What do you think?
Rate this book
Nagasaki: The Massacre of the Innocent and Unknowing
Using contemporary diaries and letters, mainly translated from Japanese, we follow a group of Nagasaki residents, (including several Australian POWs) from the early morning of the day of the bombing of Hiroshima to midnight on the day of the second bombing in Nagasaki.
The war was coming to an end at last. The people of Nagasaki knew this as they desperately tried to survive each day's shortages of food and warmth - ordinary people going about their lives as normally as they could manage. People like Nagai, the doctor who'd just been told he had leukemia; Father Tamaya, the obliging Catholic priest, who'd agreed to postpone a return to his rural parish; and Koichi, the mobilised tram driver, who secretly watched the Noguchi sisters sobbing behind the company toilet block.
Because the bombing of Hiroshima had been so devastating and there was severe media censorship, they knew nothing of what had befallen that city except for the unbelievable stories told by a few survivors who had just now arrived. Beyond Japan, forces they could never have imagined were mustering as the Americans prepared to drop their next atomic bomb on the armaments manufacturing city of Kokura.
Bad weather, however, sent the pilots and their terrible load to Nagasaki, where a small group of 169 POWs, including 24 Australians, were digging air-raid shelters and repairing bridges near what became the bomb's epicentre. And, above the heads of them all, the machinery of wartime politics stumbled on towards its catastrophic finale.
In this compelling narrative - based on eye-witness accounts, contemporary diaries, letters and interviews - Craig Collie collects up the stories of the many levels of devastation suffered on that fateful day. We come as close as history will allow us to being there when 80,000 people died as a result of the bomb, half of that number instantaneously. The world had changed forever and the shock waves would ripple right up to the present day, as we continue to contemplate the terrible power of a nuclear future
The war was coming to an end at last. The people of Nagasaki knew this as they desperately tried to survive each day's shortages of food and warmth - ordinary people going about their lives as normally as they could manage. People like Nagai, the doctor who'd just been told he had leukemia; Father Tamaya, the obliging Catholic priest, who'd agreed to postpone a return to his rural parish; and Koichi, the mobilised tram driver, who secretly watched the Noguchi sisters sobbing behind the company toilet block.
Because the bombing of Hiroshima had been so devastating and there was severe media censorship, they knew nothing of what had befallen that city except for the unbelievable stories told by a few survivors who had just now arrived. Beyond Japan, forces they could never have imagined were mustering as the Americans prepared to drop their next atomic bomb on the armaments manufacturing city of Kokura.
Bad weather, however, sent the pilots and their terrible load to Nagasaki, where a small group of 169 POWs, including 24 Australians, were digging air-raid shelters and repairing bridges near what became the bomb's epicentre. And, above the heads of them all, the machinery of wartime politics stumbled on towards its catastrophic finale.
In this compelling narrative - based on eye-witness accounts, contemporary diaries, letters and interviews - Craig Collie collects up the stories of the many levels of devastation suffered on that fateful day. We come as close as history will allow us to being there when 80,000 people died as a result of the bomb, half of that number instantaneously. The world had changed forever and the shock waves would ripple right up to the present day, as we continue to contemplate the terrible power of a nuclear future
338 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 5, 2020
This book is well written based on interviews, contemporary diaries, letters, and details from official documents. This book doesn't fall into a category like an American perspective or Japnese perspective. It is written like a diary of common people living at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the whole book, there is no war cry, heroism, nationalism, or victimization, nothing! It was just a day passing in the life of Hiroshima and Nagasaki people with an extraordinary event and still talks a lot about war and its futility. When I picked this book, it was all about the Nuclear bomb but at the end of the book it becomes all about humanity - it is such a powerful book.
December 17, 2012
We are all very familiar with Hiroshima, yet less so with the second city Nagasaki. This book however provides far more than just the story of one city. The path takes us through the final months of the war ending with information from the Soviet, US, and Japanese governments. Included also are the stories behind the scenes that drove the events and end results.
