This book was very educational and well written. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history and have questions about World War 2. I feel better about reading it and hope it is a lesson to us all.

I went through Hiroshima in 1959 and saw the devastation. I also wrote a book on WWII Pacific POWs that included a great deal of research on Nagasaki. The book is a thorough study of the results of the atomic bomb damage and the lasting and continuing results. The writing is a vivid picture of the death and suffering but does not relate the horrors of fire bombing elsewhere in Japan although fire bombing didn't have the long term effects. The author also missed the Japanese exploding their own atomic bomb three days after the bombing of Nagasaki. A great book.

Pellegrino's "The Last Train From Hiroshima" tells the personal stories of many Japanese citizens directly affected by our A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among those stories are some of the 165 who survived the first A-bomb (8/6/1945 at Hiroshima), traveled to Nagasaki (173 miles away) - many on the last train from Hiroshima, and were subjected to a second A-bomb just three days later. One of those 'doubly-bombed' was Mitsubishi oil-tanker designer Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Ironically, at the time of the Nagasaki bombing Yamaguchi was trying to convince his boss and co-workers in Nagasaki of how powerful the Hiroshima bomb had been. After WWII ended, Mr. Yamaguchi became a carpenter and helped rebuild schools, then a school-teacher, and finally was asked by the Japanese government to speak to the U.N. in 2006, where he pleaded for mutual cooperation and assistance, as well as the abolition of nuclear weapons. Mr. Yamaguchi lived lived to be 93, dying in early 2010 of stomach cancer just before the book was released.

Pellegrino's book has generated controversy due to his often quoting an American flight engineer, Joseph Fuoco, who claimed to be aboard 'Bock's Car' when it bombed Nagasaki, and substantiated that claim to Pellegrino with a number of documents and photos. Feedback and photos from early readers and other sources indicate that Fuoco was not on that flight. Regardless, since the focus of Pellegrino's book is on the experiences of Japanese citizens near 'Ground Zero,' the veracity of Fuoco's claims don't make much, if any overall difference. More troubling, perhaps, is the fact that the book's publisher (Henry Holt) has stopped printing because of questions over the revocation of Pellegrino's PhD. degree in 1984, and the true identity of a Japanese priest identified with only a pseudonym.

Only 1.2 lbs (two teaspoons) of 83% enriched material actually fissioned, and that required only one-hundred-millionth of a second. People directly below were vaporized. Surviving either of the blasts was largely a matter of luck - how close one was to the epicenter (85% were killed within a mile at Hiroshima), whether there was any substantive shelter between the individual and the blast (a bomb-shelter tunnel, in the basement of a bank; the Nagasaki area was hillier than Hiroshima), whether one was facing the blast at initial detonation (likely blinded, and face severely charred/burned), and whether one was wearing light, long-sleeved clothes and hat (black clothing almost guaranteed immediate death for those close-in). Those knowledgeable enough to not turn and look at the blast and instead immediately leap to the ground (preferably within a ditch) had much higher odds of survival - especially if they were not subsequently directly exposed to the subsequent radioactive black rain that followed.

Many survived the initial blast, only to quickly fall ill and die from radiation sickness. About half the fatalities occurred on the first day; Hiroshima officials estimated about 60% of these were due to burns. (Many Japanese said the burning flesh smelled like squid grilled over hot coals.) Others lived for 1-2 years or even as long as a decade, then died of leukemia; still others died later at an early age of various cancers. A very few benefited - the blast reshaped their eyeballs and eliminated the need for glasses; one physician was reportedly dying of intestinal cancer, then went into remission after the blast and survived - supposedly because of the 'radiation treatment.'

Pellegrino explicitly avoids addressing the question of whether the U.S. should have dropped either or both bombs, though he does reveal that the pilots involved were quite worried that more would be needed. The Japanese cabinet met with Emperor Hirohito for two hours after Nagasaki before he decided to surrender. Even then, some military leaders plotted to isolate the Emperor to prevent his declaring an end to fighting. They guessed, correctly, that the U.S. had no more A-bombs, but also grossly overestimated how long it would take to make more - only 1-2 months in actuality. Regardless, their plot melted away when some of the leaders learned that the American armada was already closing in on Tokyo. Japan surrendered on 8/15/1945.

