Hiroshima by John Hersey

"What has kept the world safe from the bomb since 1945 has not been deterrence, in the sense of fear of specific weapons, so much as it's been memory. The memory of what happened at Hiroshima." - John Hersey

Hiroshima by John Hersey is simply summarized as the story of the atomic bomb survivors. Hiroshima follows the story of six of the survivors and the impact of the bomb on their lives. Hersey uses a style of New Journalism - using fiction writing techniques to recount true stories. This allows for readers to really understand the horrific consequences of war and of the nuclear bomb; while the book is non-fiction it focuses on the stories of ordinary people instead of data and statistic.

There is not much to add to this review, it is simply a truly poignant account of ordinary people affected by the decisions of power hungry governments. The book is a fantastic way to gather information on the context and impacts of the bomb. Hiroshima is sad and it's tragic, but it's real life. I (hopefully) will never understand the full effect of the bomb, but this book was able to open my previously ignorant eyes. I had always thought of the atomic bomb as being a completely horrible and unnecessary weapon, but it wasn't until I connected with the characters Hiroshima and saw their struggles that I realized the meaning that horrible and tragic can really take. I knew the facts on what the bomb is capable of, of the number of casualties, their mutations, the amount of town and buildings ruined, but no teacher had been able to pass on the impact of the bomb as clearly and as moving.

JFK: The Smoking Gun by Colin McLaren

“The case is the perfect example of a riddle wrapped in an enigma and shrouded in mystery. And the solution is far more disturbing than any fanciful conspiracy could ever be. “– Colin McLaren

JFK: the Smoking Gun is Colin McLaren’s attempt to solve the mystery of President Kennedy’s assassination. McLaren describes himself as an “ex-detective sergeant/task force team leader”. He spent 4.5 years researching JFK’s death.  The book “proves, once and for all” that Oswald was not the only gunman. According to McLaren, Oswald fired the first shot but it was the shots fired by a novice Secret Service, George Hickey. Hickey was riding in the car behind the presidential limousine and was in charge of the AR-15 gun even though he was only trained as a driver. McLaren argues that the fatal shot was an accident and the Secret Service worked hard to hide evidence to protect its men.

The reason I first picked up JFK: The Smoking Gun was because of the cover. I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but the cover was so pretty and modern that I couldn’t help being attracted to the book! The only troubling thing was that the publisher and Christabella Designs decided to use a quote from Andrew Rule to promote the book. Andrew Rule is a bestselling author, not a historian, not a detective and not someone who seems to have analysed JFK’s assassination extensively. It seemed quite strange for me to use Rule’s words; I don’t think he is the best person to judge a historical book.

Overall, the book was quite easy to follow and comprehend and I quite enjoyed it. McLaren makes very strong arguments when discussing the bullets – the timing of the bullets, the difference in the behaviour of the three bullets and the metal fragments found in Kennedy’s brain. I also liked the use of photos to help illustrate the facts and to give a nice break halfway through the book.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

‘Compared to dreams, reality can be truly cruel. But it can also come up with beautiful surprises.’

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced is a real life story about Nujood Ali. She was a ten year old girl living in Yemen, a country in the Middle East. The quote above sums up what the whole book is about. Nujood had so many dreams; seeing the ocean, learning how to read and having a better life. However, her reality is completely different. When she was only 10, her father forced her into marrying a guy three times her age! Because of this, Nujood had to leave school and her family to live with him. She then suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse from her husband every single day. A few weeks after her marriage, she ran away and went to the court. Although child marriage is common in Yemen, she was one of the first to file for divorce. After a long time, she finally managed to get divorced and go back to school.