Condensed books and I devoured them almost as soon as they arrived] without knowing ANYTHING about World War 2 except that there had been a war. We had not yet learned about the war at the school I had been in and I had not been in the new school long enough to know what we were going to learn [it would be 6 more years before I studied it in school], so I went into reading this knowing nothing [probably not the book I'd recommend for an 11 year old to read to start their learning of the war LOL] and the experience deeply affected me and how I view life, but I have steered clear of books like this one because of that first experience. The I realized that history is supposed to make us uncomfortable, especially if it is being taught/written/portrayed correctly, so I have begun to dive into the Pacific Theater part of the war and WHOOSH! it has been some tough reading [but again, a good reminder that we need to continually learn from our past], but learning about the amazing, resilient people who survived something so horrific was worth it [even if I spent much of it weeping].

In my opinion, everyone should be reading this book and I certainly hope that it reaches all that need it. What an amazing read.

Thank you to NetGalley, M.G. Sheftall, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was not a bad book, but I just did not enjoy reading it. It was not entirely what I had expected. I thought it was going to follow a few people from start to modern day regarding their experiences with the Atomic Bomb. I thought each person was going to get their own chunk of the book before moving onto another. Instead, it kept flipping back-and-forth across people throughout the book often leading me to forget some of the people. Here and there there were some chapters about the science of the bomb or other things that didn’t feel fully relevant in that moment.

[Gary Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very emotional read for me. I have read very “high level” accounts about the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima but never have I read anything that goes into such detail. The human suffering is beyond comprehension for the reader and to listen to the first hand accounts by survivors I cannot think of anything more harrowing. How Hiroshima rose again and its survivors, some still alive today is a testament to human strength in the face of severe adversity. I now have another destination to add to my travels, to pay my own respects to the victims.

[Anna Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a review copy of this publication from the publisher via Netgalley.]

Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses by M.G. Sheftall is the first volume in what will be a two-book series covering Sheftall's extensive research into the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This first volume, which covers the bombing of Hiroshima, is the result of years of personal interviews with Hiroshima survivors and research into the atomic bomb and its effects, including literal physical effects and the social and psychological effects that survivors faced down the years.

If I were to choose one word to describe this book, it would be this: unrelenting. Because when the chapters begin to hone in on details clearly gleaned from the personal testimony of survivors, it really does feel like an unrelenting surge of horror that you can’t look away from. Nor should you be able to.

Sheftall’s book begins chronologically, with the lead-up to the bombing, some backstory on its creation and mechanics, before moving into what begins as chronological almost minute-by-minute testimony related to survivors and victims of the bomb.

It is in the information taken from interviews and testimonies that the importance of this book really takes shape.

While Sheftall's book is not the first English-language book to contain detailed testimony from survivors, it is the first one I’ve read which incorporates every possible human detail and, most importantly of all in terms of historical value, places that testimony into its proper context.

We are not just told that a person was at such-and-such a place during the bomb. Those who died, and those who survived, are not vague figures or statistics mentioned in passing. Instead, Sheftall reconstructs who they were, how they came to be in a specific place when the bomb dropped, and even why they were there in the first place.

Due to the ages of the survivors Sheftall interviewed, most of the detailed survivor accounts come from students who had been part of the forced labor mobilization that took Japanese students out of the classrooms and placed them in factories, working on firebreaks, and training for what was expected to be a land invasion. So many of the victims discussed here were killed in schools, or while working with classmates; survivors, more often than not, were those who happened to stay home that day.

It quickly becomes clear when reading Sheftall’s account of events that the difference between life and death in Hiroshima was often due to random circumstances.

One girl survived because her class team leader lost a game to determine which students worked on an area that would end up being close to ground zero, while the others were further away and thus, more likely to survive the bombing. One boy survived because he had a stomach ache and, since his father (who would not have accepted a stomach ache as a reason to stay home from important war work) was not home, his mother let him stay in bed to rest.

It is when exploring these human details that the book is at its most engrossing and informative, despite the unrelenting nature of the information we learn. The reconstruction of events created from invaluable primary sources (I.e, Sheftall’s many interviews, along with published narratives and testimony) provide invaluable information about what was happening on the ground, in addition to sharing what will be far lesser known experiences to English-speaking readers.

However, shortly after the initial set of detailed minute-by-minute testimony about the bomb and its short and long aftermath, the book suddenly seems to stop: it goes from a chronological account based on survivor testimony into modern first person anecdotes from the perspective of Sheftall.

These first person passages(both the initial interlude and then later random passages) tend to revolve around Sheftall’s research. Sheftall recalls how he felt judged when visiting a memorial park, how he convinced a certain survivor to give an interview, how he attended various memorials down the years and his reception there.

In these passages, the book feels like it’s more about Sheftall than the subject of the narrative. This may have felt more appropriate as an author’s note in the introduction, but it is rather strange when it occurs on and off throughout the book proper.

Another jarring element of the book is that while it began chronologically before suddenly shifting to a chapter discussing Sheftall visiting a survivor in the hopes of gaining an interview, after this initial first person interlude, it jumps back to “the beginning,” so to speak.

After the sudden chapter from the author’s point-of-view, the book heads back in time to present another round of testimonies starting before the bomb dropped. From this point on, the chapters go back and forth so often, suddenly stopping the narrative about a certain family or individual before beginning a new chapter about someone else, that it becomes dizzying. It’s essential to take notes to keep track of everyone, and it’s frustrating to constantly go back and forth in the timeline.

While the book excels at presenting detailed information about the survivors and victims that presents a complete picture of the human beings affected by the decisions of the governments above them, sometimes I had to wonder why Sheftall spent so much time on certain elements.

The strongest example of this is a multi-chapter interlude where Sheftall goes into the history of Christianity in Japan and then specifically in Christianity in Hiroshima. This interlude begins after Sheftall ends a chapter by noting a survivor who ended up turning to Christianity in the years after the bombing.

Then we are suddenly thrust into a multi-chapter historical lesson (it takes two chapters to get back to the survivor in question) that veers so far off from the narrative path that I had to go back two chapters to remind myself where we had been.