Pellegrino also tells us that prior to the Hiroshima bombing, local school-children were carving wooden bullets for fighting at close range (metal was scarce), sharpening bamboo spears, and constructing two-shot wooden handguns for distribution to children and their mothers. Near Ground Zero, a military physician was teaching new soldiers, some only 14-15, new procedures for strapping bombs to their bodies and throwing themselves under vehicles. Any invasion of Japan was bound to create enormous casualties on both sides. Some estimate that about one million American casualties and several million Japanese would have resulted, vs. the 150,000 - 250,000 that died in the A-blasts. Prior to dropping the A-bombs, U.S. fire-bombing had already resulted in great destruction of 67 Japanese cities and as many as 500,000 deaths - without deterring Japanese determination.

Pellegrino does a good job telling the stories of the Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unfortunately, conveying the destruction requires more than words, and he includes zero pictures - a major deficit. "The Effects of Nuclear Weapons," published by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1962, provides a number of photos from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Presumably James Cameron will also fill that void - he has optioned the book for a movie.)

Bottom-Line: "Little Boy" (Hiroshima) had a yield of about 15 KT, "Fat Man" (Nagasaki) was larger - 21 KT. Both are quite small by today's standards. The most powerful American (thermonuclear) bomb exploded was 15 MT; the Russians countered with 50 MT - about 3,000 times more powerful. One estimate (Answerbag.com) is that if an 'only' 200 KT thermonuclear bomb had instead been been dropped on Nagasaki, 690,000 would have been killed. That's still 250 times smaller than the largest Russian bomb, and it was only half-loaded with nuclear fuel (bilderberg.org). Regardless, thousands of these monstrous bombs are now held by both the U.S. and Russia. Some are presumably hidden underwater just off our coasts reading for launch at the push of a button - with impact only minutes later. It really doesn't matter whether Fuoco was on Bock's Car over Nagasaki or not, who the priest was or if he even existed, or why Pellegrino's PhD. was revoked. The 'real' issue is whether "The Last Train From Hiroshima" describes our future.

The publisher today pulled this book, after further mistakes have been uncovered. This book is pure fiction and should be treated as such. Might become a collectors item, as according to wire reports the publisher will not reprint or issue a corrected copy. Try this book instead Day One Before Hiroshima and After by Peter Wyden, an excellent overview of the bombs birth and use on Hiroshima. And check this other great book: Hell to Pay: Operation DOWNFALL and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947 learn the reason how the use of 2 atomic bombs actually saved many American/Commonwealth and Japanese lives. And speaking of fiction there is another great book written by the author of Von Ryan's express about the invasion of Japan see Death is Lighter Than a Feather, a fictional account of Operation Downfall told from the perspective of American and Japanese soldiers and civilians. This version of the book is annotated by a leading Pacific War historian. Can't say enough good things about this novel which I read some 30 years ago. But pick this copy up as the annotation add so much to the original text.

The author claims that he was duped by Joseph Fuoco. It seems that the publisher and the public have been duped by Charles Pellegrino.

Mr. Pellegrino has asserted that he has a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. However, as recent press reports note, a simple inquiry to Victoria University has confirmed that Mr. Pellegrino does NOT have a Ph.D. from Victoria University.

One wonders what else he has made up.

This creep is a total fake. How dare he pollute this ultimate, terrible, supremely important topic with his self-promoting forgeries? Avoid this guy and everything he does.

My father was at the launch of the Enola Gay. I bought "The Last Train from Hiroshima" to research the history that surrounds this historic and tragic event. Now that it has been revealed that the book contains inaccuracies to the point of being a work of fiction, I would encourage any one considering the purchase of this book to resist the temptation. If you want an account of the impact of the bomb on the victims of Hiroshima, read John Hersey's "Hiroshima." It has stood the test of time and is factual. It is a classic.

I love military history - everything from the Revolution through Vietnam. So, needless to say I was looking forward to reading this one. Being a Barnes & Noble member, imagine my surprise to find that I could not purchase the book at my local store. However, I was told that "Amazon is still selling it". Of course that piece of good news quickly went sour when I read the most recent reviews and actual media reports.

And the author's attempts to explain away the errors ("I used pseudonyms to protect them") only serves to compound his credibility problem. Clearly he is back-pedaling as quickly as possible.

And now my desire to read this book is trumped by my disgust at being misled, or at least an attempt to mislead. So, I'll pass, thanks just the same.

I just finished reading The Last Train from Hiroshima by Charles Pelligrino. What an interesting novel and a unique perspective of the critial last days of the Pacific Theater portion of the war. I was impressed with the author's accounts from witnesses although I am aware of the recent dispute regarding whether or not many of the "facts" are actually fiction. Hopefully this will be resolved through further research so that factual history can be preserved.

As a reader this novel is very intriguing. If you want to read about the lives of real people (mostly Japanese civilians) and what they endured as a result of the two Atomic Bombs dropped days apart, then this is a must read. You will also learn about the atomic bomb development and details surrounding the atomic program. Whether or not the details are truely facts, destruction of this magnitude must never happen again, atomic or nuclear!!!!

