Hiroshima

Early last year I read David Hollinger's book Protestants Abroad, which chronicles how those shaped in missionary circles in the early twentieth century went on to influence American culture and politics in some remarkable (if unexpected) ways. It was in that book that I learned about John Hersey, who was born in Tientsin, China in 1914, and spent his early years there as the son of YMCA missionaries. He went on to become one of the pioneers of New Journalism.

Hersey is best known for a 30,000-word piece he wrote for the New Yorker in which he interviewed a few of those who survived the bombing of Hiroshima 75 years ago this Thursday. I've had a copy of Hiroshima on my shelf for a while, and I plan to commemorate this solemn anniversary by finally sitting down to read it. If you're interested and can abide much scrolling, the piece is also available in full at NewYorker.com.