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- This is War!
- BEING THERE THRU THE CAMERA LENS
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This Is War!: A Photo Narrative of the Korean War
David Douglas Duncan
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Photo Nomad
ASIN: 0316195650 |
Customer Reviews:
This is War!.......2000-06-28
My father, who was an artillery Captain in the Philippines during WWII, frequently pulled this book off the shelf to show me what war was like. He said that it was as close as you could get without actually being there. He died before he could see "Saving Private Ryan," but I think he would still say so even after seeing the movie.
BEING THERE THRU THE CAMERA LENS.......2000-06-26
This is THE most unforgettable view of the first days of the then called "Police Action" in Korea. Author Duncan lived with the men and portrayed all the comraderie, terror and fear that they did. His work makes an indelable image in our mind & is easy to grasp the magnatude of it. My now deceased husband was one of those young Marines and one of the walking wounded who lived in pain his whole life. He treasured this book and knew the subjects. He found it a way to bury his emotions and go on with a "normal" lifestyle. This book had to help Truman change and understand it was not a simple mop-up action....but This WAS War! Although out of print, my family is trying to get copies to pass on to their children to help us better understand their father. It is especially appropriate at this time when attention is being given the Korean Conflict's 50th anniversary. I wish they would reprint it and distribute a copy to all high school and college libraries.
Book Description
A new edition of the definitive overview of contemporary Korean history, updated with new material to account for recent, dramatic events.
Don Oberdorfer has written a gripping narrative history of Korea's travails and triumphs over the past three decades. The Two Koreas places the tensions between North and South within a historical context, with a special emphasis on the involvement of outside powers.
Customer Reviews:
What a book!.......2007-10-15
I cannot recall reading a book which covers a country's contemporary history in such an interesting and insightful way.
Informative but a bit awkward.......2007-08-26
I picked up "The Two Koreas" before leaving for my first visit to Seoul and Busan hoping to get a full picture of political and economic developments on the peninsula since the end of the Korean War. I usually pre-screen my book purchases thoroughly, but in this case chose Oberdorfer's piece simply because it appeared to be the best option available on short notice.
This isn't a bad book; but it is a bit awkward. First, the only logic to the timeframe covered (roughly 1972 to 2000) is that it cooresponds to Oberdorfer's personal experience in Korean affairs as a journalist with the Washington Post. The post-war years of the authoritarian regimes of Syngman Rhee and Kim Il Song are not discussed at all, nor are the early years of Park Chung Hee's regime in the 1960s as he laid the groundwork for the South Korean economic miracle of the late twentieth century.
Second, the weight of the narrative is heavily focused on the North Korean nuclear program and the efforts of the Clinton administration to negotiate a settlement with Pyongyang in the 1990s. Large and important swaths of Korean history in the 1970s are dealt with in a largely cursory manner, but the 1994 nuclear crisis is reconstructed in an almost hour-by-hour chronology of events. Indeed, nearly half of the book is dedicated to just a handful of events in the 1990s.
Finally, the style of "The Two Koreas" is a clumsy blend of narrative history and personal memoir cum political analysis. Oberdorfer should have pursued one of two approaches to his topic. He could have written a comprehensive contemporary narrative of post-war Korea in the spirit and style of similar endeavors by veteran foreign journalists, the most notable example being Stanley Karnow's wonderful piece on the Philippines, "In our Image." Or he could have fully embraced the use of the first person and written a memoir on his experiences in Korea and how that experience has shaped his perception of Korean history and the future of North/South relations, much as Tom Friedman did with his award-winning memoir/history "From Beirut to Jerusalem." Instead, "The Two Koreas" reads like a personal, casual conversation with Don Oberdorfer over drinks at a club on Capitol Hill. He delves deeply into the topics he knows best, punched up with anecdotes from personal encounters with the key players at the time, while providing just basics on the other parts of the story he is less familiar with.
The above notwithstanding, "The Two Koreas" does provide a good introduction to some of the key players and Korean events of the past three decades, from the ax-handle murders at the DMZ in 1976 and assassination of Park Chung Hee in 1979 to the government crack-down on government protests in Gwangju in 1980 and the arrest of former presidents Roh Tae-Woo and Chun Doo Hwan in 1996 on corruption charges.
