Product Description
The Unfinished War: Korea is a time-sensitive manuscript concerned with the Korea War and current North-South issues including the North Korea's nuclear weapons. The author: · lays out the history of American involvement in Korea before, during, and after the war; · provides cross-cultural perspectives and an account of the war unparalleled for its breadth and depth based on recently declassified documents, interviews, and other references; · discusses new developments, including South Korea's so-called "economic miracle," President Bush's inclusion of North Korea in the "axis of evil," and emerging prospects for war or peace today; and · includes concrete, personal realities and anecdotes based on the experiences of Koreans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From "The Journal of Asian Studies"/August 1989
Here are excerpts from Michael Robinson's review: "Vipan Chandra's work is the first detailed treatment of the rise and fall of an important political organization whose experience provides insights into the ideological and institutional barriers to reform and the limits of nationalism in the late Choson period....[It] also provides a lucid summary of the political history of the 1880-1900 period....This book will be necessary reading in any course on modern Korea and will take its place as a standard work on the rise and fall of the Independence Club." ... Read more

Product Description
Although a hangover from World War 2, the seemingly antiquated Douglas B-26 Invader 'bombing twin' proved to be one of the hardest-worked assets employed by United Nations' forces in Korea for the duration of the conflict. Capable of dropping bombs and napalm, firing off unguided rockets or simply strafing targets with its battery of up to 14 nose-mounted 0.5-in Browning M-3 machine guns, the B-26 was equally as effective either during the day or at night. Indeed, the vast percentage of Invader mission were flown during the hours of darkness, for it was the only USAF ground-attack aircraft capable of attacking truck convoys and trains with precision. Over 200 bomber and reconnaissance variants saw action in Korea, and many were adorned with some of the most colourful nose-art ever carried by American combat aircraft in any war - this volume features a gallery of this impressive artwork. Accompanying the photos are detailed captions, plus a concise text outlining the use of the Invader. Many first-hand accounts from pilots that saw action in the B-26 are also included, as is a full appendices listing of the various units that served in Korea. Finally, aircraft specifications and a double-page cutaway complete this volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Reference Book
Purchased this book for 14 pounds at the Duxford Imperial War Museum in Cambridge (2008) - a great book, but not worth the market prices being charged

B-26 Invaders Prowl the Skies of Korea!
Many of the Korean air war sorties flown were made by WWII vets flying similarly 'retreaded' aircraft like the P-51, B-29, T-6 and B-26. The Douglas B-26, which had seen WWII service as the A-26, proved to be a potent ground-attack platform for day or night missions. Armed with 10 or more .50-caliber machine guns and toting 4,000-6,000 pounds of bombs, rockets and naplam, the Invader proved to be the bane of Communist forces in Korea. The Invader's outstanding combat record is told in this Osprey 'Frontline Colour' volume by Warren Thompson.

B-26s flew the first and last bombing strikes of the Korean War. Between those two missions, three Invader units - the 3rd, 17th and 452nd Bomb Wings - killed hundreds of thousands of enemy troops and destroyed thousands of trucks, tanks, artillery pieces, trains, bridges and other materials. Over 150 B-26Bs, -Cs and photo recce models were lost in return.

As with his other 'Frontline colour' titles, author Thompson's B-26 book is an interesting blend of numerous first-person narratives from various aircrew and over 120 nicely reproduced color photographs of aircrew, aircraft, weapons, targets under attack and so on. Thirty-two pages are given over the the striking nose art carried by Invaders.

Despite the significant role the B-26 played in the Korean War, few books have been written detailing the exploits of this formidable warplane. Thompson's book fills that gap with this exciting, well-researched and well-illustrated tribute to the B-26 and its intrepid crews. Recommended. ... Read more

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Based on personal interviews with the principal policy-makers of the 1970s, this book examines how the president sought to develop South Korea into an independent, autonomous sovereign state both economically and militarily. ... Read more

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Praise for The Great Raid on Cabanatuan "An exciting narrative presented by a first-rate storyteller." —Publishers Weekly Acclaim for Feuding Allies "An absorbing look at the impact of Alliance politics on the outcome of WW II." —Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

misuse of the facts
on page 228, chapter 30, the author quoted that a Communist official said " You are a turtle egg!" This is a fact, but it happend on Nov 14, 1951(ref: "Truce Tent and Fighting Front", US Army Offical Korean War History), not in the spring of 1953 as the author claimed.

This seems small but the whole book thus becomes questionable.