I am on a WWII kick and have read several good books, mostly about the imprisonment of our troops in the Philappines and the liberation. (My father was in the Navy during WWII and was part of many of these critical battles as well as the liberation of our troops). I would also recommend Ghost Soldiers, an epic account of the WWII's greatest rescue mission by Hampton Sides and Tears in The Darkness; The Bataan Death March and its Aftermath by Michael Norman. Both excellent books with historical accounts.

I just finished reading The Last Train from Hiroshima by Charles Pelligrino. What an interesting novel and a unique perspective of the critial last days of the Pacific Theater portion of the war! I was impressed with the research and level of detail. If you want to read about the lives of real people (mostly Japanese civilians) and what they endured as a result of the two Atomic Bombs dropped days apart, then this is a must read. You will also learn more about the atomic bomb development and details surrounding the atomic program. It must never happen again, atomic or nuclear!!!! Hats off to Charles Pelligrino, well done!

I am on a WWII kick and have read several good books, mostly about the imprisonment of our troops in the Philappines and the liberation. (My father was in the Navy during WWII and was part of many of these critical battles as well as the liberation of our troops). I would also recommend Ghost Soldiers, an epic account of the WWII's greatest rescue mission by Hampton Sides and Tears in The Darkness; The Bataan Death March and its Aftermath by Michael Norman. Both excellent books with historical accounts.

I have read other books in the past about the US bombing of Hiroshima and found this particilar one as a so-so. I thought this author a bit short. I wished that he had used actual photographs (like the one on the cover) instead of the simple pencil drawings. I found it lacking in many areas. It made me feel like a teacher merely reading a high school essay. Lot's of 'words' but not much 'meat'. Yes, this was one if not the worst events in recorded history and it should not be forgotten - and hopefully will never to happen again, but I felt rather let-down. I wouldn't recommend this particular book.

The Last Train From Hiroshima by
Charles Pellegrino

In 1945, I heard my parents discuss the death of their families in Hiroshima. A child, I didn't know the significance of that day, a day that my ancestors were all destroyed.
I later wrote:

Hiroshima

We cut the chrysanthemum
Off its stalk
And left it naked in the sun.
(from The Enemy Wore My Face)

In 1989, Noriyo, a third grader from Hiroshima entered my classroom. They had moved to Hawaii because her grandmother was dying from cancer. She was a child during the bombing, e and her doctor had advised: Go to Hawaii where the weather is sunny for the last few months of her life. I wrote the following poem for Noriyo:

44 Years Later

a dark mushroom cloud
follows me across the Pacific
into my classroom.

forgive us, Noriyo
for Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.
( from The Enemy Wore My Face)

In 1995, Dr. Jiro Nakano edited and translated 100 tanka poems written by survivors (hibakusha) of Hiroshima in a book called Outcry From the Inferno. I was deeply honored to be one of the English editors.

In 2010, I read Charles Pellegrino's The Last Train from Hiroshima.
Nothing, not the discussions in our kitchen, my poems, the editing I did to Outcry From the Inferno, nothing is more real than this book. One of the main survivor's tanka is included in the Inferno book. One of the survivors bears the same name of my mother's family. Mr. Pellegrino, thank you for the open wounds that will never be healed nor forgotten.

Poor use of sources and a lack of basic fact checking contribute to an utter falsification of history, as pointed out in the recent New York Times article. Book should be recalled, or reclassified as fiction. Does a disservice to the original brave Hiroshima flight crew and the historical record. Reader beware.

I bought the book BEFORE the NY TIMES article based upon the glowing reviews the book received. I haven't read it yet nor will I. It seems to me that if one prominent claim is proven to be completely false, then that brings into question the accuracy of other claims made therein and indeed the scholarship behind it. I have too many other books waiting in my to-read stack to waste my time on something that's questionable at best.

Mistakes happen and I feel for the author, but I don't want to PAY for his error. Is it possible to return the book to the publisher (in my case, in its pristine, unopened condition) for a refund?

OK I have not read this book so I won't comment on how it is written. I wanted to say that the Author has been doing extensive book interviews on The John Batchelor radio show (WABC nights 9-12 pm EST), before the news about John Fucco's fraudulent input, and now after the news broke and was made aware to the Author. I've never heard an Author publicly go on the air like that and admit he was duped and to me he seems very above board. This news was found out after the "witness" died, he had lived his whole life portraying himself as a crewman of a B-29 during Hiroshima, and even had a letter of commendation from Truman (according to the author). Because of the subject material, I still plan on reading the book and will look for a revised edition when I do so.

