#268 | ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ Brings History to Life Via First-Hand Accounts of the Atomic Bomb—A Call for Empathy and Understanding for All Men (and Women)
Quick SUMMARY:
Douglas Vigliotti discusses “Ghosts of Hiroshima” by Charles Pellegrino, a nonfiction book blending science, history, and personal stories about the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Vigliotti highlights the book’s vivid eyewitness accounts from multiple angles of history, its exploration of the human impact of nuclear war, and why he recommends reading this book. He also shares some about the author and concludes the episode, encouraging listeners to connect with him and subscribe to help spread the impact of Books for Men.
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TOPICS COVERED IN the EPISODE:
Introduction and Newsletter (00:09) - Douglas introduces the podcast, its mission, and mentions the companion newsletter for listeners.
Book Introduction and Author Background (01:15) - Introduction to Ghosts of Hiroshima, background on Charles Pellegrino, and his connection to James Cameron.
Personal Connection and Book Context (02:25) - Douglas shares his visit to Hiroshima and explains the book’s relevance and importance.
Book Structure and Key Stories (03:45) - Overview of the book’s narrative style, historical context, and key personal stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Eyewitness Accounts and Symbolism (05:12) - Highlights survivor stories, the Sasaki children, and the symbolism of the paper crane.
Themes and Impact of Personal Stories (06:23) - Discussion of the book’s emotional impact, the power of firsthand accounts, and the necessity of empathy.
Reflections on Change and Quotes (07:32) - Douglas reflects on sudden change, shares a Joan Didion quote, and discusses the speed of devastation.
Notable Quotes from the Book (08:44) - Shares memorable quotes from Einstein, Peter Lax, and a survivor, emphasizing the unpredictability of history and the importance of love.
Closing Remarks and Recommendations (09:59) - Encourages reading the book, mentions the upcoming James Cameron film, and provides contact information.
Podcast and Book Promotion (11:00) - Promotes his own book, Aristotle for Novelists, and reminds listeners about the podcast newsletter.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome back to “Books for Men”, a podcast to inspire more men to read and bring together men who do. So this week I have a work of nonfiction to share with you. It is a little science. History has a narrative element to it. Kind of like a mashup, I guess, of all three of those genres. And it came out in 2025, and it's around 330 pages or so. It is titled “Ghosts of Hiroshima” by Charles Pellegrino. So I will share a lot more, of course, on the book and the author and what some of my big takeaways are, why I am sharing this book with you, why I think you should read this book, all of that stuff. But first, I did want to just quickly remind you about the companion newsletter that goes with this podcast, and that's just a once a month email that rounds up all of the episodes from that month, complete with episode summaries, all of the book and author information, my favorite quotes, as well as additional book recommendations, and some helpful links.
01:15 - So if that sounds interesting to you, maybe you'd like a little more information. Or perhaps you want to just sign up. Then all you have to do is head over to the website BooksforMen.org. Oh, all right. So now let's pivot back to the reason why you are here, “Ghosts of Hiroshima” by Charles Pellegrino. So the author has written about 20 books or so, most of which are non-fiction. But he did write some sci-fi novels in the 90s. Most of his non-fiction work is around archaeology and scientific discovery, but it blends storytelling. As I sort of alluded to at the top of this episode. In a way, this book specifically is sort of part of a series, or at least shares the same title phrasing as two of his other books from the aughts, “Ghosts of the Titanic” and “Ghosts of Vesuvius”. They both follow a similar structure, I believe. He's also notably been an advisor to James Cameron on both the “Titanic” and “Avatar”, and it appears that relationship is going to be continuing, as Cameron is supposedly set to do a film on the book that I am sharing with you today, “Ghosts of Hiroshima”.
02:25 - Admittedly, I'm not a huge science reader, neither in nonfiction nor fiction for that matter, but I do sprinkle it in from time to time, and if something grabs my attention, then I will read it, no matter what the genre is. This book did because I visited Hiroshima earlier this year, which was a pretty chilling experience, I would say. But this book helped provide additional context. And although I will say that Hiroshima does not have a shortage of information about that fateful day that happened 80 years ago, August 6th, 1945, to be specific, when the US Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” and changed the world forever. But I am starting to get a bit ahead of myself. I only raised that to just say if you are visiting the city, you don't need this book as additional context. But if you are not visiting the city or ever plan on visiting the city, then I think this is even better of a resource for you, because it does shed light on such an important moment in our history, and to me, it informs so many things about not just global politics or foreign affairs or anything like that, but who we are as humans and what we're capable of.
