John Richard Hersey is a highly acclaimed historical and literary fiction author, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Hiroshima." Born on June 17, 1914, in Tientsin, China, Hersey was the son of American missionaries Grace and Roscoe M. Hersey.
Hersey's work is known for its fusion of storytelling techniques of the novel with nonfiction reportage, a style that has been referred to as "new journalism." This approach is exemplified in his account of the aftermath of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, which was adjudged by a 36-member panel under the aegis of the journalism department of New York University as the finest piece of journalism of the 20th century.
Hersey's writing career began in the 1930s when he worked as a reporter for Time magazine. He later went on to write for other prestigious publications such as The New Yorker and Life magazine. In addition to "Hiroshima," Hersey wrote several other notable works, including "A Bell for Adano," "The Wall," and "The Algiers Motel Incident." These works have earned him a reputation as one of the most respected and influential authors of his time.