Is it the truth? Who knows...
Special oeprations in the Korean War is a new/interesting subject for me. I've read quite a bit about Vietnam and post-Vietnam special ops stuff but this was my first text on the Korean War. Unfortunately, even if what is contained in this text is true...I have serious reservations about this text. This book is written with such a slant that it almost sounds like early 80's anti-communist propaganda!!!

For one thing, it constantly uses racial slurs to make the North Koreans, Chinese, Russians and the Japanese(?) sound like monsters or sub-human. It continues to wave flags about how greatthe Western "democratic" forces were and how evil the Communists were. Now I'm not making a judgement call here, but I think I can make up my own mind if facts are presented as objectively as possible...I'm not 2 years old and have to be told what is good or evil.

If that's not enough for you, the language used to describe operations is repetitive and dull.

I now see why this is "bargain price" book. Find something else. You'll thank me later.

Theater of War Extends Well Beyond the Battlefield
Breuer, William B. Shadow Warriors
The Covert War in KoreaDS 921.5 S7 B74 1996

The well published Mr. Breuer--he boasts 23 other war-related texts-- has quite a talent for writing gripping text. Readers will find alot about the Korean War here not described in other books. There is a detailed description of the myriad of deceptive tactics employed by the North Koreans to distract attention from their imminent attack in the Seoul Corridor. Several chapters describe the preparations for the Inchon landing. Operation Trudy Jackson, using surveillance garnered from the small island of Yonghung, twelve miles south of Inchon, gathered vital data on troop strength, tidal ranges, placement of enemy mines, etc. I am eternally grateful to Breuer for finally translating "Wolmi-Do" as 'moon tip island'. (By the way, sunset and moonset over the Yellow Sea are a joy to behold]

Breuer is a bit confusing when he talks simultaneously about Inchon being a 'secret', while soldiers in Pusan, Japan, and the US referred to it as Operation Common Knowledge. Not only had the Chinese wargamed an Inchon landing as a possibility (and never informed the North Koreans they had done so), but the NY Times itself ran an article suggesting the idea in its September 14, 1950 edition. Breuer acknowledges this, but then shifts his focus to the disinformation campaign designed to fool the North Koreans the landing would be at Kunsan. I think his point should be to make clear that secrets are hard to keep and it is best to sew confusion to obscure your true intentions.

Breuer says the damage done by the Philby/Maclean/Burgess spy ring was primarily leaks of UN battle plans in North Korea, especially the restrictions placed on MacArthur. The Chinese knew they did not have to worry about another amphibious landing, for example. (Even when Van Fleet wanted a series of amphibious assaults up Korea's east coast, it was shot down-- the US had decided on a limited war.) Although the spies did their best to hide evidence of planned Chinese intervention, enough evidence was available from Commanders on the ground, and through other channels (such as the Indian Ambassador).

Other intelligence operations had a mixed outcome. The Li-mi project, an attempt to distract and tie down Chinese Communist armies in Yunan Province, was largely a failure. The US missed a major propoganda coup when they failed to publicize that smallpox raged in the devastated Chinese/North Korean territory. Ironically, it was the US that later suffered a barrage of Communist accusations about 'biological warfare.'The North Koreans constantly deceived US aerial reconnaisance into thinking major damage had been inflicted on roads, bridges, tunnels, and supply convoys.
The authors references to spy operations in Manchuria are interesting but sketchy and incomplete. Readers looking for cloak-and-dagger intrigue in Manchuria might want to readLawrence Gardella's "Sing a Song to Jenny Next," instead.And the elaborate preparations to kidnap Syngman Rhee--who was dismayed at the US's willingness to accept a permanent division of the Peninsula-- make amusing reading for those aware of the crosscurrents of loyalty vs. pragmatism in the Cold War era.

Some spy operations pay off in ways that are unanticipated. Such was the outcome of operation Moolah, which offered a hundred grand to any communist who landed a MIG-15 at Kimpo airport. Two months after the War was over, North Korean Air Force Captain Ro Kum Suk did exactly that

Exhilarating for any fan of military intrigue
In June 1950, North Korean communist soldiers crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. The United States' stance against global communism would endure its first bloody test.Shadow Warriors: The Covert War in Korea documents the high level clandestine operations that encompassed the "Forgotten" War in the Far East. Breuer reveals that perilous cloak-and-dagger operations were equally common on both sides of the conflict.Whether it be evidence supporting direct Soviet military involvement in Korea or CIA operations deep into the Chinese mainland, Breuer writes with a flair that hooks the fan of political intrigue while presenting enough historical detail to satisfy the avid military historian.