This type of excessive backstory also tends to happen when companies or organizations are mentioned. Instead of a paragraph or two explaining the history or context of the company, we get multiple pages about them, all simply because one person worked for them at the time of the bombing.

While I absolutely appreciate that Sheftall brings proper context to the people and events in question, sometimes--as with the two chapter Christianity backstory--it feels excessive.

Eventually, the book does fall back into a more-or-less chronological narrative, discussing the social and political aftermath of the bombings for those that survived. This is another element of the book that shines strongly, particularly because Sheftall isn’t afraid to debunk myths and expose the less appealing underside of the narratives built up around the bombing in the decades afterward.

Sheftall, for instance, notes one survivor who became unpopular in survivor’s groups because she wrote about and denounced the ultra-conservative narrative being embraced by the families of many victims; this narrative mirrored the same narrative used in the enshrinement of war criminals at Yasukuni shrine. While other books might shy away from exposing this unappealing element--both the narrative and the treatment of the survivor--Sheftfall lets readers take it in.

Overall, while I have some misgivings about the structure of the book and the sometimes jumbled focus, I do think that Sheftalls’ incredible intimate, detailed reconstructions of the experiences of those who survived--or didn’t survive--the bombing of Hiroshima will make this one of “the” books on the subject in the years to come.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is incredibly well-researched and gave a humanizing account of the impact, not just the military perspective. There were a few odd comments at the beginning that felt out of place, as they were blatant opinions with a snarky tone, but they were infrequent and only in the beginning. Otherwise this is well-told and truly devastating story. The emphasis is definitely on the Japanese perspective, and a flippant tone with the US approach was not in line with what I've read (I'm NOT defending US actions).

There is SO much info, some sentences were trying to do too much heavy lifting. Additionally, while the book is in English, there is A LOT of Japanese - and this was exacerbated by the audiobook version. I had trouble keeping track of several characters, cultural elements and even areas of town. While reading the words would have been easier, hearing them made it hard for me to keep things straight. Ultimately minor, but still consistently annoying.

Towards the end, there were some bizarre discussions that didn't align with the feature on Hiroshima as a bombing event, they seemed to serve more of a purpose of extending the book, and the author had uncovered information that he really wanted to share, even if it didn't fit into this particular discussion of a historical event.

Ultimately, this is great, and I strongly recommend it. Everybody should be familiar with these events, we must never forget.

[Jill]

Very gruesome and detailed accounting of a history that I had previously only a surface level understanding of. Author does excellent job of conveying the absolute horror, which made this a brutal read. The structure of the book was a bit frustrating though—starts off as chronological account but then starts flipping back and forth in time and unrelated digressions (about monuments, Christian missionaries, etc.) and then back to survivor accounts.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrifying and majestic, the organization is a bit odd, but Sheftall has given us a portrait of Hiroshima and the months and years that followed that will be difficult to better. I look forward to his book next year on Nagasaki; this will likely actually be more vital since the second bombing is generally treated as an afterthought.

[Arbri C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows a clear, powerful timeline, showing the deep pain of the survivors and the long political impact of the bombing. Its honest storytelling may well have helped shape the recognition of the hibakusha in the Nobel Peace Prize discourse.

[Damian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most impactful books I have read in a long time, possibly since 'Bloodlands' by Timothy Snyder.

To put this book in the context of my own reading history, I've read a lot on the development of the first nuclear weapons, in 'Brighter than a Thousand Suns', 'Ruin From the Air' and other well known accounts of the Manhattan Project. I've also read quite a bit on nuclear weapons themselves, from dry technical accounts to works on how they might be used in war and what their likely effects might be. This includes a large amount of 'Nuclear War' post-apocalyptic fiction, including the sub-sub-genre that concerns the actual business of what the experience of nuclear war might be like. This book puts much of the factual works I've read on the effects of nuclear weapons in the shade and reveals the fiction on the subject as largely uninformed. But there is a reason for that.

HTLW is a relatively straightforward book; it sets out to tell the stories of a small number of those who survived the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, by the United States, and who were still alive to be interviewed by the author, M. G. Sheftall. It sets out the events of the bombing itself, the effect of this on the city of Hiroshima, both on its physical structure and its social fabric, and the effects of that on those individuals.

I commented on my previous reading on this to show the strength of this book, because I (perhaps foolishly) thought that I knew quite a bit on the subject; casualty figures, the effects of the bomb, how it differed from conventional weaponry and so on. But Sheftall has done a far more thorough job than any previous writer I've encountered and also sets the personal, social and societal effects of the bombing in a firmly Japanese context.

Sheftall has written on the 'Pacific Theatre' of the Second World War before and has lived in Japan for many years. One of the great strengths of the book is how he examines the 'Peace' narrative around Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how the dead of both cities were regarded as a 'sacrifice for peace', a paradoxical and barely rational concept that thread its way through the remnants of Japanese militarism and the requirements of the occupying US administration. This was especially true in the commemoration of the children who died, of which more below. This framework had complex links to both viewpoints and if ever there would be a good time to read the book, it would be before a visit to Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Of course the response to the bombings is not homogenous; even among the last few survivors, there are different voices and interpretations.

One of the first insights and one of the earliest chapters of the book concerns the use of the word 'vaporised'. This may sound technical or pedantic, but bear with me. Some of the most iconic imagery from Hiroshima after 6th August and the Japanese surrender that followed includes images of the shadows of people on walls. This reinforces our impression that many if not most of the victims of the bombing were literally vaporised, in a process that literally took microseconds and, crucially, would not have entailed any suffering for them. Even the more knowledgeable would have thought this of the victims who were close to the hypocentre, the point above which the bomb detonated, aka 'ground zero'. Sheftall shows that this concept is where the manipulation of the narrative of Hiroshima started to be controlled.