Concerning the on-going North Korean nuclear crisis, which is really the focus of this book, Oberdorfer clearly sees the program as Pyongyang's only effective card to play in relations with the United States and the international community. As the communist bloc imploded, North Korea witnessed the blossoming relationship between Seoul and the Soviet Union and China with no reciprocal rapprochment between Pyongyang and Washington. Oberdorfer suggests that Pyongyang basically stumbled upon the nuclear program as the one sure-fire way to the undivided attention of leaders in the United States and develop the dialogue and aid packages the beleagered communist state so desperately needs.
One final point should be noted. The cover states that the book has been "revised and expanded," but any potential reader should know that "The Two Koreas" does not cover critical events in the 2000-2005 timeframe, including Pyongyang's admission that the government never lived up to the original terms of the Agreed Framework in the first place.
ESL Teacher.......2007-08-03
Thanks for the fast service. Haven't read the book yet, but looks quite interesting and informational!
Excellent intro to modern Korean history.......2007-01-10
This book is a novel-like easy read, but it's as informative as a textbook. It's a must for anyone who wants to understand just what the hell happened to make the two Koreas so different from one another today, and the roots of the nuclear standoff that we're having with North Korea today. The author is a pretty authoritative source, as he's actually met and interviewed many of the key players in the book. Highly recommended.
Readable, But Questionable.......2006-07-18
This book was pretty readable, however I did have a couple of issues. The biggest problem I had was that it jumped around chronologically. It would appear to be relating events sequentially, then jump back and add an event years prior that would seem to have been too important to skip the first time. This was both confusing and irritating. It also left out alot of significant events. For example, it only mentioned the Pueblo incudent in one sentence in the entire book. It did not explore the event at all. It also did not touch on defections of US servicemembers to the North. And it barely referenced the North's kidnappings of Japanese in the 70's. Also, some event details were erroneous when compared to other books I've read on the same subject. This book seemed heavily subjective/opinion-based in alot of areas. Not my favorite book on the subject.
Average customer rating:
- The great powers position -key to two Korea,s Reunification
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Korea's Future and the Great Powers
Manufacturer: National Bureau of Asian Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea
ASIN: 0295981296 |
Book Description
The eventual reunification of the Korean Peninsula will send political and economic reverberations throughout Northeast Asia and will catalyze the struggle over a new regional order among the four great powers of the Pacific--Russia, China, Japan, and the United States. Korea's Future and the Great Powers addresses the vital issues of how to achieve a stable political order in a unified Korea, how to finance Korean economic reconstruction, and how to link Korea into a cooperative framework of international diplomatic relations.
Customer Reviews:
The great powers position -key to two Korea,s Reunification.......2003-08-20
In last page of Cover the book Editors write : "The eventual reunification of the Korean Peninsula will send political and economic reverberations throughout Northeast Asia and will catalyze the struggle over new regional order amnong the four reat powers of Pacific-Russia, China, Japan, and the United States." Book is edited by leading american reaserchers korean issue. Book is very current now at time start Bejings 6-sides talks. The contibutors of book was outstanding scholars and former politicians , like prof. Robert Scalapino from University California, Marcus Nolland, Robert Galluci,Chuck Downes, Michael Armacost. Book is divided to three parts: first - Historical and political context, second economic context and third strategic implications. Analysis of international enviroment Korean Peninsula is deep and serious. I agre with genaral conclusions book: America must prepared to solve very serious challenges from North Korea and must cooperate with China, Japan , Pacific-Russia
and specially Republic Of Korea. I recomend this book readers want understand korean issue.
Book Description
US relations with North and South Korea have been characterized by profound asymmetries of power and perception which in recent years have led to increased tensions among the three countries. An uneasy truce concerning North Korea's nuclear ambitions ended in 2002 bringing the US closer to a war footing. In South Korea, meanwhile, anger and resentment over an unequal partnership, combined with an ongoing US re-evaluation of its security role on the peninsula, have put an enormous strain on a longstanding alliance.
The Future of US-Korean Relations brings together twelve prominent experts on US-Korean and US-Pacific relations to explore the many dimensions of current and future US foreign policy. Charting new developments in North and South Korea, the contributors examine US-Korean relations through such prisms as nationalism, the media, regional relations and human rights issues. In relating the downward spiral in US relations with the Korean peninsula, the contributors provide analysis that runs counter to conventional interpretations, and offer clear and balanced policy recommendations for remedying the crises.
The Future of US-Korean Relations is deeply incisive and broadly relevant as an ideal resource for students, teachers and policy professionals interested in security studies, East Asian politics and US foreign policy.
