He introduces each and then follows their individual actions, keeping the reader updated in each part as it goes on. He does not draw moral conclusions; he simply relates the information in a serious fashion. Written in a dry, calm manner that might strike some readers as emotionless but permits the survivors' stories to speak for themselves, it is intentional. Hersey avoided making himself a part of the account so the readers' experience is as direct as possible until the end when he adds a bit of style with the addition of atomic events taking place in the world. .
Hiroshima should ideally appeal to all readers of our modern war society. However, some might become squeamish at the graphic details, and others might not want to be reminded of the actual horrors that war inflicts not only on armed forces but also on countless citizens. Those who would enjoy it most are those who like history and the recording of those events as they actually occurred. Because of its shortness many readers would not be intimidated by it as they might other historical non-fiction. I don't know if anyone would "enjoy" reading about the devastation and suffering that this story details. However, the story is remarkable in both content and style. Overall it takes a hard look at another side of an issue that as Americans we have not probably given due consideration. Hersey transmits the ideas that war involves much more than battle plans and armies. In this case it involved an entire city destroyed. .
Tiananmen Square, written by John Simpson, has a similar effect on its readers as Hiroshima. It had the same characteristics of nonfiction journalism. The readers are told the story of the massacre of Tiananmen Square. The graphic detail used is gruesome from the fear and excitement until when the killing begins. The main difference between the two is that the reporter John Simpson was at the actual scene of the event, unlike in Hiroshima where Hersey told the story through the interviews of six different people.