Upon perusing Breuer's notes, most of his book is based upon memoirs of top-level officials in the Korean conflict and author interviews with key players.Nevertheless, further government documentation appears warranted to support the author's arguments. However, Shadow Warriors is highly entertaining as a work of literature and most informative into a realm of military history of which most casual historians are unaware. ... Read more

Product Description
In the rich and varied life stories in Under the Black Umbrella, elderly Koreans recall incidents that illustrate the complexities of Korea during the colonial period. Hildi Kang here reinvigorates a period of Korean history long shrouded in the silence of those who endured under the "black umbrella" of Japanese colonial rule.

Existing descriptions of the colonial period tend to focus on extremes: imperial repression and national resistance, Japanese subjugation and Korean suffering, Korean backwardness and Japanese progress. "Most people," Kang says, "have read or heard only the horror stories which, although true, tell only a small segment of colonial life." The varied accounts in Under the Black Umbrella reveal a truth that is both more ambiguous and more human--the small-scale, mundane realities of life in colonial Korea.Accessible and attractive narratives, linked by brief historical overviews, provide a large and fully textured view of Korea under Japanese rule. Looking past racial hatred and repression, Kang reveals small acts of resistance carried out by Koreans, as well as gestures of fairness by Japanese colonizers. Impressive for the history it recovers and preserves, Under the Black Umbrellais a candid, human account of a complicated time in a contested place. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Balanced account and easy to pick up
This is exactly what you want this type of book to be. Surprising, eye-opening, reliable, well-edited and jaw-dropping. If you are the least bit curious as to why your Korean grandmother hates all things Japanese, pick this book up. If you are in the pursuit of scholarly research and you need some oral history recollections, these are gold. The author has done extremely well in translating, arranging, presenting and setting historical context for each chapter.

Some stories are just a paragraph long while others go one for pages. Despite the sample being taken from elderly Koreans living in the American west coast, the people interviewed are amazing diverse and well-represented. The stories are captivating, earnest and beautifully told. I can't imagine how the stories must have sounded in the original language because the English translation is simply breathtaking.

The reader may find it unusual to hear that many Koreans became civilized or even friends with Japanese living in their towns during this period. The honesty of the interviewees runs counter to the widespread belief that all Japanese were zealous conquerors bent on world domination. Don't misunderstand, some of the stories indeed paint a terrible picture in terms of cultural repression, but as mentioned before, the book is well-balanced.

My only disappointment was the short length of the book. That's it. It's readable by anyone with a passing interest in Japanese colonial history. It's what you want - a collection of stories that completes any academic background you might have read.

Simply a gem.

Max Becker Pos thinks American slavery was beneficial to some!
According to another reviewer the Japanese colonial rule of Korea had
some bright spots. So did African slaves in the American South, they could finally find peace in the grave. Japan's invasion and annexation of
Korea, approved by U.S. Pres. Taft, was a time of horrible oppression and
cultural repression. Koreans were not allowed to speak their own language or learn hangul. They had to speak Nihongo and learn Japanese kanji. They were forced to change their personal identity by using Japanese names, so
Mr. Kim became "Mr. Kaneyama" or "Mr. Kato". It was also a time of
slavery in Korea, the worst form of slavery, sex slavery. The Japanese
have tried to hide this evil for the past sixty years. Now the world knows about the 250,000 Korean women and girls (some as young as ten)
who were forced into sexual servitude, some for the duration of the war.
The Japanese euphemistically called them "comfort women" but they were
concentration camp prisoners and had to endure serial rape on almost a daily basis. Those slaves who refused were savagely beaten or killed outright. A slave is still a slave even if her nation's infrastructure
is being improved. Yes, Japan built railroads in Korea, to ship raw
materials back to Japan with no payment to the Koreans. It was rape, looting, and pillage on an epic scale. Japan had the same plans for China,
Indonesia, the Philippines, and other regions of the short lived Dai Nippon Empire.

An Enlightening Account
"Under the Black Umbrella" is a fascinating and enlightening account told by the Korean people that survived the humilation and in many cases the horror of Japanese rule for many years.It should remind Americans of the blessings and precious freedoms we enjoy.Mrs. Kang has done us all a service in writing this book.

