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.

At 31,000 feet above Japan, Tom Ferebee sits hunched over his bombsight. Below him lies the primary target of an operation called "Special Mission Number 13" by the few military personnel aware of its existence -- Hiroshima, a city of over 300,000. He waits until the aiming point is directly below the crosshairs and releases his cargo -- a five-ton bomb known as Little Boy by the scientists who built it. If all goes as theorized, the resulting destruction will lead to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. But right now, a very real question occupies the minds of everyone involved:

Will it work?

The historical record is clear: It did work. On a quiet Monday morning in August 1945, the bomb detonated as expected, resulting in the deaths of nearly 100,000 people.The Japanese Supreme Council surrendered nine days later, after a second bomb, to similarly devastating effect, had leveled Nagasaki. But if, in retrospect, the bombing of Hiroshima represents the climax of one of the signal events of the twentieth century -- indeed, in the history of mankind -- at the time it was but another episode in an unprecedented drama whose final act had begun three weeks earlier, at Los Alamos, a secret laboratory in the high plains of New Mexico.

Shockwave is the story of those terrible three weeks, as seen through the eyes of the pilots, victims, scientists, and world leaders at the center of the drama. Extraordinary interviews with American and Japanese witnesses tell the story of the bombing of Hiroshima with unparalleled immediacy and veracity -- including the story of the copilot, who writes a minute-by-minute diary on board the Enola Gay; the atomic scientist who arms the bomb in midair, equipped with a screwdriver; and the Japanese student desperately searching for his lover in the ruins of the city.

Combining a brilliant gift for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Walker constructs a shocking and unforgettably moving portrait of an event that changed the world forever.

“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