The military operation that dropped both bombs were laid out in full detail, a classic example of nothing working as smoothly as planned and needing to be improvised. I think few people even today have any idea what it meant when the US mobilized and went to war. A good example is the airfield on Tinian, six runways, each 3km long and 10 lanes wide. When Idlewood (now JFK) opened in 1947 outside New York it was the largest commercial airport in the world but was only 1/2 the size of the airfield on Tinian.
The book does provide information on events in Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped and gives a reader a pretty good idea what is coming to Nagasaki. One cringes as bomb survivors board a train that will take them Nagasaki as they try to escape the war.
The effects of what an atomic blast does to a populations are not spared. For instance one has better odds of surviving if they are wearing white clothing which can reflect the intense light and heat. While I can see the problem with wearing black, if the air is hot enough to peel paint on surrounding objects I think one is in a pretty bad situation. There was no shortage of individual stories, some lucky some not so lucky. Interesting enough I had never known there where Australian, British, and Dutch POW's that were among the bomb victims. The twice bombed individuals are also interesting, a rather bizarre turn of events.
One of the biggest questions about the end of the war has been whether or not the use of the bomb hastened the end of the war. This book would suggest no, that the real reasons for the war continuing were political games being played inside the Japanese government. A process that moved at a civilian killing pace. A good example used in US discussions was that of comparing Japan to a dog that had misbehaved. Yes, the dog must be reprimanded but there comes a point where it turns from justice to cruelty. All this suggests that if the US had better information regarding the Japanese intentions and the Japanese been able to better reach a decision regarding how to end the war that perhaps both Hiroshima and Nagasaki could have been avoided.
There was a third bomb ready to go but internal opposition within the US government at all levels held it back. There is little doubt the people involved were concerned about the use of this new weapon and had doubts.
What I find the most interesting is our horror of atomic weapons. What is the difference between one bomb that kills 80,000 people and 10,000 bombs that kill the same number? The bombing of other Japanese cities, German cities, and London by conventional means produced massive causalities as well but these are largely ignored. No doubt we find the ease of killing such large numbers of people by so few troubling.
However we are also more disturbed by say a killing done with a hammer than a gun as it becomes so personal. So why the contradiction? We want our individual killings to be impersonal(hammer vs gun) but want our mass killings to be personal (nuclear bomb vs conventional arms). For lack of a better word I wonder if perhaps we are wanting others to have a "sporting chance."
Nagasaki was not the targeted city rather the secondary target. The city of Kokura narrowly avoided the fate of Nagasaki. Today in Japan there is a term to describe having avoided a catastrophic event you didn't even know was there, "Korura's luck." Something we can all benefit from.
The military operation that dropped both bombs were laid out in full detail, a classic example of nothing working as smoothly as planned and needing to be improvised. I think few people even today have any idea what it meant when the US mobilized and went to war. A good example is the airfield on Tinian, six runways, each 3km long and 10 lanes wide. When Idlewood (now JFK) opened in 1947 outside New York it was the largest commercial airport in the world but was only 1/2 the size of the airfield on Tinian.
The book does provide information on events in Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped and gives a reader a pretty good idea what is coming to Nagasaki. One cringes as bomb survivors board a train that will take them Nagasaki as they try to escape the war.
The effects of what an atomic blast does to a populations are not spared. For instance one has better odds of surviving if they are wearing white clothing which can reflect the intense light and heat. While I can see the problem with wearing black, if the air is hot enough to peel paint on surrounding objects I think one is in a pretty bad situation. There was no shortage of individual stories, some lucky some not so lucky. Interesting enough I had never known there where Australian, British, and Dutch POW's that were among the bomb victims. The twice bombed individuals are also interesting, a rather bizarre turn of events.
One of the biggest questions about the end of the war has been whether or not the use of the bomb hastened the end of the war. This book would suggest no, that the real reasons for the war continuing were political games being played inside the Japanese government. A process that moved at a civilian killing pace. A good example used in US discussions was that of comparing Japan to a dog that had misbehaved. Yes, the dog must be reprimanded but there comes a point where it turns from justice to cruelty. All this suggests that if the US had better information regarding the Japanese intentions and the Japanese been able to better reach a decision regarding how to end the war that perhaps both Hiroshima and Nagasaki could have been avoided.
