Japan 1945: A  U.S. Marine's Photographs From Ground Zero
O'Donnell, a 23-year-old Marine Corps photographer, was sent to Japan in September 1945 to document the impact of the war, especially the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He took thousands of official photographs that disappeared into military archives, and shot several hundred with his own camera, but he was so appalled by all that he had seen, he locked his photographs in a trunk for 45 years. O'Donnell worked as a White House photographer, suffered illness and disability from his exposure to radiation, and remained haunted by the devastation and suffering he witnessed. Finally, in the 1990s, he exhibited his photographs in Europe and Japan, and now, at long last, 74 of his powerful black-and-white photographs are being made available in the U.S. for the first time, during a time of war, increased nuclear threats, and heightened awareness of photography's role in warfare. Not only do O'Donnell's tragically beautiful photographs capture a hell on earth, they also embody his profound compassion and respect, making his haunting images precious not only as documentation but also as works of art.Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved