The Hiroshima Men

The Hiroshima Men tells the story of the decade-long road to the first atomic attack, on the Japanese port city of Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m. on August 6th, 1945. The book follows the race for nuclear technology before and during the Second World War through several people. They are General Leslie Groves, who led the Manhattan Project alongside Robert Oppenheimer, and Colonel Paul Tibbetts II, a bomber pilot. They also include Senkichi Awaya, the mayor of Hiroshima, and John Hersey, who travelled to post-war Japan. It also offers Japanese perspectives on what the bombing meant and what followed.

Why You Should Read?

• Follow General Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer through the top-secret work of the Manhattan Project.
• Meet Colonel Paul Tibbetts II, a pioneering Army Air Force bomber pilot, whose experiences help carry the story.
• Understand the bombing through Japanese perspectives, including the experiences of Hiroshima's mayor, Senkichi Awaya.
• Learn how John Hersey's journey to post-war Japan exposed the devastation and the dangers of radiation poisoning.