The reality is more grim. The bomb used in Hiroshima was not an especially powerful one; its yield is estimated as having been 15 to 20 kilotons, which in modern arsenals would make it a tactical nuclear weapon, suitable for battlefield use. Furthermore, this weapon was detonated at a height of 600 metres (375 feet in old money). Bizarrely, this means that very few people on the ground in the city were close enough for the instant death of vaporisation. Instead, it is more accurate to say the victims were carbonised; that is to say, they were cooked in a few seconds by the radiation from the bomb. The crucial difference here is that they were not spared agonies in a rapid death; those closest would have experienced searing agony for those few seconds and those a few hundred metres away from the hypocentre would have suffered for longer; anything from minutes to hours. The next time you see a photograph of one of these 'Hiroshima shadows', do not think of the person as having disappeared before they knew what happened to them; think rather of their suffering as they were cooked and then their lifeless, carbonised body was literally blown to pieces by the shockwave that followed a few seconds or minutes later. These fragments would probably never have been recovered nor recognised as human remains. Sheftall makes a strong case that the suppression of the photographs and videos of the damage to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, taken by both Japanese and US personal in the days and months after, led to a more sanitised narrative of the suffering of the people there.

Another early insight we get is on the deaths of the children of Hiroshima. We may think of the survivors accounts of the events of the day that show them as children is simply a selection bias, that only those who were children in 1945 have lived long enough to talk to us now. This is far from being the case. Because of the relentless firebombing of Japanese cities by the US air force, the military authorities of (so far untouched) Hiroshima had taken to creating firebreaks in the urban landscape, that is to say, demolishing a wide swathe of buildings in order to provide a gap in the kindling which buildings would be in the event of a firebombing. Since most young Japanese men were off fighting and older men and women were working in factories, the people who did this work were very often schoolgirls from 12 to about 16. Crucially this heavy work was outdoors. The bomb was dropped and denoted at 8:15, by which time this youthful workforce was hard at work in the city centre of Hiroshima. Many of them were slain outright in great agony, in the manner described above, but many others, depending on distance, suffered for hours before dying. The survivors from these work groups were those who happened to be beneath a tree or in other temporary shade when the bomb exploded. The colour of garments also had an effect; two or three of the girls who survived were 'rebels' who stuck to their school uniform of white shirts rather than the mandated khaki work shirts.

Possibly the greatest horror for these young survivors came in the next few hours as they walked around Hiroshima trying to get back to their destroyed schools or homes and often dead families. In doing this, they were walking in a landscape of flattened houses littered with tens of thousands of charred corpses and worse, hideously burned but still-living casualties. The following day, they would be moving around while the survivors or army personnel began the appalling process of cremating these bodies and many of the girls were recruited into these efforts. I cannot imagine such a thing, or if I can imagine the pictures, I could not imagine the effect this would have on a child. Words like trauma or horror just lose all meaning here.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is difficult to read in parts, yet paradoxically there were paragraphs and sentences I had to read a second time to make sure I had understood them or perhaps because my brain refused to take in what I had just read. which brings me to one other recommendation for this book; it is very well written in a sympathetic but steady prose that knows that it does not need to overstate the unimaginable. I have also recently read 'Nuclear War: A Scenario' by Anne Jacobsen, which was in some ways equally horrifying but was also terribly written, deploying purple prose where it is entirely unnecessary.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bucky had me at first on “neutrality” issues. He noted that Manhattan scientists weren’t primarily focused on the radiative effects of an atomic bomb. Indeed, as I've said before, they probably didn’t even have an exact handle on the degree of that.

But, he lost me on page 85 in his “If you are going to defend these weapons' use, it is morally imperative that you own that image" paragraph.

First, I have never used the word “justified” for either of the two bombs.

But, I consider BOTH the “least bad option.”

So, with that, if “you are going to defend Allied POWs systematically starved and exploited for slave labor for another six months,” you go right ahead. Or, if “you are going to defend one million Japanese dying painful deaths by starvation,” you do right ahead. Or, IF “you are going to defend Hirohito still believing in a negotiated surrender even after Hiroshima” (true, per Marc Gallicchio’s “Unconditional”) you go ahead. You own that image.

Add in page 96 with "the agony (repressed or not) in America's soul about the bombs." This fits with his misconstrual of Tibbets in the epilogue, who said he never had such agony.

Per friend Marquise's two-star review of his kamikaze book, and his not actually challenging the thinking pattern of interviewed kamikazes, we seem to have something here.

I’ve read Richard Frank’s “Downfall”:

Marc Gallicchio’s “Unconditional”:

And D.M. Giangreco’s “Truman and the Bomb”.

More on Frank, and Gallicchio, here.

At this point, my speculative, researching mission was accomplished and I figured I would grok the survivors’ accounts. Maybe. Maybe not. More on that below.

Other issues?

First: Why? Many other books have been written about the hibakishu. Is Sheftall experiencing, and seeking catharsis for, his perceived slice of collective war guilt? There’s no introduction, preface or author’s note, so we’re not told why.

Speaking of that, I can feel anger and disgust over American colonialism without feeling war guilt over WWII in general or atomic bomb guilt in particular. I can feel anger and disgust about American inner colonialism toward American Indians and also Japanese inner colonialism toward the Ainu.

And, even though the war was ended on what was, in some way, American colonialist terms, I can still note that both bombs together killed far fewer Japanese than an extension of the war by six months and starvation by mass blockade would have caused, let alone the battle casualties for both Japan and the US caused by invasion. And, yeah, that’s all true by best guesstimates, Bucky.

(In the epilogue, Sheftall does mention being stimulated by Obama’s 2016 trip to Hiroshima. But, that’s only a surface-level explanation.)

Second, and to the point? Again, related to his kamikaze book two-starred by friend Marquise, there isn't actually that much in the way of interviews of "the last witnesses." There's small amounts of interviews, somewhat more but not a huge amount of their personal histories, and somewhat more, but also not a bigly amount, of the history of Hiroshima at the time and the first few years afterward.

Third: While it’s interesting, what is material about the history of Christianity in Japan doing in this book? It is interesting, but not connected to atomic warfare in general, nor connected to Hiroshima. That said, much of its early history IS connected to Nagasaki. Sheftall could have killed two birds with one stone by including it while writing about the hibakishu of Nagasaki instead of Hiroshima. (That said, I may not find those chapters. Because …)

Fourth: No table of contents? (I did eventually find them as I grokked away.)

Fifth: No photos? Not a single photo of any of the survivors? Of the Japanese doctor who was Sheftall’s muse? None from any of the peace memorials?

