Lesley M. M. Blume

I found this book absolutely fascinating. I had read Hiroshima as a young adult, and it made an indelible impression. I remained ignorant of the coverup, however, until I read Hiroshima Diary by Dr. Michihiko Hachiya. He talks about the US government censorship in terms of the limitations placed on doctors and the possibility that more lives could have been saved, had doctors been able to openly share information. It took Blume's book for me to understand the extent of the coverup, the methods and motivations of key actors, and how Hersey researched and wrote the New Yorker article that blew the story open. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in WWII, Japan, or journalism. I would encourage readers to pick up Hiroshima first, although it's not necessary in order to read Fallout, I do think it's important reading for everyone living in the nuclear age.… (mer)