There was a third bomb ready to go but internal opposition within the US government at all levels held it back. There is little doubt the people involved were concerned about the use of this new weapon and had doubts.
What I find the most interesting is our horror of atomic weapons. What is the difference between one bomb that kills 80,000 people and 10,000 bombs that kill the same number? The bombing of other Japanese cities, German cities, and London by conventional means produced massive causalities as well but these are largely ignored. No doubt we find the ease of killing such large numbers of people by so few troubling.
However we are also more disturbed by say a killing done with a hammer than a gun as it becomes so personal. So why the contradiction? We want our individual killings to be impersonal(hammer vs gun) but want our mass killings to be personal (nuclear bomb vs conventional arms). For lack of a better word I wonder if perhaps we are wanting others to have a "sporting chance."
Nagasaki was not the targeted city rather the secondary target. The city of Kokura narrowly avoided the fate of Nagasaki. Today in Japan there is a term to describe having avoided a catastrophic event you didn't even know was there, "Korura's luck." Something we can all benefit from.
December 12, 2021
Not only detailing all the horrors and unnecessary human suffering of the ordinary people of Nagasaki, it’s also a gripping account of the bizarre decision-making of war-time leadership and military propaganda. Highly recommended.
August 4, 2013
Devastating, Terrible, Heart Wrenching and at the end, hopeful... Enough Said
March 1, 2025
This book had been sitting on my shelf for ages. For a long time, I lacked the motivation to read it. Then, while lazily lounging on my sofa, I watched Netflix’s Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War. That reminded me of the book, and I figured it was finally time to give it a go before I lost interest again.
The book is easy to read—I finished it in two or three days. But my reaction is mixed. Written by a Western author, it follows the familiar pattern of focusing on individual lives to illustrate history. While this approach can be compelling, I often find it unsatisfactory, as it tends to miss the bigger picture. Instead of offering a broad historical analysis, it sometimes feels petty and fragmented.
For me, the book is split into two parts. The first attempts to narrate the lives of far too many individuals before, during, and after the bomb. The sheer number of names makes it confusing, and the constant switching between characters prevents any deep connection with them. By the time a character reappears, I’ve either forgotten them or lost interest. The writing feels disorganized, and the lack of emotional depth makes the people in the book seem like little more than historical footnotes. I ended up skimming through this part.
The second part—the factual history—is far more informative. The timeline of events is well-presented, though unfortunately mixed in with the jumble of character vignettes. Reading this book felt like eating fish with too many bones: there’s valuable information, but it requires picking through a lot of unnecessary material.
I did learn some fascinating details, such as how the plane passed over Kokura three times with the bomb bay open but did not drop the bomb due to poor visibility. It was also striking to discover that Raymond "Kermit" Beahan, the bombardier, falsely claimed to have a visual on the target in Nagasaki. The actual target, Tokiwa Bridge, was far to the south, but he aimed for a stadium 3.5 km north, leading to significantly higher civilian casualties. The book fails to explore this further—there’s no discussion of whether his actions were questioned by U.S. authorities afterward. However, it does mention that Bockscar barely made it back to Okinawa, landing with just a minute of fuel left.
One of the book’s most sobering insights is that the Nagasaki bombing had little impact on Japan’s surrender decision. The cabinet meeting the next morning was dominated by news of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, meaning the scale of the Nagasaki destruction was not a decisive factor.
My advice to potential readers: skim through it and extract the historical facts yourself. This isn’t a book that needs to be read carefully like a history textbook. As with many books of this kind, the real substance is scattered across a few pages, while the rest is filler.
The book is easy to read—I finished it in two or three days. But my reaction is mixed. Written by a Western author, it follows the familiar pattern of focusing on individual lives to illustrate history. While this approach can be compelling, I often find it unsatisfactory, as it tends to miss the bigger picture. Instead of offering a broad historical analysis, it sometimes feels petty and fragmented.