03:45 - All right, so I seem to be insistent on getting ahead of myself. So let me pivot now into the book, since it's on the tip of my tongue. It basically retells the horrific events surrounding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. But it does so through a kaleidoscope way, via the perspectives of many people directly, indirectly related, and or affected by the bombings, and it starts all the way back with the idea of the atomic bomb. So you'll see the physicists like Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard, who were inspired by an H.G. Wells sci-fi novel, which eventually triggered the Manhattan Project. You'll also hear about Mitsuo Fuchida, a Japanese pilot who led the aerial attack on Pearl Harbor, which, of course, eventually provoked the whole dropping of the atomic bomb or the inciting incident of that, I would say eventually leaning into what I would consider the core of the book, which is super tragic stories from people who were eyewitnesses of the atomic bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in some cases, like Tsutomu Yamaguchi and Kenshi Hirata.
05:12 - They survived both atomic bombings, so they were in Hiroshima. Fled, hoping to escape the horror. Only to be a witness to the second bombing. Miraculously, both survived, but their stories are harrowing, as you might expect. You'll also meet the two Sasaki children who were caught outdoors in Hiroshima by radioactive black rain. But they were the originators of the folded paper crane, signifying peace, something that has now become a sort of worldwide symbol and global phenomenon. You'll also enter the cockpit with pilots of both the Enola Gay and the Bockscar, which was the plane that carried the “Fat Man” and dropped it on Nagasaki. Several years back, I was fortunate to see that plane in person at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. It was pretty cool. As you might be able to tell, I'm pretty fascinated by this whole moment in history, but let me get too far off track. You are going to get a wide variety of, as I mentioned, perspectives and insight and angles Angle's on the historic event and maybe even more importantly, its aftermath.
06:23 - So there are popular books that have come out explaining the self-evident dangers of nuclear war. But to me, nothing cuts like personal stories and firsthand accounts. And that's what makes this book unique and also one worth reading. On one hand, it's a jarring cautionary tale, but on the other, it's a reminder of love and empathy and human connection. Or maybe more importantly, the necessity of it and the power of it. And for me, as I read this book, especially those first-hand accounts and eyewitness accounts from people who were there when the bombs were dropped, there was a Joan Didion quote that just kept ringing in my mind. I've actually shared it on this podcast before. I've shared her on the podcast before, and it was the quote. “Life changes in an instant. The ordinary instant.” Or an easier way to think of that is one day things are normal, and the next they're not. But in the descriptions that you will read, how fast things went from peace to craziness for these people who are on the ground there.
07:32 - Not that there weren't bombings going on throughout Japan at the time. I don't want to make it sound like everything was serene. And then all of a sudden, this happened because Japan was under heavy aerial attack across the country from the US. But when you're talking about something like an atomic bomb and the devastation and the speed at which things go from there to not their complete obliteration, the heat, the light, the speed, it's just remarkable in so many ways. And that Joan Didion quote is just sort of seated in my mind like an anchor, I guess. And then, of course, think about my own life and how quickly things could change. Maybe not in this way, or maybe so, but just in any way. Having said that, I think this book also features plenty of great quotes, so I will share a couple of them with you to close out the episode here. One is from Albert Einstein, or actually it's from Peter Lax, a mathematician on the Manhattan Project, and he says…
08:44 - “When he was asked what weapons will be used in World War III, Albert Einstein said, ‘Well, I don't know, but I could tell you what weapons will be used in World War IV … Stones.’” Eek! Tough one. And then another one. That sort of hit home for me as a reminder that anything is possible. It was this one. “Throw the dice of history long enough and any improbable event becomes possible, no matter how impossible it might seem.” And I will end this episode with a quote from one of the survivors, and I think it's just something great for us to remember as we go about our day. “All my life I have been sorry that the last she saw of me, putting on my shoulder bag, I was angry and slamming the door. That's why I want to say to everyone, when you walk out that door, please, please leave only with a hug or some word of love. I had no idea. But you do not want to be like me. I always, always feel remorse.”
09:59 - Okay, so that's all I've got. I hope you enjoyed this episode. Of course, I want to encourage you to go read the book, but do know that supposedly there is a James Cameron movie coming from this book, which I think will be fantastic, given the drama and the size and scope of this historic moment. But who knows when that will be? So go read the book. Anyway, thank you so much for listening. If you want to get in touch with me, there are two ways that you could do so: on Instagram @DouglasVigliotti. It's the only social media that I have or via my website DouglasVigliotti.com. Please remember that if you do enjoy this podcast, the best way that you can support it is by clicking subscribe on whatever podcast platform you are listening to this on, because it is the best way to help new listeners find the show and in return, inspire more men to read. As a quick reminder, I do have a new book out. It is titled “Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story”. And if you're interested in learning more about that, all you have to do is visit the website AristotleforNovelists.com. Last but not least, I wanted to thank you again for listening and remind you that if you want more information on this podcast specifically, which includes signing up for that newsletter I mentioned at the top of this episode, then all you have to do is visit the website BooksforMen.org.
