Their faces were wholly burned, their eye sockets were hollow, the fluid from their melted eyes had run down their cheeks.
John Hersey – Hiroshima
Burnt Faces
B
John Hersey was an American journalist and novelist known for his impactful reporting and literary achievements. Born in 1914 in China to missionary parents, Hersey later studied at Yale University and Cambridge University. His career as a war correspondent during World War II deeply influenced his writing, particularly his groundbreaking work “Hiroshima” (1946). This book, based on extensive interviews with survivors of the atomic bombing, provided a harrowing and humanistic account of the event’s aftermath. Hersey’s meticulous research and empathetic storytelling helped to bring attention to the devastating consequences of nuclear warfare and contributed to public awareness and debate on its ethical implications. Throughout his career, Hersey received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, and continued to write novels and essays that explored themes of moral courage, social justice, and the resilience of the human spirit. His legacy as a writer committed to truth-telling and humanitarian causes endures in his influential body of work.