For me, the book is split into two parts. The first attempts to narrate the lives of far too many individuals before, during, and after the bomb. The sheer number of names makes it confusing, and the constant switching between characters prevents any deep connection with them. By the time a character reappears, I’ve either forgotten them or lost interest. The writing feels disorganized, and the lack of emotional depth makes the people in the book seem like little more than historical footnotes. I ended up skimming through this part.
The second part—the factual history—is far more informative. The timeline of events is well-presented, though unfortunately mixed in with the jumble of character vignettes. Reading this book felt like eating fish with too many bones: there’s valuable information, but it requires picking through a lot of unnecessary material.
I did learn some fascinating details, such as how the plane passed over Kokura three times with the bomb bay open but did not drop the bomb due to poor visibility. It was also striking to discover that Raymond "Kermit" Beahan, the bombardier, falsely claimed to have a visual on the target in Nagasaki. The actual target, Tokiwa Bridge, was far to the south, but he aimed for a stadium 3.5 km north, leading to significantly higher civilian casualties. The book fails to explore this further—there’s no discussion of whether his actions were questioned by U.S. authorities afterward. However, it does mention that Bockscar barely made it back to Okinawa, landing with just a minute of fuel left.
One of the book’s most sobering insights is that the Nagasaki bombing had little impact on Japan’s surrender decision. The cabinet meeting the next morning was dominated by news of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, meaning the scale of the Nagasaki destruction was not a decisive factor.
My advice to potential readers: skim through it and extract the historical facts yourself. This isn’t a book that needs to be read carefully like a history textbook. As with many books of this kind, the real substance is scattered across a few pages, while the rest is filler.
January 22, 2022
Based on eye-witness accounts, Nagasaki largely recounts the lives of ordinary citizens of Nagasaki over the three days between the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and details the devastating aftermath of both bombs. Interwoven between the personal stories of those directly affected by the bombs, Nagasaki also details the late stages of the Second World War and the geopolitical considerations of the Japanese, Soviet and US governments.
A well written account of a very dark period in Human History. Dan Carlin in the “End is Always Near” argues that those that believe that the US didn’t need to drop the bombs aren’t acknowledging the political realities of the time. That may be so, but Nagasaki makes it clear that it was really those political considerations, both US domestic politics and nascent Cold War machinations that underpinned the decision to drop the bombs as opposed to the stated desire to “save” lives by ending the war early. Historical diaries reveal that Japans decision to surrender made little reference to either of the two bombs, the impacts of which were still yet to be fully comprehended, and instead were the result of a gradual resignation to a lost cause that was further bought home by the Soviets decision to violate their non-aggression pact and enter the war against the Japanese.
Through its narrative structure,Nagasaki not only reveals the immense horror of the aftermath of both bombs but also the immense privations of ordinary Japanese citizens in the waning days of a total war where targeted bombing of civilians had become commonplace. The quote from General Le May reflecting on the use of the Atomic bombs hammers this home - “we scorched and boiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo on that night of March 9-10 then went up in vapour at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined”.
A well written account of a very dark period in Human History. Dan Carlin in the “End is Always Near” argues that those that believe that the US didn’t need to drop the bombs aren’t acknowledging the political realities of the time. That may be so, but Nagasaki makes it clear that it was really those political considerations, both US domestic politics and nascent Cold War machinations that underpinned the decision to drop the bombs as opposed to the stated desire to “save” lives by ending the war early. Historical diaries reveal that Japans decision to surrender made little reference to either of the two bombs, the impacts of which were still yet to be fully comprehended, and instead were the result of a gradual resignation to a lost cause that was further bought home by the Soviets decision to violate their non-aggression pact and enter the war against the Japanese.
Through its narrative structure,Nagasaki not only reveals the immense horror of the aftermath of both bombs but also the immense privations of ordinary Japanese citizens in the waning days of a total war where targeted bombing of civilians had become commonplace. The quote from General Le May reflecting on the use of the Atomic bombs hammers this home - “we scorched and boiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo on that night of March 9-10 then went up in vapour at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined”.