I eventually found the few chapters on Christianity in Japan, which focused on Dugout Doug’s desire to Christianize it. That said, Sheftall has a degree of cultural essentialism here:

“In their respective attempts to fathom and penetrate Japan, the shoals on which Francis Xavier in the sixteenth century, MacArthur in the twentieth, and all the other ultimately disappointed missionaries in between inevitably foundered were their fundamental respective failures to grasp one critical point: Over its long centuries of evolution, Japanese culture has imbued its human constituents with an innate immunity to exactly the kind of existential exigence — the hunger for answers to impossible “why” questions about “the meaning of life,” etc. — that have primed Westerners to crave the spiritual comfort offered by Christianity.”

He continues:

“A person does not harbor fears about the fate of their immortal soul if they do not believe in — or cannot really conceive of — such a thing in the first place.”

Firstly, the “human constituents” in the first pull quote make it look like Sheftall is studying Japanese as laboratory specimens, as well as being somewhat turgid, as is the whole paragraph.

Second, the “inevitably”? There’s no such thing in cultural evolution. Hell, Serbs may even eventually abandon Kosovo martyrdom. Probably not, but it's not inevitable they'll hold on to it.

That said, the reality? Sheftall does admit that Japanese xenophobia, as well as the difficulties of the Japanese language, are factors in post-WWII resistance. I’ll also add that the current Japanese prime minister, per Wiki, is Christian. He and eight other Japanese Christian prime ministers somehow really did conceive of an immortal soul.

This ignores why Christianity became so popular in South Korea and also why, long after the departure of the French, Christian-fusionist new religions have become popular in Vietnam. Interestingly, Sheftall says that State Shinto was created especially to be a bulwark against renewed Christian proselytizing in the post-1853 “opening.” I might tie it to Japan never being “invaded,” but of course that changed post-1945.

Anyway, China with Daoism and Vietnam with its own folk religion, have welcomed more “transcendent” religions, including ones not explicitly Christian. Also, it’s not like Pure Land Buddhism doesn’t have transcendent elements which may even include ones on the meaning of life. And, while it may not be a personal soul, reincarnation of a life force is indeed “conceived of” in Amida. And, rituals are engaged in to get that life force reincarnated in … that Pure Land.
This also ignores that Buddhism was targeted after the establishment of State Shinto and official separation of Shinto and Buddhism.

Finally, I’ll say the “aw, shucks” sketch portrait of Tibbets after landing the Enola Gay in the epilogue doesn’t ring true to me. Not at all, from what I've read about him.

Between all this, and Sheftall giving kind of a head fake toward “neutrality” before dropping his own U-235 load of war guilt, two stars feels almost kind.

Note: This is apparently part one of a two-parter. I'll pass on part two, and per Marquise, I'll pass on Bucky's kamikaze book, too.

[David Partikian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dropping of two atomic bombs by the United States on Japan in August 1945, ostensibly ending World War II in the Pacific theater, is not a subject that many contemporary American citizens want to think about too deeply; most will blindly accept the reasoning of previous generations concerning the necessity of preventing massive U.S. casualties in an inevitable ground invasion. In any case, the detonation of the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima has been a fait accompli for a well over a half century, so why not just be distracted by more contemporary concerns? Occasionally there is a pop culture phenomenon, a movie like Oppenheimer, that glosses over the unpalatable, opting for a presentable plot, suitable dinner party conversation. The sordid details of the most horrific, unpalatable and singular—well it was a twice-off—event in human history is glossed over, at least outside of the culture on the receiving end of the bombs.

Born in the early 1960’s and living in Japan since 1987, M.G. Sheftall possesses the cultural knowledge of Japan, linguistic expertise, and—most importantly—the intestinal fortitude to dwell on the excruciating effects of the Hiroshima blast as presented in the day to day lives of the survivors, the hibakusha. Due to Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses appearing only recently, after ten years of labor, almost all the hibakusha histories are those of children, now in their mid-80’s. No one wants to dwell on the culpability of a specific nation’s children or teens in a war. They are—of course—innocent victims going about their day, or in some cases, taking a day off from school or work detail with some minor complaint, “malingerers” if you will, who, due to luck were not in the Zone of Total Destruction (ZTD). Any reader not totally bereft of empathy will immediately think, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

The majority of Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses presents the stories of these child or teen survivors. Sheftall frames their histories in a bygone era as part of an obliterated culture, illustrating exactly why the families were in Hiroshima in the first place; what the children were studying or training to do in the War, or were tasked with doing for the war effort, e.g. clearing space to prevent the spread of possible fires caused by incendiary bombs. Later Sheftall relates how they coped with their wounds, illnesses, and—in the majority of cases—guilt over their lifetimes. Of course, these life histories are centered in what they experienced on August 6, 1945, and the days that followed, experiences that, up until the present day, remain largely sanitized in the Western consciousness. Reading the book is an utterly gruesome experience; I felt like Alex in A Clockwork Orange not being able to close his eyes. There are only so many descriptions of sloughed off burned skin, hanging eyeballs, moribund burn victims trying in vain to assuage their suffering by wading in a river and smells evocative of a bbq that a reader can take in one sitting. I had to cope with this book in small doses in order to be able to digest what I was reading and not to become too despondent. Mr. Sheftall would undoubtably take that as a compliment.

Most histories and literature on this subject are presented from outsiders looking in. John Hersey’s Hiroshima which appeared almost a year after the event is a prime example. Outsiders looking in have a means of escape, the hibakusha do not.

Other contemporary authors or historians make valid points, but often present the experiences of Germans or Japanese, the “losers”—for lack of a better term—as those of a unified collective conscious and collective guilt, which, unfortunately, is a simplification. Much as Ian Buruma’s The Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and Japan makes valid, cogent, and devastating observations, but it falls victim to this generalizing tendency. As the histories that M.G. Sheftall presents make clear, there are as many survivor perspectives as there are survivors. They may represent a specific tortured sub-population that Japan and the world choose to group together for convenience’s sake, and not to think about, but each hibakusha has his or her own story and means of coping. Also, not all hibakusha agree with one another on how they should feel or cope, which is a stark contrast to how most outsiders looking in present a thesis of unified guilt.