An outstanding book! Pellegrino writes with beauty and heart. To pair his prose with such an evil event is a profound juxtaposition, similar to Tim O'Brien's short stories on Vietnam. Prior to "Last Train" my reading interest only danced around the subject of Hiroshima. What an incredible initiation. Pellegrino tackles and simplifies the complexity of nuclear fusion to explain the atom bomb in "Freshman 101" terms. He also conveys the will and the stunned reaction of the surviving Japanese people from both cities. Pellegrino achieves authentic intimacy by selecting a few family members and a doctor and pairing their real life horror with the chaos of their instantly bleak surroundings. Curiously, he also goes into detail describing the two flight teams that dropped the two bombs. I assume he did so in an effort to humanize the two squads. A big warning; the power of Pellegrino's pen will leave indelible impressions in your mind. His brutal and wrenching stories need telling and retelling across the ages. You will never read another book like this one.

Rather than adequately vet this book through the nuisance of fact-checking, editor Jack MacRae and publisher Henry Holt rushed to the presses with 'The Last Train from Hiroshima,' a work advertised as a definitive historical account of the circumstances leading up to and following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but which sadly contains an assortment of claims that have been universally denounced as fictitious, and have seriously discredited the book as a authoritative (or even reliable) history. Since publication, author Charles Pellegrino has been denounced as a fraud by a New York Times exposé ("Doubts Raised on Book's Tale of Atom Bomb," William J. Broad, Feb 20, 2010), historians ("This book is a Toyota," said 'Racing for the Bomb' author Robert S. Norris in the Times), the families of military servicemen, and of course readers whose only transgression was buying a history book with the expectation that the information contained within be accurately researched and documented, and who, understandably, doubt every subsequent claim asserted by Charles Pellegrino (who, despite his academic background, which includes a Ph.D. in paleobiology, apparently doesn't believe his work should be subject to the scrutiny of peer review employed by academic presses.)

This book does a great disservice not only to the public historical record, but also to the hundreds of thousands of atomic bomb victims, as well as the military servicemen who actually were involved in the design, building, and dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To echo another review, don't buy this book.

I was disturbed to learn from fellow reviewers that much of the information contained in this book is false. After reading the book, I came away with a new perspective on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but after reading other reviews, I feel somewhat deceived.

The points in question include the supposed bomb malfunction on Tinian island and the fact that Joe Fuoco never flew on either atomic bomb mission. Author Charles Pellegrino relies heavily on statements/incidents in which Fuoco was said to be involved. If in fact Fuoco was never involved in these missions, then the information must either be false or it never took place originally.

I must say that I was truly disappointed to find out about Pellegrino's errors. I really did enjoy reading the book, but my enjoyment and new-found knowledge has been tempered with these new revelations. Hopefully, Mr. Pellegrino will release a corrected edition of the book, because much of the information contained within was truly fascinating to read.

In "The Last Train from Hiroshima", Charles Pellegrino seems to sometimes sacrifice facts for style. Many of his accounts of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (and especially the "double" survivors who remarkably survived both cities) are absolutely riveting. For instance his book begins with a morbidly poetic and reasonably accurate scientific description of the immediate effects of the bomb, where some survived because they were shielded while their friends who were only a few feet away were vaporized because of exposure.

Alas, these absorbing accounts are not supported by meticulous research and factual accuracy. There are some important omissions and errors. Most importantly I was astonished to see that Pellegrino does not at all mention Capt. William "Deke" Parsons who was instrumental in arming the Hiroshima bomb in flight and designing its gun assembly. Similarly he erroneously says that Harold Urey and his student Stanley Miller won Nobel Prizes for their work on the origins of life (Urey won an unrelated Nobel for his discovery of deuterium). Recently the New York Times (February 20, 2010 issue) had an article about how an entire account of the Hiroshima bomb in Mr. Pellegrino's book by one Joseph Fuoco was essentially fabricated, for a simple reason; Mr. Fuoco was almost certainly not on the plane, and his name does not appear in any of the other mainstream accounts. Instead the relevant man on the plane was James Corliss who is never mentioned in the book.

To Mr. Pellegrino's credit, he has immediately owned up to his mistake and claims that he was "duped" by Mr. Fuoco. But given the other errors in the book including those cited above, one simply cannot take this otherwise very well-written book seriously until there is evidence that the material has been thoroughly vetted. A real shame.

The book is fake history, meant to deceive the reader, read the NY Times, Feb. 20, 2010.