March 22, 2021
A book that as well worth the read. This is a chronological account just before, during, and after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is based off of a lot of facts, and is not a bias work. The author clearly did his research. I really appreciate that the author did not write from an American, Japanese, Russian, or any other standpoint. The facts are presented as facts, and the experiences of the people that lived through, or died through Nagasaki are presented. Prior to this book, I only had a vague understanding of what happened and why it happened, and this book has cleared a lot up for me. This book has helped me learn about the events, through very descriptive firsthand experiences. Horrific things happened when the bombs were dropped, and this book leaves no details spared.
My only complaints, and the reason I gave it four stars, is because of three main things. First, there are so many characters that it is very hard to remember who is who and whose story is whose. The list of names in the beginning of the book is helpful, but there are just still so many that it’s tough to keep track without going back and rereading. It’s great that all stories are included, but sometimes I found it was hard to differentiate the characters. Second thing, some of the translation is a little bit awkward or rough. Some sentences are not quite written with the proper grammar and things like that. And lastly it had a pretty slow beginning, and was a little hard to get started.
But really this was a great read, and one I would recommend to others. I also am a teacher, and found a lot of these passages helpful to show my students.
My only complaints, and the reason I gave it four stars, is because of three main things. First, there are so many characters that it is very hard to remember who is who and whose story is whose. The list of names in the beginning of the book is helpful, but there are just still so many that it’s tough to keep track without going back and rereading. It’s great that all stories are included, but sometimes I found it was hard to differentiate the characters. Second thing, some of the translation is a little bit awkward or rough. Some sentences are not quite written with the proper grammar and things like that. And lastly it had a pretty slow beginning, and was a little hard to get started.
But really this was a great read, and one I would recommend to others. I also am a teacher, and found a lot of these passages helpful to show my students.
November 17, 2020
Overwhelmingly sad but it gives voice to the otherwise anonymous victims of global events. The people of Nagasaki were and are us, the little people who do not make the catastrophic decisions that lead to such death and destruction but are the ones that pay the price of folly.
The book is well-researched and as the Guardian review correctly surmised is skilfully written and as gripping as a thriller. We know the ending of the larger events before we have started the book so why is it so gripping? It’s the humanity such as the story of the Haruko and Tatsu sisters aged 12 and 13 who were tram conductors. We didn’t know them before reading we do want to know if the survived or end up as victims.
In war dreadful atrocities occur and this is not the book that reviews morality but it does provide sufficient thought for the reader to examine their own moral compass.
The arrogance and self-justification of the militarists, the careless politicians and a population succumbed to propaganda remains a lesson for us all today.
The book is well-researched and as the Guardian review correctly surmised is skilfully written and as gripping as a thriller. We know the ending of the larger events before we have started the book so why is it so gripping? It’s the humanity such as the story of the Haruko and Tatsu sisters aged 12 and 13 who were tram conductors. We didn’t know them before reading we do want to know if the survived or end up as victims.
In war dreadful atrocities occur and this is not the book that reviews morality but it does provide sufficient thought for the reader to examine their own moral compass.
The arrogance and self-justification of the militarists, the careless politicians and a population succumbed to propaganda remains a lesson for us all today.
August 31, 2019
नागासाकी या पुस्तकाचा मराठी अनुवाद वाचून पूर्ण.... एक अत्यंत वेदनादायी आणि सुन्न करणारा अनुभव.... हिरोशिमा आणि नागासाकी या दोन जपानी शहरांवर टाकल्या गेलेल्या अणूबाँब ने मानव जातीची अपरिमित हाणी केली असून Craig Collie यांनी या भयानक विध्वंसाची कथा अनेक पातळ्यांवर लिहून अत्यंत महत्त्वाचे कार्य केले आहे जेणेकरून संपूर्ण जगाला या संहारक अस्त्रामुळे प्रत्यक्ष किती भयानक संहार घडू शकतो याचा प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव येतो. कथा अनेक पातळ्यांवर लिहिली असल्याने वाचताना थोडा विस्कळित पणा वाटतो परंतु एकूण अनुभव अक्षरशः मती गुंग करणारा असा आहे.