Recollections by elderly Koreans
Hildi Kang is very knowledgeable about life both in America and Korea.Her format allows elderly Koreans to recount - in touching and moving narrative - their life story.She provides a framework within which many fascinating tales unfold.Her commentary is not intrusive, but very helpful.A great book.As a highschool history teacher,I see this book as a resource which can personalize historical events - making them more accessible to teens!

Contrasting Takes on Japanese Colonial Rule in Korea
I think a lot of Western youth are by and large unfamiliar with Modern East Asian history.Many might be surprised to learn about Imperial Japan's colonial ambitions.For instance, Japan ruled the Korean peninsula for four decades: de facto as a protectorate from 1905-1910, and de jure as a colony from 1910-1945.

Even today, many Koreans, both young and old, continue to bear a grudge towards Japan for its subjugation of their ancestral land.Rightly or wrongly, they continue to vilify Japan for the crimes and cruelty perpetrated in the name of Emperor Hirohito and the Land of the Rising Sun.Other nations which fell victim to Japanese imperialism--China, Guam, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, to name only some--arguably suffered less than Korea, but the people and governments of these lands are generally much less antagonistic towards Japan today.We can see this dichotomy clearly in Koreans' nationalistic, vituperative demonstrations against Japan that continue into the third millenium--demonstrations that are toned down or absent in other former victim nations.

It is in this context in which Hildi Kang's "Under the Black Umbrella" makes for a much-needed book.Kang's series of interviews with survivors of the colonial period, who come from all walks of life, casts a refreshing light on the topic of life under the Japanese.Her interviewees do not all espouse the hardline, nationalistic anti-Japanese view--far from it.Of course some interviewees still seethe with bad memories of Japanese cruelties.But many of the now aged or deceased men and women speak of the mundane routines of daily life under the Japanese: growing up, going to school, getting married and raising a family, finding employment.Others are ambivalent: there were both unpleasant and rewarding aspects of colonial life.For instance, the Japanese restricted freedoms, but they also improved infrastructure (railroads, roads, dams, bridges, ports, power grids) and introduced new technologies.Still others tell of how they profited under colonialism, by growing richer and more powerful.

A note of caution, however: that some tales are not bitter or critical of the Japanese should not encourage readers to think that the Japanese colonial rule in Korea was in any way justified, or in any way laudable.We should also be careful of being swayed by the words of infamous (in Koreans' eyes) Japanese nationalists like Kubota Kanichiro, a high-ranking official who claimed in 1953 that Japanese colonialism in Korea was positive and benefical.On the other hand, we should come out of this book with an ability not to succumb to Korean nationalistic fervor.The colonial period was not a time of unmitigated, unequivocal evil.As we learn, it was terrible for some, but not for everyone.It was bad for many, but tolerable for others, and even beneficial for a small minority.

Kang could have improved the book in a couple of ways.First, I think she ought to have made it a little longer.For whatever reason, she appears to have excluded a number of tales whose inclusion might have enriched the book, or at least made it more appealing to enthusiasts of historical anecdote.Second, the interviewees' tales were mainly limited to descriptions of their life under the Japanese and the events that stuck in their memories.Perhaps the interviewer could have prodded the subjects to analyze their experiences more; for instance, it would have been interesting to hear more subjects talk about their overall impression of Japanese imperialism, or what were their personal feelings towards the Japanese.

Overall, however, Kang has performed a terrific job in writing this book.The author has done Koreans, history, and humanity in general a great service by recording and thus preserving these oral histories, which have been at risk of vanishing forever. What the Japanese did in Korea merits no praise.But it demands a balanced perspective, and requires observers and historians to tread between the nationalistic propanganda of which both right-wing Koreans and Japanese are guilty. ... Read more

Product Description
The history of Korean Christianity, which has solidified its foundation as the nation's church under the complicated relationship among Korea, the United States, and Japan in the modern age. It has grown until the present-day, unfolds before our very eyes. ... Read more

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Introducing the "Hermit Kingdom" -- North Korea's natural landscapes-- Historical geography -- North Korean population issues -- North Korean government -- The economy of North Korea -- Regional identities and landscape contrasts -- Images of North Korea in the future. ... Read more