The bombing of civilian populaces in order to achieve victory in a war became commonplace in World War II, a subject that few Americans care to contemplate. German and Japanese population centers were completely devastated by U.S.--and in the case of Europe--British, bombs. Incendiary bombs were developed by the U.S. to maximize destruction. Sheftall is clearly an expert on these subjects and has read the requisite works on both Curtis Lemay and descriptions of the horrific effects of incendiary bombs on human beings, e.g. Jörg Friedrich’s The Fire: The Bombing of Germany 1940-1945, which Sheftall emulates with his ability to relate utterly gruesome details.

Sheftall has an overarching mission to humanize each victim, which is perhaps why he—as a Westerner—was granted unique access to the rather reclusive hibakusha. The book is dedicated to the one who helped him gain access and acceptance to a group that is rightly suspicious of Americans, Seki Chieko, who unfortunately passed away a few years before Sheftall’s book appeared.

The dropping of the atomic bombs is such a mammoth subject that Sheftall must have sat on his hands in order to stay focused, and not stray into the trap of moralizing. Although he is an obvious polymath who is fluent in Japanese, understands nuclear physics, and who—as a Baby Boomer American--has a firm grasp on World War II history, it is beyond the scope of his book to discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs over human beings or the doubtful military necessity to do so. However, from the descriptions of the resulting carnage and the agony of the survivors, Sheftall’s goal is to make Americans more aware that ignorance is—most emphatically--not bliss. Alas, Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses is not a fun book, but a necessary one.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF as mainly interested in the timeline of events rather than the author’s descriptions of his research and interviews.

[Kyle Wendy Skultety (gimmethatbook.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume in a two-book series about each of the atomic bomb drops that ended the Pacific War based on years of irreplicable personal interviews with survivors to tell a story of devastation and resilience

In this vividly rendered historical narrative, M. G. Sheftall layers the stories of hibakusha—the Japanese word for atomic bomb survivors—in harrowing detail, to give a minute-by-minute report of August 6, 1945, in the leadup and aftermath of the world-changing bombing mission of Paul Tibbets, Enola Gay, and Little Boy. These survivors and witnesses, who now have an average age over ninety years old, are quite literally the last people who can still provide us with reliable and detailed testimony about life in their cities before the bombings, tell us what they experienced on the day those cities were obliterated, and give us some appreciation of what it has entailed to live with those memories and scars during the subsequent seventy-plus years.

Sheftall has spent years personally interviewing survivors who lived well into the twenty-first century, allowing him to construct portraits of what Hiroshima was like before the bomb, and how catastrophically its citizens’ lives changed in the seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, and years afterward. He stands out among historians due to his fluency in spoken and written Japanese, and his longtime immersion in Japanese society that has allowed him, a white American, the unheard-of access to these atomic bomb survivors in the waning years of their lives. Their trust in him is evident in the personal and traumatic depths they open up for him as he records their stories.

Hiroshima should be required reading for the modern age. The personal accounts it contains will serve as cautionary tales about the horror and insanity of nuclear warfare, reminding them—it is hoped—that the world still lives with this danger at our doorstep.




Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy!

M.G. Sheftall’s HIROSHIMA offers a riveting and compassionate account of one of the 20th century’s  most significant, devastating, and tragic events: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. By meticulously blending historical research with the intimate testimonies of survivors, the book offers a harrowing and unforgettable account of the devastation, suffering, and resilience of the Japanese people.

The book delves deep into the firsthand experiences of the hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bomb. Their stories are raw and unfiltered, offering a visceral glimpse into the horrors they endured. From the initial flash of light and the deafening blast to the long-term effects of radiation sickness, Sheftall captures the physical and psychological toll of the catastrophe.

“Survivors guilt” was legion. Sixteen-year-old hibakusha were ashamed of the fact of their own survival when almost all of their classmates were killed. This shame shadowed them their whole lives, even permeating the unveiling of a Hiroshima memorial on August 6th, 1948. Bereaved parents shot hateful looks at those who had dared to live, even confronting them to ask, “Why are you alive, when my daughter is dead?” Survivors were also ashamed that they did not die as a martyr for the Imperial Empire.

Sheftall's writing is compassionate, informative, professionally researched and meticulously crafted. He provides historical context while also allowing the survivors' voices to take center stage, leaving a lasting impression on readers.

The strength of Sheftall's work lies in its deep exploration of the human experience in the face of incomprehensible destruction. The narrative weaves together first-hand accounts from hibakusha, ordinary citizens, and military personnel, showing how the bomb shattered lives, cultures, and the human psyche. Sheftall demonstrates not only the immediate impact of the bomb but also its lasting effects on individuals, their communities, and even the identity of Japan as a nation.

The Japanese mindset before and during wartime was one of brainwashing and stoicism. To die for the cause and support of the Emperor and Imperialism was ingrained in every boy and girl, starting as soon as they were able to walk and talk. The collective was greater than the individual, and this was accepted without a second thought. During WW2, both boys and girls were part of the war machine, grinding away day and night. As the boys were being educated on kamikaze training, the girls were working in factories recycling worn uniforms (stitching up bullet holes and washing blood out) so they could be worn again by more hapless but devoted soldiers) or sent to the Japan Steel munitions plant to help create ordnance. Bear in mind, these poor souls were barely teenagers – working in a factory setting that was both rigorous and dangerous. The girls considered too immature to endure the demands of factory labor were required to perform unskilled volunteer jobs such as farm work, participating in scrap metal drives, digging trenches, or working at firebreak sites. These tasks were just as dangerous as factory work. However, the hive mind kept all the girls moving forward without a second thought as to personal injury or worse, introspection (questioning why all this backbreaking labor had to be done, or wishing for a simple life spent giggling with friends or having free time).

Sheftall avoids sensationalism and instead focuses on the individual stories of the survivors. We learn about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations before the bombing, then feel their fear, shock, and suffering in the immediate days after the bombing. Finally, we realize the challenges they faced in rebuilding their lives afterward. The book is a powerful reminder that behind every statistic is a human being with a unique story to tell.

Sheftall also explores the far-reaching social and geopolitical implications of the atomic bombing, explaining the political and military factors that led to the bombing, without losing sight of the human toll. He examines the Japanese government's response to the disaster, the international reaction, and the long-term effects of radiation on the environment and public health. He also raises important questions about the ethics of nuclear weapons and the dangers of nuclear proliferation.

