“It is with deep regret that Henry Holt and Company announces that we will not print, correct or ship copies of Charles Pellegrino’s `The Last Train From Hiroshima,’” the publisher said in a statement. The publisher “will issue full credit to wholesalers and retailers who wish to return the book.”
Not quite the marketing campaign he was hoping for. Let's back up for a moment. Charles Pellegrino wrote his book, which was optioned by James Cameron, and he also served as a consultant on Avatar. Cameron even wrote introductions for Pellegrino’s 2000 book Ghosts Of The Titanic, and 2007’s The Jesus Family Tomb. And now he's just another liar trying to make a buck.
Holt said that Pellegrino “was not able to answer” several concerns, including whether two men mentioned in the text actually existed. Doubts were first raised about the book a week ago after Pellegrino acknowledged that one of his interview subjects had falsely claimed to be on one of the planes accompanying the Enola Gay. Holt had initially promised to send a corrected edition. But further doubts about the book emerged. The publisher was unable to determine the existence of a Father Mattias (the first name is not given), who supposedly lived in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, and John MacQuitty, identified as a Jesuit scholar presiding over Mattias’ funeral.
“I read a number of books on this period of time and none of them mentioned Mattias or MacQuitty. I knew there was no way those people could have been omitted if they were real,” said history professor Barton Bernstein, of Stanford University. And with a serious name like that, he's got to know a bunch and be right.
But the bullshit was not contained to the print world. Pellegrino’s website lists him as having a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The school said it has no such record. Pellegrino said that his degree was revoked over a dispute on evolutionary theory. Pellegrino’s site also says he was a “founding member” of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, an organization started soon after the 1986 shuttle tragedy. Center spokesman Rob Cork said that Pellegrino has never served on the board of directors and that there is no record of his giving money.
“All I know is that Charlie would not fabricate, so there must be a reason for the misunderstanding,” Cameron said, trying not to look like a sap. Cameron said he does not have a shooting script for the Hiroshima film project and “no decision has been made to proceed in the short term.” He added that his decision about the project would not be influenced “by the issue of a single flawed source.”
Holt said that Pellegrino “was not able to answer” several concerns, including whether two men mentioned in the text actually existed. Doubts were first raised about the book a week ago after Pellegrino acknowledged that one of his interview subjects had falsely claimed to be on one of the planes accompanying the Enola Gay. Holt had initially promised to send a corrected edition. But further doubts about the book emerged. The publisher was unable to determine the existence of a Father Mattias (the first name is not given), who supposedly lived in Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, and John MacQuitty, identified as a Jesuit scholar presiding over Mattias’ funeral.
“I read a number of books on this period of time and none of them mentioned Mattias or MacQuitty. I knew there was no way those people could have been omitted if they were real,” said history professor Barton Bernstein, of Stanford University. And with a serious name like that, he's got to know a bunch and be right.
But the bullshit was not contained to the print world. Pellegrino’s website lists him as having a Ph.D. from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The school said it has no such record. Pellegrino said that his degree was revoked over a dispute on evolutionary theory. Pellegrino’s site also says he was a “founding member” of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, an organization started soon after the 1986 shuttle tragedy. Center spokesman Rob Cork said that Pellegrino has never served on the board of directors and that there is no record of his giving money.
“All I know is that Charlie would not fabricate, so there must be a reason for the misunderstanding,” Cameron said, trying not to look like a sap. Cameron said he does not have a shooting script for the Hiroshima film project and “no decision has been made to proceed in the short term.” He added that his decision about the project would not be influenced “by the issue of a single flawed source.”
And then the story will slowly fade into obscurity and no mention of it by Cameron will ever happen. The guy made two films in the last 12 years...he's not making too many quick decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment