I read John Hersheys book 'Hiroshima' when I was a small child in the 1960's, I was fascinated and horrified by it at the same time, especially by the vivid descriptions of various peoples experiences who survived the two bombs. I was particularly awed by the story of one man who was on the outskirts of Hiroshima when the first bomb went of, and decided to go to his mother's in Nagasaki, and was 5 miles from Nagasaki on the train when the second bomb was dropped, becoming possibly the only Japanese person on the ground to see both bombs and survive.
Then, a year or two later, I stumbled on a medical book which, when I tried to relocate it 20 years later, had vanished from the face of the earth. At the time I was doing research at a large University, and had vast library resources available to me, including access to the British Museum Library, but despite asking libraries all over the world, I never located a single copy.
The book I was searching for, which so impressed itself on me at the age of about 10, was an American publication dated 1954, entitled 'The Medical Effects of the Atomic Bomb in Japan'. It was full of studies, statistics, data, descriptions such as symptoms of radiation sickness, and and horrific photos of keloid tumours and burn effects, including one that I can still visualise even today, more than half a century later, a young Japanese girl caught by the intense flash of light, which had burned the pattern of her kimono into her skin.
To this day I am convinced that because of the CND campaigns of the 60's and 70's, every single copy of that book was hunted down and destroyed, because the contents were too contentious to leave in circulation.
*EDIT**
I would like someone to explain why, after I posted this, several people set about trying there hardest to prove me wrong. What I posted is my opinion, based on my experiences. Since none of the people who have set about trying to prove me wrong never actually read the original book at the time, and never then tried to find it again 20 years, then what the fuck do they think they know about it? . Im writing based on my experience. The book was unlisted or deleted in dozens of major libraries across
the world in the early 1980's. I havent searched for it since. Its now 30 years later, and theres no cold war, so its possible we MIGHT find a copy, nowadays. The fact that collectively you people
have only managed to unearth TWO copies for sale, one at $150 and one
at $200 reflects the fact its practically vanished. I didnt post this experience to provoke a fucking debate, this is how it was for me, end of conversation. Jesus Christ, do you guys get off on trying to demolish people? If this is the fucking reaction I get just posting a memory then its clearly best not to bother. Thats probably why this is an obscure unheard of website that doesnt even rank on any of the major search engines, the web equivalent of a holiday in Scunthorpe.
Ill not bother again..........