While HIROSHIMA is a powerful and necessary read, some readers might find the detailed historical and military analysis at times overwhelming. However, this does not detract from the overall impact of the book. It enriches the reader’s understanding of the broader context in which the bombing took place, contributing to a more nuanced comprehension of the event.

M.G. Sheftall’s writing is inspired by a deep fascination with Japanese culture and history, particularly with the events surrounding World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a long-time resident of Japan and a scholar specializing in Japanese history and society, Sheftall's interest grew from personal encounters with the stories of the hibakusha. Their experiences, combined with the overarching impact of the atomic bomb on Japanese society, motivated him to give voice to the survivors' stories in a way that blends historical context with personal narratives. Sheftall’s writing is empathetic and precise, capturing the profound human impact while maintaining scholarly rigor.

The author has previously explored the human dimensions of war, as seen in his earlier work, BLOSSOMS IN THE WIND, where he examined the experiences of Japanese kamikaze pilots. His continued exploration of the human cost of war is a driving force behind HIROSHIMA. Sheftall was inspired not just by a desire to document history, but also to foster empathy and understanding by illuminating the personal suffering that often gets lost in larger historical narratives. By focusing on individual experiences, Sheftall seeks to convey the full scope of the tragedy and its long-lasting impact on both individuals and society at large.

Hiroshima is remembered as one of the most devastating events in human history, symbolizing the horrors of nuclear warfare and the profound suffering caused by the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945. Its memory is preserved in numerous ways, each reflecting different aspects of the tragedy and its broader implications.

The city stands as a stark reminder of the destructive power of nuclear weapons. The city's complete devastation within seconds, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 140,000 people by the end of 1945, makes it a powerful symbol in the global conversation about nuclear disarmament. The memory of Hiroshima fuels ongoing movements advocating for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons, led by organizations such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and global anti-nuclear groups.

Hiroshima is commemorated annually through ceremonies at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which includes the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few structures left standing near the hypocenter of the blast. The park also features the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, and its Flame of Peace will burn until the world is free of nuclear weapons. These physical landmarks serve as enduring reminders of the tragedy and as focal points for reflection and mourning.

The bombing of Hiroshima is remembered through various forms of art, literature, film, and music. Books such as John Hersey’s HIROSHIMA and later works, including M.G. Sheftall’s own contributions, help to ensure the event is documented and understood by future generations. Films like Grave of the Fireflies and Barefoot Gen portray the emotional and human cost of the bombing.

Every year, on August 6, Hiroshima holds a solemn Peace Memorial Ceremony. The event includes a moment of silence at 8:15 AM, the exact time the bomb was dropped. The ceremony draws attendees from around the world and serves as a global moment of reflection on the consequences of nuclear warfare, aiming to renew commitments to peace.

The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo (The Japanese Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organization). This underscores both the call to peace and continuing to remember those whose lives were forever changed by this unspeakable tragedy.

In all these ways, Hiroshima is remembered as a tragedy that transformed the global understanding of warfare, leaving a legacy that continues to shape both personal and collective memory. It is a call to never forget the consequences of nuclear weapons and to work toward a world where such destruction is never repeated.

This book  is a poignant and essential contribution to the literature of World War II, as well  as a testament to the human spirit and the power of resilience, even in the face of unimaginable suffering. The book offers a respectful reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare, and it compels readers to reflect on the far-reaching consequences of violence and war. Sheftall’s skillful blend of historical narrative and personal testimonies makes this book a must-read for anyone interested in history, ethics, and the profound impact of war on humanity. It is also an imperative for historians, students, and anyone seeking to understand the true cost of conflict

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Dutton for an advance copy of this book in a two part series that looks at the nuclear bombing of Japan, one that ended a war, but set a peace that we are still grappling with today.

As a person who reads a lot of history, and as a person who lives in this world today, I am very surprised that nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945. Sure there has been talk, Cobalt belts in Korea, use in destroying dams and waterways in Vietnam, even in Russia's current war with Ukraine. However this has been talk. The military is known for abstinence in use of force. We destroyed the village to save it for example. Maybe somehow deep down the human animal knows that nuclear usage is just one step too far. Everything up to firebombing civilians is ok, releasing the atom, no one wants that responsibility. One sees this kind of thinking in this book. However what readers see is something that is rare in many books of history, the story of those literally at ground zero. The lives they had, the lives the survivors went on to lead, and what they saw. Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses by M. G. Sheftall is a powerful book, the first of two that look at nuclear bombing of Japan, told from those who saw the light in the sky, not knowing how the world would be changed forever.

The book begins on an island, with a plane, military brass preening, a determined reporter, scientists and a bomb that no one was sure would even work. The plane, the Enola Gay, lifts into the sky, joins a group of planes to accompany and watch their mission, and heads to the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima had been spared much of the damage done to other Japanese cities, firebombing and constant raids that had left thousands dead. Of course people feared what Hiroshima was been spared for, but many tried best to go on with their lives. An American plane, checking the meteorological conditions of the city had set off air raid warnings, but on the morning of August 6, when the Enola Gay passed over the city all was quiet. Students were going to school, or working in factories because of shortages, or out in the fields creating firebreaks in case of bombing. People were going to work, or looking at the two planes in the sky, who suddenly peeled off in different directions. And then came the flash.

John Hersey's Hiroshima has been on summer reading lists as long as I have been in bookstores, and hopefully will remain there. M. G. Sheftall's Hiroshima should be on there also. The book has the power to shock, to make a reader cringe in disgust, be amazed at human resilience, and cry page after page. Sheftall details that day from various stories and points of view, mostly from survivors that Sheftall was still able to meet with. Sheftall goes into the American reasons lightly, spending most of the book on the survivors. Sheftall also looks at how the Japanese government has dealt with the survivors, and how the victims have been brought into the political issue of the honored war dead. Sheftall is a professor who works in Japan, and writes with an understanding that many would be unable to capture. There are many stories of loss, pain, death, and even worse quilt from those who did nothing but survive, while so many people they know did not. This is an incredible book, one that has taken quite a while for the author to write, and I am sure one that took quite a lot of him.

There is a passage in the book, by Americans about the dropping of the bomb. One is about how it will end the war, save lives, and that's ok. The other by an observer who told a fellow soldier, I want to be a doctor, and if I work day and night the rest of my life saving every one I can, it still won't be anything to what we did here. That's the nuclear argument in a nutshell. I look forward to the second book in this series. And I can't recommend this book enough.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses by M. G. Sheftall is a comprehensive nonfiction on what happened before, during and after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. With minute-by-minute replays from a variety of survivors and endless empathy to them, we get a complete picture that shares the horror of a world-changing event.

Like a lot of Americans, I grew up with the story of Sadako and the Paper Cranes, the true story of a young girl who was slowly killed in a horrific act of war as she endeavors to fold a thousand paper cranes. M. G. Sheftall makes it very clear with the stories chosen, in part because of who is still alive at the time of this book’s compilation and release, that children died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Some of them worked in factories to help the war effort because that was what they felt like they were supposed to do, but they were still children in elementary school, junior high, girls’ schools, and infants. Even knowing this beforehand, I was still crying for these young people who lost parents, siblings, classmates, teachers and friends and witnessed their suffering and for all the young people who were lost before they could really have a chance to live their lives. The ways in which they died were inhumane and this book does not shy away from that.

Seki (nee Tominaga) Chieko was one of the most fascinating and heart-wrenching accounts depicted. She stayed home from the factory and junior high classes on August 6th due to a stomachache, which saved her life. But she lost her friend and many of her classmates and had to live the rest of her life with survivor’s guilt, unable to really provide an answer when someone told her how fortunate she was to have survived. As an adult, she went against the grain and criticized her classmates being memorialized at Yasukuni shrine (a war memorial) and has pushed back against the narrative that the people of Hiroshima died for the war effort, instead choosing to openly rail against the government for continuing WWII instead of surrendering sooner. It takes a lot of courage for someone to do that, especially when the people around you don't want to join your call.

Beyond these stories, we're also reminded that the atomic bomb didn't only impact Japanese people. There are brief accounts of a Taiwanese citizen who was in Hiroshima as a student and mentions of Koreans who were in the area and impacted. This matters because the non-Japanese hibakusha (the Japanese name for atomic bomb survivors) often get left out of the narrative, including when it comes to compensation. For decades, it was very difficult for them to get the proper medical owed to them as survivors.

Because so many of these survivors are getting older, we risk not only losing their perspectives and stories, we risk losing sight of what they have been trying to tell us: that this shouldn't have happened and it cannot happen again.

Content warning for fairly graphic detail of the damage left by the atomic bombs on the human body

I would recommend this to readers of WWII and Japanese historical nonfiction and those looking for a book with a perspective from the victims of the atomic bomb

[Ben M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses" by M.G. Sheftall is a profoundly moving and meticulously researched account that provides a new perspective on the tragic events of August 6, 1945. Sheftall's work stands out for its intimate portrayal of the hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombing, capturing their stories with a compassionate and respectful lens. His deep immersion in Japanese society and fluency in the language granted him unprecedented access, allowing the survivors to share their deeply personal and often harrowing experiences.

What makes this book particularly impactful is Sheftall's ability to weave these first-person accounts into a broader historical narrative, presenting a minute-by-minute recounting of that fateful day and its aftermath. The book is both an educational and emotional journey, offering insights not only into the events themselves but also into the enduring human spirit in the face of unimaginable devastation. Sheftall’s writing is not just about documenting history; it's a heartfelt tribute to those who lived through one of humanity's darkest moments and a reminder of the ongoing relevance of their stories in a world still grappling with the dangers of nuclear warfare.

For anyone interested in World War II history, the human cost of war, or the ethical implications of nuclear weapons, "Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses" is an essential read that bridges the past and present with powerful storytelling. Truly a powerful book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheftall's history of Hiroshima is one from the ground. He begins with scenes from Tinian as the atomic bomb is loaded onto the Enola Gay, but the main focus of this book is the eyewitness accounts of the hikabusha. Sheftall took time to win the trust of these survivors and includes details about their current lives to show how it was changed by what they experienced.

Why I started this book: I try to regularly read books about Japan, and as this was a new audio title, I added it to my cart.

Why I finished it: This is an account of eyewitnesses and survivors of the atomic bomb. Harrowing stuff, mass destruction and mass suffering. I've been pondering this in light of Gaza. What is the line that divides civilians from legitimate targets? In Hiroshima, the middle school children were on the streets doing war work, clearing firebreaks. Their own military had conscripted them to this work. But also, they were still children. I'm struggling with the fact that it's easier for me to justify what America did to Japan than to what Israel is doing to Gaza... is that because I'm American? Because I've studied more or less about Hiroshima and the Japanese's military plans to continue the fight no matter what? Because this happened decades ago instead of now? Or is it the duration, one bomb vs a year of fighting? Sheftall and the hibakusha are questioning the cost more than 79 years later.

[Dylan McMahon]

In a book that purports to be the definitive history of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, what would one expect to be in it? Surely, we'll get a dramatic narrative of Paul Tibbets dropping the "Little Boy" that killed tens of thousands of men, women, and children, as well as the grisly details of its effects-clothing burned to skin, children's eyes melted out of their sockets, hundreds of mortally wounded "hibakusha" running into bodies of water that would eventually become clogged with the necrotic throngs.

Sheftall's book has all of this, and it's deeply involving. But it's also a shaggy, weirdly personal history. In a strangely Vollman-esque turn, large chunks of this book can be described as travel writing. Sheftall walks through the brutal Hiroshima heat as he visits the museum dedicated to those that were killed (not those who died-this was a deliberate act, and we must describe it as such). He constantly acknowledges how personally discomfiting it is that he, an American ex-pat, is able to live in Japan, teach in their public university system, and write about Hiroshima.

Most readers will only know of Hiroshima's immediate, gruesome impact and its context within World War 2. Sheftall is aware of this, and the long, beautifully written sections about the cultural impact of Hiroshima-and his own personal journey to writing of it-is a necessary correction to this ignorance. This singular, strange work deserves to be on everyone's shelf.