Charles Pellegrino would have made a great science fiction novelist. The man can certainly spin a yarn, as he has proven many times in other books. Now he's pretending to be an historian? Give me a break. The man listens to people and then writes down everything they say with little to no research. He's finally being taken to task for this book and the vast fabrications that the author presents as fact. Shame on the publisher for allowing a novelist to write about such an important part of history. Shame on the people interviewed by the author for telling such outrageous lies. But most of all, shame on Charles Pellegrino for believing that writing history was simply a matter of listening to whomever wants to talk to him and taking their tales as fact. What a joke.

A Prominent False Witness: Joe Fuoco

A whole series of works presented as authentic documents turns out to be one BIG Hoax! Charles Pellegrino is a sloppy historian. Getting major facts wrong---Joe Fuoco who is a central figure in this book is no different than another--- Prominent False Witness: Elie Wiesel.

It's a good thing Mr. Pellegrino did not write a book about the Holocaust.

I just read the New York Times article about the deception Mr. Pelligrino fell for--a Mr. Fuoco claiming to have flown on the bombing run on Hiroshima and also related a story about a pre-flight accident with the bomb that killed a scientist and rendered the bomb a "dud". (Some dud--70,000 people killed when it hit.)

All of this not true.

My problem here is not so much that Mr. Pelligrino wrote a bad book--anyone can do that. Or that the errors in the book amount to historical mal-practice which is deplorable as this book will be held by many libraries for many years, perhaps duping many more readers down the years.

My problem is the fact that this book got positive reviews in the mainstream press (including the NYT). I have to ask--what has gone wrong with the process of reviewing books? And backing up one step--what's gone wrong with the publishing industry that allows error-riddled books to pass muster? Doesn't the publishing industry employ copy editors and fact-checkers any more?

And who gets selected to review books like this--reviewers who obviously aren't qualified to pass judgemnet on the book's quality or accuracy? Where are the experts who could vouch for a book's accuracy--why aren't they being sought out to review books about which they are recognized subject experts? It should be a scandal.

The same thing happened last summer with the publication of Craig Nelson's book Rocket Men. It got glowing reviews in the mainstream press and he even appeared as part of a panel discussion at a NASA History Office conference celebrating the fourtieth anniversary of Apollo 11. Yet his book is full of errors of fact and, perhaps, worse, very questionable assertions (e.g.; that the Gemini Program was of limited success and it should have been more integrated into the Apollo Progarm---both ludicrous assertions) both of which betray his lack of understanding of his subject.

He may have written some well crafted prose, but the demands of a good history require the author get the facts correct first and foremost.

Both of these books failed that elemental test and still got rave reviews. That's the real disgrace.

Thomas J. Frieling
University of Georgia Libraries
tfrielin@uga.edu

In a multi hour interview on the overnight Coast to Coast program with host Ian Punnett, the fact that Joe Fuoco, a critical source for the book, was never on that plane and was never part of that unit, was never mentioned. Maybe he didn't know at the time but simply not researching military records to back up a critical claim, is inexcusable.

Also, the bomb may not have been a partial dud as described. Of couse, conspiracy theorists will just say Los Alamos is covering up. You want to write fiction, fine, but don't label it history. We've got enough distortion in our historical records.

This book should be taken off sale immediately.

This book has been completely discredited. A combination of veterans' associations, families of those directly involved in the bomb project and its deployment, as well as the Los Alamos National Laboratory (the establishment originating from the bomb project itself) have denounced the sources of the author and his scholarship. The publisher should recall (a la Toyota) all copies of this book from circulation and refund the buyers. DON'T buy this book!

Until the author corrects the obvious mistakes, (to which he has admitted), Amazon and also the publisher should NOT sell this book.

From the invented conversations of people in the target area to the fact that the character Fuoco was not even attached to the 509th and so wasn't a witness to much of anything to the imaginary accident on Tinian that could not possibly have happened the book is junk. I only hope it doesn't do too much damage before it is recalled and/or relabelled. Call it a historical novel if you want but don't call it reality----------and don't use it to argue or place any bets.../signed/ a really old nuclear engineer who knows better.

This New York Times article on the book discusses a section of the book (the technical details of the mission) that came from an interview with a crew member who was not a crew member (a liar):

[...]

Charles Pellegrino says he will rewrite the book for future editions. He ought to provide a copy of the rewritten edition to everyone who has purchased this book so far .. gratis.

