|
|
|
Death in life: Survivors of Hiroshima (A Touchstone book)
by Robert Jay Lifton
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Simon and Schuster (1967)
ISBN: B0007EL10W
Unknown Binding: 594 pages
SKU: 40390
Condition: Collectable Very Goo
Comments: THE SOFTBACK BOOK! Touchtone, 1967. THE UNABRIDGED 1ST EDITION. SOFTCOVER BOOK AND PAGES ARE FINE. Rapid shipping w/FREE tracking. GREAT PACKAGING . Air Mail. YW.
|
Editorial Reviews
|
Product Description
In Japan, 'hibakusha means 'the people affected by the explosion'----specifically, the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945. In this classic study, Robert Jay Lifton studies the psychological effects of the bomb on 90,000 survivors. Lifton sees this analysis as providing a last chance to understand----and be motivated to avoid----nuclear war.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Hiroshima: A Warning for Today!
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-06-15
4 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
On August 6th, 1945 Hiroshima, Japan became the first city to be destroyed by an atomic weapon. Three days later, Nagasaki suffered a second atomic attack. On August 14th, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced he was planning to surrender. A Japanese delegation signed the instrument of surrender on the deck of the battleship Missouri September 2nd, 1945. These facts are known to almost every school child. What is not known is what happened to the survivors. Author Robert Jay Lifton attempts to explain both the physical and psychological effects in this work.
He begins with a description of the physical effects. Survivors, called "hibakusha" meaning, "explosion affected person(s) vividly describe the blast, heat, and radiation effects on themselves and others. However psychologist, Lifton, devotes the majority of this work to the psychological effects that received little attention. Hibakusha, developed several theories to cope with their experience:
1. Why us? We were a small city of limited military importance.
2. We were guinea pigs. The Americans wanted to test their new bomb. We were their lab rats.
3. Racial bias. They only use weapons like that on the colored races.
4. The people responsible will suffer divine retribution for their actions.
5. We, the survivors, have a mission to explain the horrors of nuclear war to the entire world!
Once militaristic Japan turned totally pacifistic after the war. However, Japan has never come to terms with its own misdeeds in World War II, which explains the reactions of the survivors. The author also fails to acknowledge Japan has been able to divest itself of military expenditures only due to America's nuclear umbrella.
While reading I was struck by the similarity between hibakusha and Vietnam veterans. Both were traumatized by their experience. Both were ostracized by their countrymen after the war. Hibakusha were deemed incapable or unwilling to work due to "A-Bomb Disease." Viet vets were similarly shunned as being "walking time bombs" that might "flash back" at any moment. Pity them both, but hide the women and kids when they are around was/is the theory, thus adding to their difficulties.
This work is the first to explore the psychological and sociological aspects of the attack. In a world that is seemingly losing its horror of "weapons of mass destruction" since World War I, it is important to review as terrorists now strive openly to acquire chemical and nuclear weapons. My last criticism is, toward the end, Lifton, is seemingly writing to fellow psychologists, instead of laymen such as myself. Still, it is an important and very informative work. Highly recommended!
Harold Y. Grooms
|
|
|
|
|