[Annie J (The History Solarium Book Club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiroshima by M.G. Sheftall is a deeply impactful work that preserves the voices of hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) with care and respect. It stands as both a historical record and a testament to the enduring strength of those who lived through one of humanity’s darkest chapters. This meticulously researched book delves into the lives affected by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through survivor testimonies and vivid historical context, the narrative paints a harrowing yet necessary picture of the events and their long-lasting impact. The book spans pre-war life, the immediate devastation of the bombings, and the resilience of survivors in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Sheftall’s attention to detail and respect for the stories of the hibakusha are deeply evident throughout the book. The storytelling is purposeful and intentional, ensuring that each voice is heard and preserved with care. This record is profoundly important, especially as the generation of survivors dwindles. However, the organization of the chapters and the sheer number of people introduced made it challenging to follow at times. The length of the book, while necessary to cover the scope of its subject, was daunting and felt like three separate books in one. Despite these hurdles, the emotional and historical weight of the work makes it a powerful and unforgettable read. This is not a casual read—it’s a book for those with a deep interest in history, the atomic bombings, and the lives of those impacted.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Next book for my Japan vacation prep - although we are visiting Nagasaki and not Hiroshima, this book was available to read now.
It's hard to imagine a more definitive, meticulously researched, and emotionally searing account of Hiroshima. Whatever you learned in school pales in comparison to what you learn from reading this comprehensive tome (475 pages of narrative).

4.5 star read - very similar non-fiction reading experience as I have had with Adam Higginbotham and Erik Larson. I didn't rate 5 stars here only because:
1) I referenced the two maps included at the beginning consistently as I read, but frustratingly there's not a legend, even at the end of the book, that explains what the location numbers on the map are referring to.
2) I wanted to see the US military/Truman's perspective post-bombing in the same minute-by-minute accounting as was done pre-bombing. This wasn't included until the Epilogue. Perhaps that was done intentionally to not draw the reader's attention away from the hibakusha perspective. However, I would have liked it to give the complete real-time context.
3) Likewise, I wanted to see the Japanese military/Emperor's perspective post-bombing for that complete context. Reading the summary of the forthcoming book 2 on Nagasaki, I think this might be addressed there?

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a masterpiece.

Sheftall put his very soul into writing this book. I could tell each page had been meticulously crafted, and it led to a captivating experience that had me up until the early morning hours.

I struggle with non-linear narratives, especially ones that switch back and forth from character to character. The time jumps often feel jarring and take me out of the moment. Any of my early concerns about the pacing or structure of the book were immediately put to rest. The story is so seamless, it felt so natural, even when jumping from the past to the present.

At one point in the book, I came across a fact that I found so outlandish I had to go to my local library and research it immediately. Upon coming up empty, I decided to write to the author and ask for more information. To my great surprise and honor, he got back to me within a day. He so kindly told me the exact source he found the information so I could see for myself the deposition which was given. It was so meaningful to me, the fact he took the time to reply. It made my day and gave me a new source to look into.

This book was an act of intellect and love. Sheftall traveled to meet the hibakusha all across Japan, and told their stories factually, respectively, and with dignity. I wait with bated breath for the sister book about Nagasaki to be released in August of 2025.

[Book Club of One · Rating 4 out of 5]

M.G. Sheftall's Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses follows the lives of several Hiroshima survivors from before, through and after the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. In its unflinching narrative, Sheftall details the effects of the bomb on the city and those who happened to be below it when it detonated.

The book is book ended by a description of the preparations of, flight and return of the Enola Gay and its sister planes. Aside from this and background descriptions of World War II, the narrative focuses on the Japanese victims and survivors of the Atomic bomb. Sheftall draws from copious historical works and his own interviews with survivors. The latter is the truly impactful contribution of this work, recording how they survived both the blast and the after affects. Sometimes it was the simple act of reaching for something from a backpack, taking a sick day or looking in a different direction.

Sheftall details both the physical carnage and destruction, but also the how Japanese culture was structured and the traditional practices that focused on certain deportment regardless of the extremity of the situation.

Recommended reading for historians, peace and conflicts studies or those who need to known the human costs of war.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5 stars] Most of the WWII nonfiction I’ve read has focused on the Allied experience. Here the lens shifts to Japan — specifically to the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombing, who offer an unflinching account of August 6, 1945.

The personal testimonies are the heart of this book, and they’re brutal.

M.G. Sheftall does a remarkable job challenging the sanitized version of the bombing many Americans were taught. People weren’t vaporized painlessly: they burned, they suffered and then the survivors were asked to stay silent about it.

At times, the narrative gets bogged down in scientific and structural detail, but the cultural analysis and survivor stories more than make up for it. Sheftall explores Japan’s caste system, social norms and the decades-long reluctance to publicly grieve.

He also raises uncomfortable but important questions about moral justification and the lasting consequences of dehumanizing others in war. While it's a long, often devastating read, it is necessary to understand the full scope of WWII and its aftermath.

This isn’t just about Hiroshima. It’s about what we’re still capable of doing to each other.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive book about the bombing of Hiroshima. There is a little bit from the American point of view, but mostly Sheftall pieces together stories from families and survivors in different parts of Hiroshima and explains how far away they were from the blast site. It starts off a little slow as he is introducing you to all of the different people that he is going to be following. The book is organized by time and as the stories start to intertwine and you realize how close some were to the blast site and what they had to do to survive, by the end it is hard to put down. I finished this book one day before fires swept through LA and took out the communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The similarities in the descriptions of whole communities just being gone and also the lasting chemical and radiation damage was eerily similar to the stories coming out of LA right after the fires.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I was ever not going to give this book 5 stars. It's a good blend of history with a smattering of science, but where it really shines are the pre- and post-bomb accounts of the hibakusha. Their stories are harrowing and heartbreaking. I've read a couple of other books about Hiroshima, but this is the one that will stick with me; I wish I had been able to read it before we visited Japan and Hiroshima earlier this year.

I would dearly have loved a better map to refer to while reading - the two included maps were woefully inadequate. It also felt a little disorganized, particularly in the 2nd third. However, these negatives were slight and were far outweighed by the content and obvious research.