A Remarkable Man

A poignant, eye-opening portrait of a witness to the atomic bomb who dedicated his life to treating and advocating for radiation survivors.A poignant, eye-opening portrait of a witness to the atomic bomb who dedicated his life to treating and advocating for radiation survivors.As a young doctor, Shuntaro Hida (1917-2017) played an essential role in the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing, which he witnessed firsthand only six kilometers from ground zero. Tending to the overwhelming number of victims, he would spend more than sixty years developing an unparalleled understanding of the harmful effects of radiation and warning against the reckless use of nuclear power.Through intimate, thoughtful interviews and compelling reportage, Marc Petitjean has created a worthy tribute to this determined, inspiring man who stood up to complicit governments and businesses. It testifies to the power of individuals to effect change as well as the importance of collective action, as demonstrated by organizations such as Nihon Hidankyo, a survivors' group that would receive the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

“A warm tribute…Hida offers a rare account of the horrors that he witnessed…Invaluable.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Dr. Shuntaro Hida, who witnessed the atomic attack on Hiroshima eight decades ago, spent the rest of his life helping survivors and warning of the dangers of nuclear weapons. Now, writer and filmmaker Marc Petitjean has spotlighted Dr. Hida’s powerful crusade in his excellent narrative A Remarkable Man. From the ashes of Hiroshima to the tragedy of Fukushima, Dr. Hida’s powerful and haunting story is as relevant today as it was on that fateful August morning in 1945. This is a book not to be missed.” —James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow, Rampage, and Target Tokyo

“Shuntaro Hida saw the destructive and long-lasting consequences of nuclear weapons firsthand, and dedicated his life to understanding and revealing them for decades after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan. Now, eighty years after the radioactive end of World War II, A Remarkable Man looks back on Hida’s life of research and advocacy. With an intimate narrative style, including Hida’s own words and Marc Petitjean’s vivid reporting and observations, A Remarkable Man illuminates not just the damage of our nuclear past but what it means for our future.” —Sarah Scoles, author of Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons

Praise for The Heart:

“Compelling…[Petitjean] captures the pop and fizz of artistic circles in Paris during the interwar years…The Heart is a distinctively intimate undertaking, which is no small feat considering its well-known cast of characters…an unconventional and deeply personal biography.” —Washington Post

“An intimate portrait of the artist and her time in the lively 1930s surrealist scene.” —New York Times Book Review

Marc Petitjean is a writer, filmmaker, and photographer. He has directed several documentaries, including From Hiroshima to Fukushima, on Dr. Shuntaro Hida; Living Treasure, about Japanese kimono painter Kunihiko Moriguchi; and Zones grises, on his own search for information about the life of his father, Michel Petitjean, after his death. He is the author of Back to Japan (Other Press, 2021) and The Heart- Frida Kahlo in Paris (Other Press, 2020).Adriana Hunter studied French and Drama at the University of London. She has translated more than ninety books, including Marc Petitjean's The Heart- Frida Kahlo in Paris and Herve Le Tellier's The Anomaly and Electrico W, winner of the French-American Foundation's 2013 Translation Prize in Fiction. She lives in Kent, England.

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