Korean War

 

The Korean War,  by Max Hastings (1988 - 389 pp)

Great overview of the "Forgotten War" by Hastings...political tensions leading to it, interviews with Chinese leaders and American military strategy.

 

 

 

In Mortal Combat: Korea 1950 - 1953), by John Toland (1991 - 595 pp)

Excellent overview of the Korean conflict by acclaimed historian John Toland. Many live interviews with combatants on both fronts bring the story of the Korean conflict alive....from the North Korean invasion down to the invasion by the Chinese and final peace settlement in 1953.

 

 

 

The Forgotten War: America in Korea 1950 - 1953, by Clay Blair (1987 - 1000 pp)

The Bible on the Korean war by a master historian who leaves no detail behind. If you're looking for the last word on each battle, from the North Korean invasion, the defense of the Pusan Perimeter, Inchon, the Chinese invasion and Mathew Ridgeway's counter assaults blow by blow, this is it.

 

 

The Korean War, by Bruce Cummings ( 2010 - 242 pp)

If you're looking for a  concise, but well written and researched work on Korea, Asia scholar Cummings includes it all in this brief, but relatively dense overview of the Korean war. Great maps, tight writing and some great observations about the geopolitical scenario of the times.

 

 

Brothers at War:The Unending Conflict in Korea, by Sheila Miyoshi Jager (2014 - 488 pp)

The most current overview of the Korean conflict beginning with the Japanese colonization in 1910, Russian incursion in 1945, North Korea's in 1950 invasion, Chinese involvement and the great Battle of Inchon with its famous retreat and Mathew Ridgway's succession to the heroic Walton W. Walker.  A soup to nuts summary with great maps.

 

 

The Darkest Summer: Pusan and Inchon 1950 - The Battles that Saved Korea,
by Bill Sloan (2010 - 400 pp)

Gripping account of the first disastrous months of the Korean War, the U.N. retreat, loss of Seoul U.S. heroic counter-attack at Pusan and invasion at Inchon.

 

 

 

American Caesar: Douglas McCarthur 1880 - 1964,  by   William Manchester
(1978 - 816 pp)

Exceptional bio of resilient MacArthur who famously returned to the Philippines after defeat by the Japanese, then was relieved in Korea by Truman.

 

 

 

MacArthur's War: Korea and the Undoing of an American Hero, by Stanley Weintraub (2000 - 425 pp)

A detailed look at MacArthur's actions in Korea from his high water mark at the invasion at Inchon to his ignominious dismissal by Truman after numerous violations of Truman's state Department gag order,

 

 

 

The Secrets of Inchon: The Most Daring Covert Mission of the Korean War, 
by Eugene Clark (2003 - 336 pp)

Critical to success of the landings at Inchon was Cdr. Eugene Clark's heroic intelligence gathering on 29' tides, 6000yd mud flats,enemy obstacles.

 

 

The Coldest Winter: American and the Korean War,  by David Halberstam
(2008 - 736 pp)

David Halberstam's final and best book, covering the bitterly cold winter of 1951, desperate Battle of the Chosin reservoir and McCarthur's miscues.

 

 

 

"On Desperate  Ground", The Epic Story of the Chosin Resevoir and the Greatest Battle of the Korean War" by Hampton Sides (432 pp - 2019)

The 1st Marines came within a whisker of defeat and capture by the Chinese at the Chosin Resevoir in 30' temperatures. Only the farsighted actions of CO O.P. Smith and Chief Engineer John Partridge, who rebuilt a destroyed bridge, were able to save them.

 

 

The Last Stand of Fox Company,  by Bob Drury (2009 - 368 pp)

Desperate, heroic defense by 234  Marines of Fox company ordered to guard the retreat of 10,000 1st Division Marines outnumbered by 100,000 Chinese.

 

 

 

Give Me Tomorrow: The Epic Stand of the Marines George Company,
by Patrick O'Donnell (2011 - 288 pp)

Another great page-turner about George Company's defense of 'Little Round Top' against a Chinese regiment in brutal (-)40' temperatures.

 

 

On Hallowed Ground: The Last Battle for Pork Chop Hill,  by Bill McWilliams
(2004 - 494 pp)

Update of the famous 1953 novel on the final, devastating, pointless 'Battle of Pork Chop Hill' conducted during truce negotiations to end the war.

 

 

The Bridge at No Gun Ri: A hidden Nightmare of the Korean War, by Charles Hanley, Sang-Hun Choe, Martha Mendoza

This final expose on the Korean War exposes the slaughter of refugees that took place at the bridge at No Gun-ri at the end of the  war. Ordered to shoot any civilians who tried to cross, green American recruits led by equally green officers killed hundreds of innocent South Korean refugees. Only in 1999 was the story exposed.

 

 

The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History, by Don Oberdorfer (1997 - 410 pp)

A very readable history of the Two Koreas from their beginning in 1946, through the creation of the 38th parallel, attempted assassination of Park Chung Hee, the Pueblo incident, loss of the Korean airliner to the Russians and how the economies of both countries work in the modern era.

 

 

The New Koreans: The Story of a Nation, by Michael Breen (2017 - 400 pp)

Wonderful summary of the growth of Korea from its ancient roots to the Korean War and to modern times. All the foibles and endearing qualities that make this downtrodden people most charming. More of a cultural expose, it also contains much about the history of Korea

 

 

Ghost Flames: Life and Death in a Hidden War (Korea 1950 - 1953), by Charles J Hanley

This unusual work provides hundreds of snippets of  life during the Korean Conflict...from the large events such as Inchon and MacArthur's firing to smaller, very powerful vignettes such as the death of the great Sen Walton Walker to the trials of a North Korean refugee mother with children and the frozen, poorly clad Chinese. Life as it really was in this terrible conflict.

 

 

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