I'm rating this a 3. Not trying to shoot down the book, just tired of reading so much untruth on the subject. There's been a lot of propaganda released over the years regarding the mission and for everybody it's been getting ever harder to glean the truth. This book is now an integral part of that problem.

edited (2-25-10): Review reflects my impressions of the book before the news that portions of it were false. As a reader, I feel cheated. I allowed myself to become emotionally vested in the story only to have the "truth" revealed. Now I wonder how many of the touching stories were true. I'm very disappointed. I feel for the author and absolutely respect how he's handling this. It takes balls to take such a deception head-on. He has not wavered. Still, i think we deserve a refund or an updated copy.

* * *

As everyone else here says, this book is incredible...it's also indelible - some of the heart-wrenching stories will stay with me forever. Some of the details are just so horrifying that I found myself hoping it was simply a literary convention for shock value, but it's not. One that just shatters me (even thinking about it) is the description of a survivor looking into a train car and seeing no movement except for the unborn baby struggling in the womb of a victim.

That level of detail humanizes the tragedy more than anything I've ever seen or read.

Personally, I struggled a bit with some of the time/technical specifics (early on in the book - one-thousandth of a second to fractions of a micro-second...I simply have no comparative concept), but stick with it.

The book is heart-breaking, enlightening and potentially life-changing - and I'm not talking hyperbole.

This book should be required reading.

With much gratitude to the author...

How many nuclear bombs are there in the world today? It could be 10,000 or 25,000 or 50,000, depending on who you ask. This is the story of just two of them. It was a slippery slope. The WWII generation just wanted to end a nightmare. They never intended it to turn out this way.

As everyone else here says, this book is incredible...it's also indelible - some of the heart-wrenching stories will stay with me forever. Some of the details are just so horrifying that I found myself hoping it was simply a literary convention for shock value, but it's not. One that just shatters me (even thinking about it) is the description of a survivor looking into a train car and seeing no movement except for the unborn baby struggling in the womb of a victim.

That level of detail humanizes the tragedy more than anything I've ever seen or read.

Personally, I struggled a bit with some of the time/technical specifics (early on in the book - one-thousandth of a second to fractions of a micro-second...I simply have no comparative concept), but stick with it.

The book is heart-breaking, enlightening and potentially life-changing - and I'm not talking hyperbole.

This book should be required reading.

With much gratitude to the author...

I cannot add more or different praise than has already been written so eloquently by the reviewers before me. I can only say that this remarkable panegyric upon humanity must be shared . . . each "read" must certainly elevate the planet's consciousness. When I finished the book, I kept hearing the words of John Donne whispering in the background: No man is an island - When the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. We are ONE, let's start believing it, let's commit to kindness with each new dawn.

Charles Pellegrino writes with compassionate boldness as he tells of the human, spiritual, environmental, psychological, financial and political damage that nuclear weapons wreak on everyone who is even tangentially involved in their use. (including writers such as James Clavell and Stan Lee.) I was particularly humbled by the ability of so many survivors and their families to remember their experiences in a way that allowed them to be witnesses for forgiveness and peace rather than instruments of vengeful violence. This book dispels the convenient myths that spin the truth about Hiroshima and Nagasaki into a morally acceptable story and should serve as the impetus for the people of today to find different ways of living. The people and images speak for themselves and the author inserts little in the way of editorial comment. While it is not an easy or comfortable read, it has the power to reshape our vision of ourselves and our world.

A great book filled with many powerful passages and quotes. Perhaps it should be required reading for any person who has ever used the term "nuke-em".

I've often wondered about the people on the ground when the atom bombs fell in Japan those many decades ago. In this new book, "The Last Train From Hiroshima - The Survivors Look Back", author Charles Pellegrino gives us a real view. We get the answers. And it's not pretty. In fact, it's horrifying.

There were as many as 165 people who are believed to have survived Hiroshima and went on to Nagasaki when that bomb fell there three days later. The stories of these double survivors are told in this book in a very authoritative and intriguing way.

The survivors were sheltered from the gamma and infrared death rays. They were saved from the blasts in areas that acted like natural shock cocoons.

Those who wore watches were branded where the metal met their skin on their wrists. They developed radiation sickness because of this. The bombs were like a microwave oven and heated the metal of the watches until it glowed.

Moreover, many folks smelled burning human flesh. It must have been the most horrifying experience a person could live through.

To be honest, this book is not for those with a weak stomach. It vividly tells exactly what it was like on the ground when these poor souls were the victims of this unnecessary war --- collateral damage caused by the high and mighty.

Not a pretty story but one that needs to be told and hopefully it will never happen again. We can only hope.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

I am usually not a fan of World War II history. Members of my family (both immediate and extended) served in WWII and I followed with service in Vietnam. This book was very hard to read and put down. The descriptions of what happened after each bombing, the conditions the survivors went through and even the thoughts of those responsible for delivering the bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are very intense. I personally feel this book is an important piece of literature. It's well researched and well paced. It is not a book to be taken lightly, (although I did laugh out loud when reading about Admiral Ugaki and his squadron.)

