Reading Japan—Kyushu Edition: The Bells of Nagasaki by Takashi Nagai
The Bells of Nagasaki by Takashi Nagai -Translated by William Johnson -Forward by Richard Lloyd Parry My Quick Take: As a firsthand account of the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki, this book feels like essential reading, though it is not without controversy for its author’s opinions. Visit my home post for my Reading Japan—Kyushu Edition reading project! Other posts in this series: The Sea and Poison by Shūsaku Endō (Aug. 3/26) Silence by Shūsaku Endō (Oct. 19/26) *** “Everyone wants to know about the atomic bomb. I was there, and wanted to tell you what I saw, what I heard, and what I examined and felt about it. So, I wrote this book.” -Takashi Nagai, The Bells of Nagasaki After having read several books set in or about Kyushu, Japan, I knew what was missing: an account of the history of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. I’ve visited Hiroshima twice and been moved by the city’s tribute to peace, and to the unflinching embrace of the tragedy of the...
