this was a strong sequel in the Embers series and had that history element that I was looking for. It was able to tell the survivors story and cared about what happened to them. M. G. Sheftall wrote this well and left me wanting to read more from them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for an advance copy of this book of history, the second in a series that deals with the only uses of nuclear weapons used during wartime, the events that lead up to it, and of course what happened afterwards.

I have always loved history I think from an early age. I don't remember what the first books of history I read outside of school books. I don't remember much in the way of history classes until 6th grade. Pilgrims of course, and Columbus, but don't remember when we started really being instructed in past events. From the beginning I always wanted to know more. Everything we learned seemed to be events. This happened, flowed into this happened, and something else happened. I wanted to know more about the people who lived through the events. What happened to them. This interest might have come from my Grandfather, who told me long stories about people he met at work, stories that stretched over years and decades, dealing with marriage, children, life, death and more. Pop Pop was a chronicler, a man who remembered people who history might have forgotten. Facts are interesting, by the lives of others are where we can learn much. M. G. Sheftall knows this, and has given us a history about a human atrocity that doesn't forget the most important part, the human factor. Nagasaki: The Last Witnesses by historian and educator M. G. Sheftall is the second part of a historical series about the dropping of nuclear weapons on Japan during the Second World War, a behind the scenes history, an accounting and a tale of those who survived who were forever changed.

The book is the second and starts almost where the first book ended, with the bombing of Hiroshima committed, and the decision being made where the second bomb should be dropped. From there we go back a little to the planning made before the war made by American military planners in how to fight a war against Japan. As much of their buildings were made of wood, the planning was for a fire campaign The book covers the fire bombing of Tokyo, discussing the different zones the city was broken up in, and how these zone ideas were carries out onto most of the cities of Japan, including Nagasaki. The fire bombing and destruction of Tokyo has some unintended consequences for the survivors, with many being moved to what was the furthest city in Japan, and a place thought safe Nagasaki. As readers learn of the past, the book moves to the future with Sheftall working with survivor groups to find the last aging survivors so that Sheftall could record their stories.

The book as is most of history is a very rough read. Though one everyone should read. Sheftall is a very good writer, able to get into the smallest details about the science of the bomb, the geography and geology of the city, the minds of military planners. The capture the words of the survivors well on the page. Sheftall has really done an incredible job, writing history that is sad, absorbing, fascinating, and not at all detached. There are real characters here. A woman in her 80s retreating to a retirement community just to get some peace from her family, sharing her tales. The little bits of information, the disquieting details of what smells the pilots dealt with while firebombing a city, even at altitude. The power of the bomb, and the legacy it has on both the world and the Japanese people.

This is history that means something, not oh look a cool story about World War II, that come out all the time. This is a book about life, the world, events that can't be forgotten or memory holed. The things we say never again about, but happen all the time over and over Sheftall has done an incredible job over two books, and one should read both just to get a complete understanding. I really can't recommend this book enough.

This is an incredibly thorough review of the lead up to and aftermath of the American atomic bombing of Nagasaki. This book was clearly thoroughly researched and goes super in depth. A few typos and such knocked a star off for me.