The Hiroshima Men

Iain MacGregor presents a deeply human account of the decade-long quest to build the atomic bomb and the fateful decision to use it.

About the event

At 8.15am on 6 August 1945, the Japanese port city of Hiroshima was struck by the world’s first atomic bomb. Built in the US by the top-secret Manhattan Project and delivered by a revolutionary long-range bomber, the weapon destroyed large areas of the city, instantly killing tens of thousands. The world was never the same.

Iain MacGregor charts the race for nuclear technology before and during the Second World War, examining the role of key American individuals like General Leslie Groves, Robert Oppenheimer and US Army Air Force pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr.

MacGregor also reflects on the civilian experience, telling the stories of Senkichi Awaya, the mayor of Hiroshima, who would die alongside 80,000 fellow citizens, and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer John Hersey, who travelled to Japan to expose the devastation the bomb had inflicted on the city.

Additional information

This event is eligible for our 20% ticket bundle discount.

Book tickets to three or more different events across the festival and you can save 20%. Tickets must be purchased in the same transaction and the discount will automatically be applied within the basket.

About the speaker

Iain MacGregor is the author of the acclaimed history of Cold War Berlin ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ and the award-winning ‘The Lighthouse of Stalingrad’. His writing has appeared in ‘The Washington Post’, ‘The Spectator’, ‘BBC History Magazine’, and the ‘Guardian’ as well as featuring on multiple podcasts including ‘The Rest Is History’.