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Hiroshima Nagasaki

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Hiroshima Nagasaki

By: Paul Ham
Narrated by: Robert Meldrum
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About this listen

 ′Nobody is more disturbed,′ said President Truman, three days after the destruction of Nagasaki in 1945, ′over the use of the atomic bombs than I am, but I was greatly disturbed over the unwarranted attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor and their murder of our prisoners of war. The only language [the Japanese] seem to understand is the one we have been using to bombard them. When you have to deal with a beast you have to treat him as a beast. It is most regrettable but nevertheless true.′ The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed more than 100,000 instantly, mostly women, children and the elderly. Many hundreds of thousands more succumbed to their horrific injuries later, or slowly perished of radiation-related sickness. Yet the bombs were ′our least abhorrent choice′, American leaders claimed at the time - and still today most people believe they ended the Pacific War and saved millions of American and Japanese lives. Ham challenges this view, arguing that the bombings, when Japan was on its knees, were the culmination of a strategic Allied air war on enemy civilians that began in Germany and had till then exacted its most horrific death tolls in Dresden and Tokyo. The war in Europe may have ended but it continued in the Pacific against a regime still looking to save face. Ham describes the political manoeuvring and the scientific race to build the new atomic weapon. He also gives powerful witness to its destruction through the eyes of eighty survivors, from 12-year-olds forced to work in war factories to wives and children who faced it alone, reminding us that these two cities were full of ordinary people who suddenly, out of a clear blue summer′s sky, felt the sun fall on their heads.©2011 Paul Ham (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Military World War US Air Force Imperialism Disturbing Air Force

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Critic reviews

"It is to Paul Ham's credit that his hefty new study, Hiroshima Nagasaki, never loses sight of the most central and most compelling aspect of the bombings. The book's strength lies in Ham's extensive interviews with survivors and in his imaginative and moral engagement with the two cities as living human communities." (The Sydney Morning Herald)

What listeners say about Hiroshima Nagasaki

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Fascinating and Informative

What did you like most about Hiroshima Nagasaki?

This was a new and comprehensive perspective on the effect and causes of the bombings.

What did you like best about this story?

It placed everything in its total context.

Have you listened to any of Robert Meldrum’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

It made me think differently about the war againts Japan.

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Profile Image for Wayne O'Brien

Humanises a great tragedy

The Japanese were exposed to unimaginable horrors when the atomic bombs fell on their cities. It's hard to fathom what those who survived the initial blasts experienced in the aftermath; the lucky ones died instantly. It's morbidly fascinating how the bomb came to be, the great minds that dreamed and designed it into existence. A pity that this was their legacy. Amazing how idiotically hell bent mankind is on destroying itself. One aspect I found particularly interesting was the reluctance of the scientists involved, having built the bomb, to drop it. How did they think it would be used? The author obviously believes that the bombings were unnecessary and inhumane. Perhaps he is correct. Perhaps not. General Shermam put it best, "War is hell". A great listen, well worth the time. A tale of science, vision, engineering and humanity and ultimately one of great sadness.

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Profile Image for N. Wade

Long slog - but utterly compelling!

If you have a passing interest in the end of World War 2, the birth of the atomic era, the human element of the first atomic detonations and everything that links them, then settle in and let the facts and figures (and emotions) wash over you. Highly recommended.

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Everyone should read this book

A very full account of the development and use of the first atomic weapons. Sometimes I thought there was more detail than necessary, but it’s not a big deal. The section dealing with the aftermath of the bombing, including survivor accounts, makes a very deep impression- I have read about the bombings before as well as watching several documentaries, but I don’t think any have brought home the terrible tragedy of the survivors as vividly as this account. If you thought that the bombing was justified in order to end the war, this book will set you right.

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