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Asia expert Gordon Chang follows up his controversial success, "The Coming Collapse of China", with the first book to discuss the full extent of the North Korean nuclear threat, its origins, international implications, and solutions. The United States is the mightiest nation in history, yet for six decades one of the world's weakest states has challenged the superpower and kept it at bay. Today, that country also threatens to change the course of human events with an act of unimaginable devastation. "Nuclear Showdown" analyses the failed society that has become the gravest threat to America and international order: North Korea. Chang's insightful book reveals the full horror of the crisis threatening to turn Asia into the world's next battleground where millions could die in hours. How can Washington stop North Korea from taking down the American-led international system? No one seems to have an answer. For more than half a century, policymakers have failed when it comes to subjugating Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il. "Nuclear Showdown" proposes a solution that can defuse the standoff once and for all. ... Read more

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To most of the world, North Korea remains a secretive and mysterious nation, one that has tightly controlled the outflow of information in order to groom its public image. This book chronicles a rare, regime-sanctioned excursion by a North American into the heart of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. What is revealed is often what's expected, such as the adoration of leaders, excursions to national monuments, and exposure to propaganda relating to self-sufficiency. But as a Korean speaker, the author gathered a lot more information than the scripted English narration provided by his Korean guides. Behind the propaganda of the Communist regime, the authentic, eye-opening North Korea is revealed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

So So
What's the most amazing thing is that the author was able to write a 250 page book on a 3 day visit.That's why it gets 2 stars.

Very wordy/ hard to follow.Goes on and on about a 30 min visit to a book store or trip to a bowling alley at the hotel........

To fill the book out and why it should be called 3 days (plus my political views) in the Hermit Kingdom....

spends a whole chapter describing the 1 hr plane flight from Beijing to Pyongyang
writes about other areas of NK that he didn't even visit ie DMZ
tosses in his political comments especially some negative views on "Red China".

Many better books on NK.Lost interest after he landed and struggled through it hoping something interesting would happen. ... Read more

Product Description
Following its introduction to Korea in the late nineteenth century, Protestantism grew rapidly both in numbers of followers and in influence, and remained a dominating social and political force throughout the twentieth century. In Protestantism and Politics in Korea, Chung-shin Park charts this stunning growth and examines the shifting political associations of Korean Protestantism.

Elsewhere in Asia, evangelical Protestant missionaries failed to have much social and political impact, being perceived as little more than agents of Western imperialism. But in Korea the church became a locus of national resistance to Japanese colonization in the fifty years preceding 1945. Missionaries and local adherents steadily gained popular support as they became identified with progressive political reforms.

After World War II and the division of the Korean peninsula, however, most Protestant institutions in South Korea were conscripted into the fight against communism. In addition, they became involved in the postwar push for rapid economic development. These alliances led to increasing political conservatism, so that mainstream Korean Protestantism eventually became a stalwart defender of the authoritarian status quo. A small liberal minority remained politically active, supporting social and human rights causes throughout the 1960s and 1970s, laying the foundation for mass protests and gradual democratic liberalization in the 1980s. Park documents the theological evolution of Korean Protestantism from early fundamentalism to more liberal doctrines and shows how this evolution was reflected in the political landscape. ... Read more

Product Description
Fifty years after the Korean conflict, what is a forgotten war for some Americans is an aching memory for China. With over a million casualties out of the three million soldiers sent into battle, that war looms as large for the People's Republic of China (PRC)--barely a year old when North Korea invaded the South--as World War II does for most other countries. It was the first international war fought by the Chinese Communist regime to halt counterrevolution; it was also a war that the Chinese fully expected to win, by virtue of not only superiority of numbers but also their soldiers' superior "political quality."

This book presents a mosaic of memoirs by key Chinese military commanders from that war, drawing not only on their personal papers but also on still-classified archives and on Chinese-language sources unavailable in English. It offers an uncensored, behind-the-scenes story of the Communist campaign, from the decision to intervene through the truce negotiations, that discloses new information on such facets of the war as strategy and tactics, use of propaganda, and mobilization of the Chinese population. It also reveals the generals' concerns about the possible use of nuclear force and the alleged use of biological and chemical weapons by the United States.

The book contains a wealth of new materials on the Chinese intervention, including combat operations, logistics, political control, field command, and communications. Among those whose recollections are recorded, then-acting Chief of Staff Nie Rongzhen reveals how party leadership decided on intervention, Commander in Chief Peng Dehuai provides personal accounts of major battles and communications with Mao, and General Yang Dezhi shares secrets of Chinese military strategy and tactics, discussing how the army orchestrated each battle to contend with the better equipped UN forces. The volume also features an updated short history of the PRC's conduct of the war based on Chinese sources, plus rare photos from Chinese archives that put readers behind the lines from the Chinese side.

