Product Description

'A brilliant and compelling book which must rank, even by the standards Max Hastings has set, as a masterpiece' - Professor Michael Howard, London Review of Books. On 25 June 1950, the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North launched one of the bloodiest and most devastating conflicts of our battle-scarred century. The seemingly limitless power of the Chinese-backed North was thrown against the ferocious firepower of the UN-backed South in a war that can be seen today as the stark prelude to Vietnam. Max Hastings, the acclaimed author of "Overlord and Bomber Command", has drawn on first-hand accounts of those who fought on both sides to produce this vivid and incisive reassessment of the Korean War, bringing the military and human dimensions of the conflict into sharp focus. 'Excellent, readable history by a master of the genre' - "Daily Mail." 'The description of the stand of the Gloucesters on the Imjin is exemplary. Hastings has spared no pains to dig deep in search of the real truth, and to seek out and interview those who took part in the events he chronicles with such finely balanced judgement' - Field Marshall Lord Carver, "Times Literary Supplement."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6306 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 427 pages

Customer Reviews

Balanced and objective account of a forgotten war
The book is an excellent account of a war the West has forgotten about.The battle accounts are well written and use many eyewitnesses,but it's real strengh is in the way it tries to examine the reasons for the war and the lessons we didn't learn without trying to make political points scoring,the writer recognises the essential rightness of the UN cause while not flinching from the faults of the South Korean regime.There is a sense of tragedy about the way it is shown that so many of the American policies were dress rehearsals for the Vietnam war,and a sense of outrage at the poor leadership and performance of many aspects of the UN intervention in the first year of the war.Recommended.

The Korean war, and a lot of info on the European units
This book has it all, it describes all the nationalities that fought in the war. The reasons why it happened, what happen in the war and even what happened once peace returned.
It has a lot of information on the British and other European units that fought in the war (though it is pointed out that American?s defiantly supplied most of the troops).

Nothing in held back when describing some of the battles that took place, and the accounts of the battle on the Imjin by the Gloucester?s is breathtaking.

Its interesting to read this book as it points out a lot of the flaws that the great nations had at the time with fighting in the east. And why many European nations later on would not supply troops for the Vietnam war, even if they did understand what America was trying to do in Vietnam.

the War that hasn't ended.
An excellent apraisal of the korean war, with inside stories and insight into why it happened (Occupation since early 20th Century) until the ceasefire (Not outright victory). A British view and focus actually adds to the book. Where else can you find such details. the Americans are seen to be disinterested in the Korean perninsula, only in fighting the Commies, and learning next to nothing in the process. Sadly Viertnam had all the signs that Korea had for them, but there they carried on because they seemed to belkieve that Korea was a war they won.

Hastings shows that no one won this war, as the diving line stayed almost exactly as it was after 3 years. Only so many millions dead. the human tradegy for the Chinese is covered, and most revelatory is the story of MacArthur and his plan for 26 atom bombs to be dropped on China! Needless to say Truman sacked him on the spot, yet for Truman too the war caused him to plummet politically.
At the eand we can see why North Korea lives of propoganda still form the war, and way the stalemate allowed such dictators immunity to do exactly what they wanted ever after. An important read, mostly because the issues are still not settled and, yes, it could all happen again.
The aftermath for South Korea is not covered much, leaving out the socialogical changes that led to Chruistian belief later expanding there.What comes through, though, is that the South korean leader (Syngman Rhee)at the time was just as much a dictator as that in the north.