No matter what your feelings are about the use of nuclear weapons in WWII, this book will give you more information than you ever knew. I highly recommend it.

I, too, heard the interview of the author and bought the book from another site.

I read the book in 2 sittings. At times tears came un-expectantly.

"The small boy asked the survivor,'Who dropped the bomb?'" The survivor replied,'We are all equal. I don't remember who dropped the bomb'." ... The boy could not understand a one word answer'."

This is an example of Pelligrino's historical balance in telling the story. He also demonstrates that "tactical nuclear warfare" is a dangerous, fatalistic oxymoron.

The phrase "nuke 'em" should be banished from all languages on this globe.

This book makes for very compelling reading. One, but certainly not the only, reason I found it so compelling was the precise technical detail about the bombs and what happened in the fractions of a second after they exploded. However, the first technical detail I checked was wrong. On page 4 it suggests that the Hiroshima bomb contained 1.2 lbs of U-235 and that this represents a volume of about two teaspoons. The Hiroshima bomb contained 141 lbs of 80% pure U-235 (~112 lbs of U-235 with the balance U-238 and other isotopes). This wide misstatement of fact causes me to question at least the technical details in the rest of the book.

I am giving a 5 star review, because of the other reviews. I am not going to
buy it, because it is not available on Kindle as a reasonable price.

Reading this book has changed me in a way that few events (reading books aside) have ever succeeded in doing. There are lessons here, and raw truth, and sages that emerge from the most horrible of fires. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I fear that everything I read or experience hence will be tinted with the echoes of this document. And perhaps this is a good thing.

Without doubt the scariest part of all this is how immune humanity really is to its reflection. One gets the feeling that there truly is no bottom to the depths of our capacity to suffer, and that despite this we will plunge only ever further until there is simply no way to climb back out.

And yet somehow this is an optimistic book, one conscious of the simple power within kindness and mere chance. I recommend it for anyone who is tired of dissecting modern fiction for profundities, trying to figure out what's "real," or has ever entertained the notion of slipping something shocking into the drinking glass of emperors - if there was ever anything to do that with, this book is it.

-Nick

(This review refers to the downloadable unabridged audio book at [...])

Like the basket weave imprint etched on the skin of the woman in one of the most famous images from Hiroshima, Pelligrino tells this story weaving together individual stories of the those who survived the atom bomb, and a few of those who didn't. He pays especial attention to the physical dynamics of the first few minutes, told in microsecond by microsecond events.

One of the unique things he covers is the experience of the "nijyuu hibakusha", the double survivors who were struck in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Extensive interviews with survivors make the stories immediate and very real.

Arthur Morey's narration is excellent. He sets the right documentary tone without being boring or sensational.

A very important subject, and an excellent listen.

A compelling read. The image that stays with me the strongest involves the "tap shoes". Look it up. The words of General W. T. Sherman are certainly apropos, here. "War is hell. It is the path that the enemy has chosen. He must be served up such a portion of it, in all of its' horror, that he never chooses it again." The bombing of Japan certainly did this. The nation and its' people got no more than they deserved; less actually. I only wish that we could get a copy of this book into the grimy hands of every nit-witted, sweat stinking denizen of the middle east. If they took the message to heart, we could avoid a lot of bother. "Mess with the big dog and this is what you can expect." But, they wouldn't. Like imperial Japan, they'll need to be shown. Sooner or later, they shall be. :-) And, as it did last time, the effort will win us a half century or so of relative peace.

Norm

I heard the author interviewed the other night; this seems like a fascinating book, it's on my Wish List and I'll be buying it. But I won't buy it from Amazon. Read on, please.

According to John Bachelor and other radio hosts who have interviewed the author of this book (as well as other authors), Amazon is intentionally removing this and all other Macmillan Co. titles from their website because they're mad at the Apple iPad competition. Reports indicate this is a "warning shot" to other publishing companies to keep exclusive with Amazon for electronic delivery of books.

Look for yourself; this brand-new book release is suddenly "unavailable" from Amazon. Now go look for other Macmillan titles.

Jeff Bezos is miffed because he has serious competition; you might want to factor this into your Amazon shopping decisions.

And no, I'm not a Macmoonie; I have a religion, despise Steve Jobs and his ridiculous messianic obsession and don't own a single Apple product.