Mao's Generals Remember Korea demonstrates that the PRC continues to draw military, diplomatic, and strategic lessons from the war it fought fifty years ago with the world's most powerful military force. It offers valuable insight into the Chinese way of war and the military mind of Mao that will be a rich resource for Asian and military scholars.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Updated Short History of the Chinese Army's Operations in the Korean War!
Why did the Chinese Communist intervene in Korea in 1950?

How did the Chinese Communist Forces fight the war?

What lessons did the Chinese learn from their combat experience?

These are the key questions that editors Xiabing Li, Allan R. Millet and Bin Yu seek to answer from the Chinese perspective in this groundbreaking narrative of the Chinese intervention in the Korean War.

When Communist China intervened in the Korean War in 1950 it did so on a massive scale. According to Chinese statistics, more than 2.3 million combat troops entered Korea and engaged in the war. By the time China withdrew its forces from Korea in 1958 some twenty-five infantry armies, sixteen artillery divisions, ten armored divisions, twelve air force divisions (consisting of 672 pilots and more than 59,000 ground service personnel) and six security guard divisions had participated in the war.

China also mobilized some 600,000 laborers for the war. Thus a total of 3 million Chinese Volunteers eventually fought in the Korean War.

Chinese casualties from October 1950 to July 1953 totaled more than 1 million men, including 152,000 dead, 383,000 wounded, and 450,000 hospitalized, as well as almost 22,000 prisoners of war and 4,000 missing in action. The was cost China more than $3.3 billon and Chinese forces consumed 5.6 million tons of good and supplies during their invention, including the loss of 399 aircraft and 12,916 vehicles.

We know all of this because the Chinese military leadership at the time of the war tell us so in this brilliant new history of the Korean War.

This collection of memoirs of the Chinese generals involved in the war is, for the most part, largely issue-oriented and focuses on matters such as decisino-making, operational plans, battle commands, field communications, combat organizations, political mobilization, logistical service, and truce negotiations.

"Mao's Generals Remember Korea" is thus the updated short history in English, based on Chinese sources, of the Chinese army's operations in the Korean War. It is an important work because it demonstrates that the People's Republic of China has drawn and continues to draw military, diplomatic, and strategic lessons from the war it fought fifty years ago with the world's most powerful military - the United States armed forces.

Excellent book
Those who believe that this book is nothing more than communist propaganda have a point.But that's the importance of this book.For those interested in the Korean War who want to understand how the Chinese viewed the war, this book is essential reading.The Korean War was more than just an American war.It was fought by Americans, Koreans, Chinese, and even Russians.Without getting an insight into how all sides viewed that conflict, we end up with only a partial story of "The Forgotten War."

A waste of time, money and paper
An absolutely valuless read, consisting of hyperbole, communist propaganda, and self adulation. Nothing of value for the serious investigator. A disappointment of the first order. And this is the best I can say about it.

Relatively little here is new material
This is a series of essays by Generals of the Chinese People 's Volunteers. There is, unfortunately, not alot which is new here. A lot of the book emphasizes logistics, but Charles Schrader's book "Communist logistics in the Korean War" is far more analytical and has far less of the ideological baggage woven in with the text.
According to Bin Yu, Stalin used Korea because he was concerned about China, not the USA. China's hasty intervention in North Korea worked well in the northwest [where the US 8th army was routed at Kunu Ri]; but in the east was really a disaster: the author heaps praise on the 1st Marine division. There was tremendous pressure from civilian leaders back in China and the USSR to achieve 'quick victory.' UN Air operations made Korea different from the Chinese civil war: food, clothing, shelter and materiel were destroyed so the peasant soldiers could not resupply themselves from the land as they hoped. The fifth campaign --both impulses-- was a disaster.

Marshall Pen Dehaui's story is worthless ideological spew. He is speaking to history, not on behalf of his soldiers. What a pity: there is no mention of the savage cold near Chosin and and how it wreaked havoc with his attack plans; no words from his mouth about how his frozen Legions (as Fehrenbach would call them) performed so well, given the circumstances. He does, grudgingly, mention his army's poor equipment and logistics.

Marshall Nie Rongzhen continues the ideological pap. His essay is tiresome, uninformative, and provides little detail. The Chinese rotation plan in 1952 improved the supply situation and enabled new soldiers to gain field experience. Rongzhen's comments on logistics vary from the informative ("ship food to regions, rather than to units") to worthless ("soldiers uniforms should be neither to thin nor too thick").

