The Bells of Nagasaki (Japan's Modern Writers) (Paperback)

by Takashi Nagai (Author), William Johnston (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
On Thursday, August 9, 1945, at two minutes past eleven in the morning, Nagasaki was wiped out by a plutonium atomic bomb which exploded at a height of five hundred meters over the city. Among the wounded on that fateful day was the young doctor Takashi Nagai, professor of radiology at the University of Nagasaki. Nagai succeeded in gathering a tiny group of survivors--doctors, nurses, and students--and together they worked heroically for the wounded until they themselves collapsed from exhaustion and atomic sickness.

As he lay dying of leukemia, Dr. Nagai wrote The Bells of Nagasaki, vividly recounting what he had seen with his own eyes and heard from his associates. It is a deeply moving and human story. He tells how it dawned on him that this awful havoc was indeed the work of an atomic bomb, how he speculated about the American scientists who had put it together, how he picked up a leaflet dropped by American planes warning the Japanese to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, how he and his companions shed tears over the defeat of their country.

But Nagai was above all a doctor, dedicated to the sick and to science. He relates how his little group confronted hitherto unknown diseases and applied ingenious remedies. He was also a deeply committed Christian and this book chronicles the inner struggle of one who witnessed appalling suffering and yet believed in the providence of a loving God. He ends his story with a poignant cry for world peace penetrated with an optimism symbolized by the chiming of the cathedral bells.

Nagai finished writing The Bells of Nagasaki in 1946, but the Occupation regime of Douglas MacArthur refused permission for its publication. An appeal was made to Washington and the book finally appeared in Japanese in 1949. It is still widely read in Japan and contains a powerful message for all men and women.

Language Notes
Text: English, Japanese (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) (August 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770018452
• ISBN-13: 978-4770018458
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian view of Nagasaki bomb by victim, October 1, 1997

By	[e-mail] (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

The author's friends, colleagues and wife were killed instantly by the atomic bomb and he died of injuries after a few years leaving his children orphans. He was a Christian, a part of the Nagasaki Christian community which had experienced persecution from the time the Portuguese brought Christianity to the city. His view of God's provision as it relates to the horror of the bomb is very profound. I wish the book had provided supplementary information regarding the author's life and the Christian community in Nagasaki.

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TOUCHING AND HEART FELT STORY, March 18, 1999

By A Customer

a Japanese friend of mine was born in nagasaki and her birth was just after the war her mother has suffered alot from the after affects of this terrible tragidy of nuclear bombing and my friend gave me this story to read. I was moved to tearsseveral times from the accounts in the book.

3 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bells of Nagasaki, September 30, 2001

By	"amnart" (Bangkok Thailand) - See all my reviews

We all know the tragedy from World War II when Atomic bomb was exploded over Hirochima nd Nagasaki. It leaded to a indescribable loss. People loss their lives and suffer from many illness.
This is the very book that is written by the one who was really in the event.. Mr. Takashi Nagai is one of the doctors who try to save the survivors and cure the patiences. It is a very tough loss for all Japanease people. So this is a book that is so toughing and very insightful.
Why this book get only 3 stars !!!
My reason to rate this book only 3 because the writhing style. This book is too emotional. It is really too much. The fact of the event isn't combined with the feeling in a very proper ratios and it leads to be a too depressive book.
But rather than this, I still recommend this book to anyone. If U leave the too-emotional part out. U will get the very true story about a group of people who fight the unfightable, who try to do their best to help other injured. On top of that, this is the story that will remind us that "No Moer War" please.