Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima

The story of the bombing of Hiroshima presented in a new and dramatic way: a minute-by-minute account told from multiple perspectives, both in the air and on the ground

British feature and documentary director Stephen Walker tells the story of the bombing of Hiroshima in a way only a filmmaker can—not as a dry history of the sad, regrettable, mission, but as an immediate and perilous drama. Walker has extensively interviewed American soldiers, Los Alamos scientists, and Japanese survivors that were involved in the bombing, and thus is able to tell the story through truly alive-on-the-page characters. The result is a narrative that—without either trivializing the tragedy of the bombing or ignoring its importance in WWII’s end—tells the real story of why and how one of the most important events of the 20th century took place. Shockwave might not change anyone’s opinion about the justification of the Hiroshima bombing, but it will provide readers with an unprecedented viewpoint that is sure to educate and enthrall its audience.

A riveting, minute-by-minute account of the momentous event that changed our world forever

On a quiet Monday morning in August 1945, a five-ton bomb—dubbed Little Boy by its creators—was dropped from an American plane onto the Japanese city of Hiroshima. On that day, a firestorm of previously unimagined power was unleashed on a vibrant metropolis of 300,000 people, leaving one third of its population dead, its buildings and landmarks incinerated. It was the terrifying dawn of the Atomic Age, spawning decades of paranoia, mistrust, and a widespread and very real fear of the potential annihilation of the human race.

Author Stephen Walker brilliantly re-creates the three terrible weeks leading up to the wartime detonation of the atomic bomb—from the first successful test in the New Mexico desert to the cataclysm and its aftermath—presenting the story through the eyes of pilots, scientists, civilian victims, and world leaders who stood at the center of earth-shattering drama. It is a startling, moving, frightening, and remarkable portrait of an extraordinary event—a shockwave whose repercussions can be felt to this very day.

“Walker takes readers on a roller-coaster ride ... invite[s] comparison with John Hersey’s still-classic Hiroshima.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Highly recommended … [Walker] lends a rapid pace and cinematic air to the narrative.” - Library Journal

“A meticulous, emotionally devastating portrait of both sides … [Walker] creates an arresting feeling of suspense.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Like John Hersey’s HIROSHIMA, SHOCKWAVE brings to life one of history’s most profound events. Don’t miss it.” - Arizona Republic

“Those who revere John Hersey’s Hiroshima . . . may approach a new book on the subject with lowered expectations. But in Shockwave Stephen Walker has painted on a larger canvas.” - Washington Post Book World

“Once Stephen Walker’s vivid, white-knuckle-ride narrative of the countdown to the bombing of Hiroshima gets a reader in its grip, it doesn’t let go. . . . A remarkable storytelling achievement.” - Frederick Taylor, author of Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945

“Dramatic ... an important page-turner ... admirably evenhanded and smoothly written.” - Entertainment Weekly (Grade: A-)

“Uniquely readable, immediate, and human . . . an exceptionally taut and revealing chronicle.” - Booklist (starred review)

“Superb. . . . Walker writes with a sense of urgency and high drama . . . engrossing [and] saddening.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Shockwave is a stunning book, among the most immediate and thrilling works of history I have ever read.” - Irish Times

“Electrifying . . .The tension and concentration of Walker’s thriller-like prose elicits a visceral response.” - Chicago Tribune

“Gripping...takes us back to 1945, allowing readers to appreciate the spectacular scientific effort that created this tool of doom.” - Raleigh News & Observer