Lieutenant General DuPing's essay was a refreshing change. He felt that China would win in korea for two sets of reasons. Militarily, they had superior numbers (4 million); greater morale from a clear mission; better logistics because they were adjacent to Korea while the US was across the pacific; God and justice was on their side; and DuPing assigned zero probability to a nuclear strike: he knew it would never work in a country already devastated and as rural as Korea was.

On the political side, initially commanders overestimated US Soldiers willingness to fight (I am sure that disappeared after Kunu Ri); chinese soldiers were more politically indoctrinated to fight (the Campaign to Resist Amerika and Assist Korea, or CRAAK); there was a propoganda victory gained in their initial treatment and release of POW's (example was T.F. Drysdale near the Chosin); and the Chinese were encouraged to respect the local Korean peasantry.

Hong Xeushi commented on logistics. Like DuPing, he felt the Chinese soldiers felt theirs was a just cause. His soldiers were combat ready and used to hardships at home and in the field. They were mobile and flexible, running ridges and hillsides with ease. Chinese soldiers were able to carry more than their US counterparts and made better use of trucks and waggons. One aspect which hurt was the UN tactic of a 'no-grain- area between the 38th and 37th parallel, starving the Chinese troops hoping to forage in the fields.

Xiang Quian faced the difficult task of securing materials from the Russians, who not only distrusted the Chinese (fearing Titoism from their massive neighbor) but also wished to play the game of "let's you and him fight.' Told they would would provide enough materials for 16 division, in the event enough for 10 was provided. The Russian's stonewalled on expanding China's defense industries. Of course, China didn't know about many of Russia's problems. Russia had big-country/superpower arrogance (wow, i thought that was just an american trait!); many of the rifles and equipment they supplied was inferior. He might have added that Russia never provided the promised air support, either.

Yang Dezhi emphasized the concept of mobility in the Chinese defense, which included the massive tunnels and 'cats ear' shelters used to protect their forces and allow them to observe the enemy. They were immune from bombing and were invaluable at the battle of Shanggangling, which Mr. Dezhi apparently feels was as meaningful a turning point for the Chinese as Chipyong'ni was for the UN forces.

Chai Chong'wens' article on the Truce negotiations started out with a good description of the participants and early issues like the number of reporters and other early snafus. Of the five issues in the talks, items (1) thru (3)--agenda, demarcation line, and armistice details-- went quite smoothly. Much less is said on the repatriation issue, which is unfortunate since it tied up the talks for so long; all Chong'wen has to say is that 'thousands of communists refused to be repatriated because they were spies.' Issue (5), the post armistice politcal conference on Korea, was largely a non-event by the time it took place, anyway. Still, the negotiations were so complex that it would have been better if Chong'wens' article were either omitted completely, or given the massive treatment and detail it deserved, much akin to a separate text like Turner Joys "How Communists Negotiate."

Overall a disappointment.

Fascinating accounts of US war of aggression against Korea
This fascinating book tells us how a group of Chinese generals saw the Korean War. They tell us why the People's Republic of China decided to intervene in Korea, how the Chinese People's Volunteers Force was formed and mobilised politically, how it organised its strategy and tactics, how it was supplied, how it bought arms from the Soviet Union, how they saw their command experience, and finally how the truce was achieved.
The PRC had warned the United Nations that she would not allow the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to be destroyed. The UN ignored the warning and on 7 October 1950, US troops invaded the DPRK, threatening both the DPRK and the PRC's northeastern frontiers. At this point, the US government believed that the war was won and that they had entered the `mopping up' phase (they recently believed the same of another land war in Asia, in Afghanistan earlier this year). The next day, the Chinese volunteer forces entered the war.
The UN forces fought a most brutal and dirty war against Korea. The United States Air Force dropped 7.8 million gallons of napalm on the country. US General Curtis LeMay boasted, "We burned down just about every city in North and South Korea both ... We killed over a million Koreans and drove several million more from their homes." The American historian Bruce Cumings later wrote that this war "was the worst of American postwar interventions, the most destructive, far more genocidal than Vietnam."
But the Korean and Chinese forces defeated the US plans to occupy all Korea, to invade the PRC and start World War Three.The Volunteer Forces' forward defence of Manchuria successfully shielded it from attack and kept the war limited. Chinese forces inflicted upon American arms the most decisive defeat they suffered in the whole twentieth century. `Truman's war' became so unpopular in the USA that it led to the President's political demise. No wonder that George W. Bush fruitlessly wants to reverse this verdict. ... Read more

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North Korea's institutional politics defy traditional political models, making the country's actions seem surprising or confusing when, in fact, they often conform to the regime's own logic. Drawing on recent materials, such as North Korean speeches, commentaries, and articles, Patrick McEachern, a specialist on North Korean affairs, reveals how the state's political institutions debate policy and inform and execute strategic-level decisions.

