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Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'
Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-Up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World by Lesley M.M. Blume
1 review
del_devours's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.0
TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic descriptions of the immediate and ongoing effects of atom bombs, including the death of children.
Rating: 8/10
*****
Fallout tells the story of Pulitzer Prize winner John Hersey’s quest to bring the effects of Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the attention of the American public, despite systematic efforts by MacArthur’s military and the Truman government to conceal the true impact of the bombs on the Japanese people.
I was never a very good student in high school, and I was unaware that there had even been a coverup until I read this book. Not that I’m surprised. Governments thrive on secrets, and they had just come out of a lengthy and costly war.
The book is written chronologically and is easy to follow, with a photo insert allowing us to put faces to the names Blume writes about. At no point did feel lost or confused about the timeline. The author is articulate and engaging, and had me experiencing a range of emotions, from horror, to terror, to disgust, to despair, to pity, to melancholy, to sheer rage. Readers should be aware that Blume doesn’t shy away from providing detailed descriptions of the effects and aftermath of atomic bombs, and some of the actions and remarks relayed may be distressing.
The subject matter was new to me beyond the basic general knowledge. I am left with impression that we all owe a debt of gratitude to John Hersey, William Shawn, and Harold Ross, for exposing the peril of these bombs to the public, and the safety such knowledge has brought us. As this book makes clear, the Truman government felt no remorse or regrets over the use of these bombs, and, without this knowledge, and the horror it evokes, becoming widespread, the world’s leaders would have felt no hesitation in using these weapons again.
*****
Words I had to look up
Striver: Someone who works as hard as a slave.
Sybarite: A self-indulgent person with a fondness for luxury.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Graphic: Descriptions of immediate and long term effects of atomic bombs.
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