 First edition cover | |
| Author | Charles R. Pellegrino |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back. |
| Illustrator | Patricia Wynne |
| Cover artist | Kelly S. Too |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Company |
Publication date | January 19, 2010 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8050-8796-3 |
| 940.5425 | |
The Last Train From Hiroshima: The Survivors Look Back and its revised second edition To Hell and Back: The Last Train From Hiroshima is a book by American author Charles R. Pellegrino and published on January 19, 2010 by Henry Holt and Company that documents life in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the time immediately preceding, during and following the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Japan. The story focuses on individuals such as Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a hibakusha (explosion-affected person) who was the only person confirmed by the government of Japan to have survived the pika-don (flash-bang) of both attacks. The story of the impacts in Japan on the residents of the two targeted cities and of the response of the Japanese government to the attack is interwoven with details of the Americans who carried out the missions and their reactions to the damage they had wrought.
Pellegrino faced criticism from members of the 509th Composite Group, the unit created by the United States Army Air Forces tasked with operational deployment of the two nuclear weapons, for including extensive details provided by Joseph Fuoco, who falsely claimed to have been aboard the mission to Hiroshima as flight engineer as a last-minute substitute.[1] Questions were also raised about the existence of two characters described as survivors.[2] After further investigation, and amid questions of Pellegrino's academic qualifications, Henry Holt announced that it was suspending further publication of the book.[3]
The book was re-released in 2015 under the title To Hell and Back: The Last Train From Hiroshima.
- ^ Levingston, Steven (22 February 2010). "Author admits he was duped by a source while researching book on the Hiroshima bombing". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ Conan, Neal (9 March 2010). "Publisher Pulls 'Last Train From Hiroshima'". NPR.org. NPR News. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
- ^ Memmot, Mark (1 March 2010). "'Last Train From Hiroshima' Pulled By Publisher; Questions About Reporting". NPR. NPR News. Retrieved 29 October 2010.