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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27323.Hiroshima?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Hiroshima" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167880191m/27323.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27323.Hiroshima?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Hiroshima</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15328.John_Hersey">John Hersey</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27465591?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was amazing. At times horrifying and difficult to read, yet still an amazing read.
 
 The books follows 6 Hiroshima bombing survivors, as they experience the bombing, the immediate aftermath, and the long-term aftermath. Obviously this book can be a very uncomfortable read, yet for me I just couldn't put it down. Despite the unimaginable horror of the bombing, there are so many incredible stories of human perseverance and spirit.
 
 I also learned quite a bit from this book. Altho it is not difficult to imagine the horror of the bombing, I never realized the incredible psychological horror as well - the people of Hiroshima were expecting something "special" from the Americans but had no idea what. No one knew anything about atomic bombs and in the immediate aftermath, and for several months, the people of Hiroshima were not really sure what had happened to them. 
 
 I had also never realized the discrimination that the Hiroshima survivors experienced within their own country in the years following the bombing. Due to the wide variety of non-specific illnesses and fatigue that many survivors suffered, employers would often not hire them, and people would ostracize them socially as well, since they were considered "damaged goods".
 
 Also surprising was the lack of significant hatred or resentment of the Americans as a result of the bombing.
 
 For me, the book raised many issues about the nature of war, and our decision to use the bomb. I am still not sure it was the right decision.
 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/769842?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Rob's review
rating:

recommended for: everyone
status: Read in August, 2008

This book was amazing. At times horrifying and difficult to read, yet still an amazing read.

The books follows 6 Hiroshima bombing survivors, as they experience the bombing, the immediate aftermath, and the long-term aftermath. Obviously this book can be a very uncomfortable read, yet for me I just couldn't put it down. Despite the unimaginable horror of the bombing, there are so many incredible stories of human perseverance and spirit.

I also learned quite a bit from this book. Altho it is not difficult to imagine the horror of the bombing, I never realized the incredible psychological horror as well - the people of Hiroshima were expecting something "special" from the Americans but had no idea what. No one knew anything about atomic bombs and in the immediate aftermath, and for several months, the people of Hiroshima were not really sure what had happened to them.

I had also never realized the discrimination that the Hiroshima survivors experienced within ...more

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