Japan 1945: A U.S. Marine's Photographs from Ground Zero Paperback – April 15, 2008

The book was in great condition. It clearly came from a library in Kentucky, but once I took off the plastic, the book looked nice. The book itself is great, the pictures bring tears to my eyes. Recommend.

Could it be that we see a photo of an 8 or 9 year old boy bringing the body of his dead baby brother to a site in Nagasaki for cremation? Could it be that this photo was taken by a 23 year old American Marine? Would it be possible that the Marine was mistaken, perhaps he misunderstood? Perhaps the baby is only sleeping. Alas, the older brother's face belies the truth as the baby's body hangs lifeless. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell was obviously moved by many of the photos he took during his time in Japan, just after the war ended.But it's not just bombed out cities that he shares with us. There are happier times when American GI's were talking to children, geisha and hotel maids and other slices of Japanese life that would interest most any foreigner (or perhaps today's Japanese even). We can only wonder how many other photos he has that are have not been published.I think Japanese history is at its most interesting when it interacts (or collides) with other countries. O'Donnell shares with us images of a Japan that no longer is. Perhaps Japan never has publicly atoned for its war time actions sufficiently; but this book shows clearly that it certainly was punished sufficiently.

Shortly after the US "army of invasion" turned into an "army of occupation," O'Donnell was in Japan taking photos. Some will seem familiar and some will seem odd, indeed (US soldiers and Japanese together, smiling). The most moving photo is of the little boy with his dead sibling strapped on his back . . . at the edge of a an area reserved for cremations . . . a little boy doing his brotherly and cultural duty, perhaps an orphan now, but in any event a little boy whose world has been destroyed around him, dealing as best he could with what confronted him (the most immediate was: how to respectfully handle the remains of his dead sibling, who was perhaps a year or so old).Words are wonderful, but sometimes photos just "hit the mark" so much better, as here.

This book portrays the feelings well - not just of those suffering from war or the atomic bombing but of the Marine photographer's as well. The opening pages describe well what this young US Marine has endured in his psyche and soul since 1945. Of the many unpublished photographs until now, the one that is most poignant shows a line of US Marine boots neatly lined up in front of Japanese clogs at the entrance to a church in Sasebo...bitter enemies until just weeks earlier but are now brought together in peace.

I saw this book in a museum in Nashville where there was a small exhibition of some the photos from the book. When I saw the pictures were available in this book I bought a copy for myself and my father. Some of the pix are a bit graphic but that was to be expected.

The book contains pictures which we commonly do not see over the internet. Nice!

This book may not be for everybody as the pictures show a reminder of the destruction that was caused but if anything it reminds you and demonstrates how strong the Japanese character is and how resilent they are especially today after March 2011.

INsightful

「焼き場の少年」を表紙にした小学館の翻訳版も持っていますが（こちらもよくできています）、オリジナル版もほしくなり、購入しました。オドーネルさんの温かな人柄を感じられる一冊でした。中高の英語の教材にしてみては…と思いました。戦争とは何かを英語で学べますし、当時の日本人の様子も興味深いです。当時の日本の様子を見ると、よくここまで復興したな…と思います。戦後日本を支えた方々に感謝したくなる一冊です。

敗戦後の日本の庶民の姿を一海兵隊員の目を通して記録されています。特に被爆直後の子供達のけなげな姿に戦争の無残さを思い知ります。よくもこんなGNPの差の圧倒的なアメリカに宣戦した日本軍部の国際感覚の無さに驚きますが、現在の政策に続いていると感じます。　戦後６０年後によく発表してくれたと感謝いたします。

２００５年９月２４･２５日に、原爆が投下された直後の長崎を撮影したアメリカのカメラマン、ジョー・オダネルさんの写真展を、名古屋の南山高校・中学男子部の生徒が文化祭のイベントとして企画しました。見るのも全ての足を釘付けにしてしまう程の強烈なインパクトと同時に、戦争や原爆が人間によって生み出されたことの悲惨さばかりではなく、人としてこの人類社会のあり方や未来のあり方を訴えかけている、そんなメッセージが詰まった写真の数々でした。当日この書を見かけましたので、是非にと思い注文しました。是非、家族と一緒にじっくりと過去の歴史、戦争、核、人、人間、人類、家族、社会、未来について考えてみたいと思います。

Algunas imagenes te sorprenderan y muchas son totalmente desconocidas. Incomprensible que no sean imprescindibles para relatar la locura de las guerras. Recomendado 100%

ein wichtiges Buch, das in realistischen Fotos uns daran erinnert, dass eine solche Zerstörung und ein solches Leid durch Atombomben nie mehr passieren darf.