Many scholars dismiss Kim Jong-Il's regime as a "one-man dictatorship," calling him the "last totalitarian leader," but McEachern identifies three major institutions that help maintain regime continuity: the cabinet, the military, and the party. These groups hold different institutional policy platforms and debate high-level policy options both before and after Kim and his senior leadership make their final call.

This method of rule may challenge expectations, but North Korea does not follow a classically totalitarian, personalistic, or corporatist model. Rather than being monolithic, McEachern argues, the regime, emerging from the crises of the 1990s, rules differently today than it did under Kim's father, Kim Il Sung. The son is less powerful and pits institutions against one another in a strategy of divide and rule. His leadership is fundamentally different: it is "post-totalitarian." Authority may be centralized, but power remains diffuse. McEachern maps this process in great detail, supplying vital perspective on North Korea's reactive policy choices, which continue to bewilder the West., reviewing a previous edition or volume

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The extended peace the world anticipated following the decisive Allied victory in the Second World War was abruptly shattered in June 1950 by the invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea. Responding to a United Nations’ call to assist the South Korean regime, Canada deployed an 8000-man brigade to the peninsula to fight as part of an American-led UN force.

This comprehensive account of the Canadian campaign in Korea provides the first detailed study of the training, leadership, operations, and tactics of the brigade under each of its three wartime commanders as well as its relationship with American and Commonwealth allies. An impeccably researched analytical history, the book examines the uneven performance of the various Canadian units and argues that the soldiers of the "Special Force" initially sent to Korea were more thorough and professional in their operations than were the army’s regular battalions that eventually replaced them at the front.

The revisionist interpretations of A War of Patrols will attract both academic and military professionals, as well as general readers interested in a fresh look at an important part of Canada’s military past.

Published in association with the Canadian War Museum. ... Read more

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This study examines how the concept of "Korean woman" underwent a radical transformation in Korea's public discourse during the years of Japanese colonialism. Theodore Jun Yoo shows that as women moved out of traditional spheres to occupy new positions outside the home, they encountered the pervasive control of the colonial state, which sought to impose modernity on them. While some Korean women conformed to the dictates of colonial hegemony, others took deliberate pains to distinguish between what was "modern" (e.g., Western outfits) and thus legitimate, and what was "Japanese," and thus illegitimate. Yoo argues that what made the experience of these women unique was the dual confrontation with modernity itself and with Japan as a colonial power. ... Read more

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Striking Back: Combat in Korea, March-April 1951 is the second book in a three-volume series about the Korean War, examining the fighting that occurred during the late winter and early spring of the war's first year. By the beginning of March, UN forces shifted strategic focus from defense to offense. In April, the combination of stabilized fronts and the enemy's failed attacks made conditions ideal for launching combat offensives. The brutal nature and strategic significance of these campaigns is described in the book, which includes analysis of their profound influence on the remainder of the war. William T. Bowers provides detailed battle narratives based on eyewitness accounts recorded by Army historians within days of the operations. Through his use of personal accounts, official records, war diaries, and combat reports, Bowers sheds new light on the conflict in Korea, making this volume a must-read for military historians.

Customer Reviews (2)

Shivers
This was a good book based on a true story of a man who finds himself fighting in one of the most horrific wars of our time.He is captured by the Chinese and becomes a POW for over 2 years.This writing gives a good description of what a POW to the North Korean and Chinese was like for our men.He includes information on his last great battle during that War; his capture, the death march, the 1/2 way camp in Suan called The Mining Camp, and his long imprisonment as a POW. As this author points out, most of our troops were good men doing the best they could to survive and abide the oaths they had taken as a members of our military.Read this and look for others books like it based on this topic. Remember that each soldiers story is unique in his own.But again, who should know this story better than those who were the fighting soldiers and captured POWs?

"And The Wind Blew Cold"
Excellent to read if you want to know about the daily lives of the POWs in Camp #5 in the Korean War. ... Read more