I also heard the authors interview on Coast to Coast AM Saturday night. I can't believe Amazon won't sell this book because the publisher is aligned with the I-pad apple is coming out with. I will be buying this book just not from Amazon. I wonder if anyone with Amazon reads these reviews and sees that it is costing them book sales because of there strong arm tactics against these publishers. Shame on Amazon. This sucks and I will be going to Barnes and Noble to buy this book and probably many more.

I too heard his interview on Coast to Coast AM and was so riveted I had to buy the book right then and there. Yeah, they did talk in depth about Amazon vs. Apple and because I loathe apple so much I now want a Kindle DX....the problem is, this would be one of the books i would want on it.

I have worked in the nuclear weapons enterprise for over thirty years. This is the first book I've read that tells the victim's stories without taking a stance on the morality of Hiroshima. It leaves it to the reader to determine if the horrific consequences are reason never to use a nuclear weapon again or not.

I found the description of the detonation of Little Boy to be very useful in explaining to my students how quickly a nuclear weapon functions.

We have become so defensive about the decision to become the only country to use nuclear weapons that we have forgotten the human toll. The survivors themselves have not spoken out. I never want my students to forget that every decision has a consequence.

Mr. Pelligrino gives life to those who cannot speak for themselves. The book is well written, compelling, and terrifying. The last time I was this horrified was when I read "The Night Hamburg Died" when I was 11.

This is without a doubt the most meticulously detailed account I've ever read about what it was like on the ground in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the bombs went off and immediately after.
The details of the bombs - both the physics and their effects - are often told in second-by-second detail, and the eyewitness descriptions of the dead and dying are both horrifying and fascinating.
Anyone with any interest in the physics of nuclear weapons and/or their effects needs to read this book.

I'VE NOT READ THIS BOOK YET, BUT LISTENED TO AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION & REVIEW OF THE BOOK BY THE AUTHOR ON COAST TO COAST AM LAST NIGHT. CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE HARDCOVER EDITION! SINCE AMAZON PULLED ALL HARDCOVER EDITIONS (THEY REFUSE TO SELL THEM), BECAUSE THE PUBLISHER CHOSE GO TO WITH ANOTHER E-READING SERVICE-THROUGH APPLE I THINK. I KNOW THEY'RE COMPETITORS & AMAZON HAS THE RIGHT TO MAKE ITS' OWN CORPORATE DECISIONS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE AMAZON DID THIS AS A THREAT, OR EXAMPLE, (IE: USE OUR KINDLE SERVICE OR WE WILL RUFUSE TO SELL YOUR BOOKS!). GRANTED THIS IS ONLY ONE PUBLISHER, BUT IT SETS A PRECEDENT TO ALL OTHER PUBLISHERS WHO DO THE SAME. WHAT A SHAME. I CAN SEE A BLACK CLOUD FORMING OVER AMAZON HEADQUARTERS NOW, OR IS THAT A MUSHROOM CLOUD!!

I AM A LONG TIME CUSTOMER OF AMAZON & LOVE WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER, BUT I DON'T SEE IT AS HELPING THEIR BUSINESS. IF THE POWERS THAT BE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH, THEY'LL LOSE LOYAL CUSTOMERS. OF COURSE, LOSING ONE CUSTOMER DOESN'T MEAN MUCH; BUT IF THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS LOOK ELSEWHERE, THAT WILL MEAN SOMETHING, AND MAYBE THE GIANT ON THE HILL WILL WAKE UP, AND REMEMBER THAT THEY SERVE THE CUSTOMERS! AMAZON MAY STILL BE A GIANT, BUT THEY LOOK ALOT SMALLER IN MY EYES. STRIKE ONE AMAZON....... I GUESS I'LL BUY THIS BOOK ELSEWHERE.

I found myself weeping several times through the book. We should never do this again. Fascinating for the detailed description of the scientific and chemical reactions that occur on detonation of a nuclear bomb.

An unflinchingly honest look at the horror. Though this book is not for the faint of heart, in truth, it's for all of us regardless of our ability to stand it. It is our responsibility to stand it.

I bought this book today after hearing Dr. Pellegrino on The John Batchelor Show last night. I've read the first chapter and I was both fascinated and horrified by the detail he presents. I also found myself in tears especially at the children of Hiroshima who seemed to sense that 'something bad' was about to happen. This is an utterly remarkable and fascinating book that I only stopped reading long enough to write this review. It is THAT good. It is, to use a cliche, a 'page-turner'. The detail is amazing as you read exactly what happens in the first moments of an atomic bomb explosion and the physics that follow. Even more fascinating are the eye-witness accounts by those who were there and what they saw.

I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in eye-witness history and fascinating forensics. Stop reading this review and start reading The Last Train From Hiroshima.