नागासाकी वरचा हल्ला म्हणजे जापान ने प्रगती च्या दिशेने टाकलेले पहिले पाऊल ठरले. अशा भयानक विध्वंसातून उभारी घेऊन जापान नुसता उभाच नाही राहिला तर आज जापान जगातील दुसरा सर्वात प्रगत देश असून जगातील तिसरी आर्थिक महासत्ता आहे हि केवळ जादू नसून प्रत्येक जापानी माणसा मध्ये असलेले जाज्वल्य राष्ट्रप्रेम आणि राष्ट्राप्रती प्रचंड अभिमान आहे या बद्दल मला खरोखर प्रत्येक जापानी माणसाचे कौतुक वाटते. या मधून आम्हा भारतीयांना खूप काही शिकण्यासारखे आहे असे मला वाटते.
नागासाकी वरचा हल्ला म्हणजे जापान ने प्रगती च्या दिशेने टाकलेले पहिले पाऊल ठरले. अशा भयानक विध्वंसातून उभारी घेऊन जापान नुसता उभाच नाही राहिला तर आज जापान जगातील दुसरा सर्वात प्रगत देश असून जगातील तिसरी आर्थिक महासत्ता आहे हि केवळ जादू नसून प्रत्येक जापानी माणसा मध्ये असलेले जाज्वल्य राष्ट्रप्रेम आणि राष्ट्राप्रती प्रचंड अभिमान आहे या बद्दल मला खरोखर प्रत्येक जापानी माणसाचे कौतुक वाटते. या मधून आम्हा भारतीयांना खूप काही शिकण्यासारखे आहे असे मला वाटते.
June 26, 2019
A very graphic account of people living their day to day lives when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Their personal accounts of their bewilderment, devastation, confusion, injury, illness and death in the aftermath, is heart breaking. A must read, particularly for anyone who has visited these places in Japan.
June 13, 2021
Well researched and sensitively related story around a tragic event. Harrowing details of a horror which could have been avoided. A must read for anyone trying to find answers to the question: “Why? And why twice?”.
October 14, 2019
If only this was a work of fiction.
August 27, 2013
This history book didn't read like a history book. Using real life documented timelines (from letters, diaries, and interviews), the author wrote this like a work of fiction. Extensive real life series of events power this book showing all sides of the events that led up to Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and slightly after them. The book gives Americans a unique look into the lives of the Japanese before the bombings and the horrific effect of the radiation poisoning. This is a must read for anyone who wants to know the entire true history of these powerful events.
September 14, 2013
I knew OF Nagasaki but not the details. An amazing book full of heartrending stories of survival. Also provides an excellent unbiased account of the situation just prior to the Japanese surrender. Although the book does not takes sides, it shows why the use of the atomic bomb (aka WMD) was totally unnecessary and a crime against humanity! American history books would have you believe the use of the atomic bomb saved American lives. This book will perhaps change that opinion.
August 25, 2013
A very hard book to read. I felt complete sadness. I just find is so unbelievable that someone can just drop such a destructive bomb upon a city full of people no matter the reasons. This book just confirmed what I have believed for a long time. It shouldn't have happened.
November 2, 2013
A very engaging and compelling read. Such unnecessary devastation, death and destruction. Anyone involved in the dropping of the bombs were monsters of the greatest kind. The so-called allies should have tried harder to have ended the war earlier and via different means.
March 10, 2014
This book covered all aspects of the bombing- the American, Japanese, and even the Russian sides- giving a unique perspective. Most poignant were the stories from the citizens themselves. B/w photo insert was included.
April 11, 2013
Using 1st person accounts and archives, a look at this event as it unfolded and its effect on some of the lives it touched.
July 4, 2013
I found this a very interesting look into the lives of the people who were touched by the bomb on both sides of the war.
November 30, 2014
Written really strangely. The language is sort of awkward.
March 23, 2014
is good to see both side fact.
December 14, 2015
A little hard to get into, but about half way it becomes better and easier to read.
August 20, 2012
A very interesting read....
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews