Hiroshima Summary

Summary of Hiroshima Book by John Hersey

Name: Hiroshima
Rating: 4.5 (4011 reviews)
Author: John Hersey

4.5 . 4011 reviews

Short summary

In Hiroshima, late American writer and journalist John Hersey described the terrible Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945 bombings and how a certain six survivors of the incident escaped. John Hersey compiled the survivors' sad but victorious stories, and you will learn about them in this summary. Dr. Masakazu Fujii, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, Mrs. Nakamura, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, and Miss Toshiko Sasaki are the six survivors whose stories are written here. More than a hundred thousand people were killed by the atomic bomb. The six mentioned in this summary were able to make something out of their lives after the bombing, despite the trauma they had to deal with in the aftermath. Many of them testify to losing at least one relative to the incident. “What has kept the world safe from the bomb since 1945 has not been deterrence, in the sense of fear of specific weapons, so much as it's been memory. The memory of what happened at Hiroshima.” ~ John Hersey

15 min

9 key points

8 insights

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Table of content

Summary of Hiroshima
About the author
What is Hiroshima about?
Who should read Hiroshima
Topics in Hiroshima

first key point

The 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima killed many and left some bedridden

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In 1945, the U.S. launched an attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bombing — according to a BBC article — an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima and about 74,000 in Nagasaki. Many of the survivors suffered trauma, leukemia, cancer, and a host of other terrible side effects from the radiation.

Each person [in the Hiroshima bombing] had a name. Each person was loved by someone. Let us ensure that their deaths were not in vain. ~ Setsuko Thurlow

In this summary, you will know more about the August 6, 1945, Hiroshima bombing and some of its survivors. Find out what became of:
• Miss Toshiko Sasaki, at the time a clerk in the personnel department of the East Asia Tin Works.
• Dr. Masakazu Fujii, a physician who owned and managed a small clinic prior to the bombing.
• Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, a widow with three children who later struggled with post-war poverty.
• Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, a German priest dwelling in Hiroshima at the time.
• Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, a 25-year-old surgeon, when the bomb exploded.
• Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a Methodist pastor in Hiroshima.

A group of 25 Japanese women was disfigured by the bombing and taken to the U.S. for treatment. They became publicized as the Hiroshima Maidens.

In the following chapters, you will learn more about these people and how they survived the incident. Hiroshima was updated after 40 years when the author returned to observe the survivors again, to see what happened to them post-war.

second key point

Mrs. Nakamura and her children became ill and destitute after the bombing

Mrs. Nakamura and her children were out in the street after the bombing. They were lucky not to have been killed, and it was because they were miles away from the center of the explosion. Even though the blast happened at a far distance, all the houses in their neighborhood collapsed ― at least as far as she could see.

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third key point

Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge lived selflessly, enduring the pains he suffered from a disease caused by the bomb

fourth key point

Dr. Terufumi Sasaki battled with sadness, loneliness, and trauma after the bombing

fifth key point

Dr. Terufumi Sasaki battled more challenges, became withdrawn and lonely after the explosion

sixth key point

Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto started a peace project after surviving the explosion

seventh key point

Miss Toshiko Sasaki became a disabled nun after the explosion

eighth key point

Dr. Masakazu Fujii survived the bombing but died years after from complications suspected to be a result of psychological trauma

ninth key point

Conclusion

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What is Hiroshima about?

"Hiroshima" by John Hersey is a powerful and haunting account of the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. Through the stories of six survivors, Hersey vividly portrays the horrors and human suffering caused by the bomb, while also exploring themes of resilience, survival, and the long-lasting impact of war. This gripping narrative sheds light on one of the darkest moments in history, leaving readers with a profound understanding of the human cost of nuclear warfare.

Who should read Hiroshima

History enthusiasts interested in understanding the impact of the atomic bomb.
Students studying World War II and its aftermath.
Individuals seeking a firsthand account of the Hiroshima bombing.

Topics in Hiroshima

World History War the American Revolution the Holocaust the Great Depression the Cold War the Middle East Terrorism Politics Journalism

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