Amazon.com
Bruce Cumings traces the growth of Korea from a string of competing walled city-states to its present dual nationhood. He examines the ways in which Korean culture has been influenced by Japan and China, and the ways in which it has subtly influenced its more powerful neighbors. Cumings also considers the recent changes in the South, where authoritarianism is giving way to democracy, and in the North, which Cumings depicts as a "socialist corporatist" state more like a neo-Confucian kingdom than a Stalinist regime. Korea's Place in the Sun does much to help Western readers understand the complexities of Korea's past and present.
Book Description
In his "immensely illuminating and accessible history" (Kirkus Reviews), Bruce Cumings delivers a memorable narrative of Korea's fractured modern history. Beginning with an overview of the cultural and political traditions of this accomplished civilization, Cumings dwells on Korea's long twentieth century, a period of colonial exploitation by Japan, war, and national division. His chapters on the Korean War show clearly just how close the world came to a nuclear holocaust. He then explores the economic resurgence and political turmoil that keep Korea in the headlines. Finally, he traces the significance of the Korean migration to the United States.
Customer Reviews:
Korean History and Personal Opinion.......2007-06-16
Being married to a Korean lady, and having been to Korea six times since 1980, I read this book with interest. I also worked in Korea on an AID mission to assist two university science departments at Seoul National University develop into international graduate program status. Thus because of my trips, and having lived there, I read the book with more than routine interest. Because of these visits, I have read other books on Korean History also and travelled throughout SOuth Korea many times and seeing the historical monuments.
I found that this book sumamrized historical events fairly well, and found no inconsistencies with other books I had read. What was disturbing and disappointing to me was that Cumings mixes historical facts with his personal interpretations and opinions. If this was a true excercise in scholarly history, these should have been separated, labelled and properly disclosed.
My second disappointment was the Anti-American tone of the book. Yes, It is true that Kroea suffered during the Korean War, and part of that suffering was from military and US state department blunders. However, in my experience, the Koreans I have come to know are grateful to the USA for having saved them from the fate of living in a reclusive, communistic, totalitarian state and have not forgotten it. That includes a large number of younger people I have met there.
In short, this book is part history and part OP ED writing. As a work of scholarship it flunks the test of objectivity and separation and disclosure of historical fact from personal opinion/interpretation. Hence, I rate it a "2"
History or Propaganda?.......2006-12-08
A previous reviewer suggested watching the foot notes. Although earlier reviews adequately explain the short-comings of this editorial commentary, I shall provide an example of a foot note that indeed needs watching. On Page 301 the author lauds Korea's advanced capabilities of State-led, Capitalist-free engineering and scientific programs---including rocket technology. He then attempts to belittle American know-how by referring to our rocket program as: "...a combined German-Chinese effort". His source for this appraisal was Iris Chang's "Thread of the Silkworm", a brilliant biography of Chen Xueshen (this is the contemporary pinyin transliteration of his name, not the out-dated Wade-Guiles method the author uses), a mathematician and Chinese national who worked his way up to a high position at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech. Although Chen certainly made significant contributions to the work at the lab, he did not contribute the 50% (the "Chinese" half?) that Bruce Cummings would have us believe. Read "Thread of the Silkworm" to get an intriguing account of just exactly what Mr. Chen did contribute. Don't bother too much with "Korea's Place in the Sun".
Flawed.......2006-11-26
Bruce Cumings writes well, and that's what makes this book an interesting read. It discusses in detail the events of the late 19th century, which are absolutely critical to understanding why Korea is what it is today.
The book, however, is marred by some simply unbelievable passages regarding North Korea. For example, at the end, contrasting the generous welfare state provisions of the former West Germany with the less than generous benefits offered by the South Korean state, Cumings writes that "North Korean citizens can look forward to little or none of this in union with the South, but instead to the longest hours of labor in the industrial world on terms that South Korean firms would set."
Yes, Mr. Cumings, but they can also look forward to living in a free political environment and speaking their minds without running the risk of being shipped off to the Gulag. Mr. Cumings wrote the above sentence in 1997, but even at that time it was already well known what a disaster of a nation North Korea had become.
Almost all people who pay attention to the subject now agree that there is only one legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula, and that government is in Seoul. I'm sure North Koreans will gladly put in long hours at the factory in a reunified nation where liberty and democracy prevail.
My pillow loves this book........2006-04-10
It loves it because every time I go to read it my pillow gets used when I fall asleep. This book has a couple of parts that are interesting, but mostly it is boring political views. If you don't have a passion for East Asia, do not read this book; it is like pulling teeth.
Don't read this book for its treatment of politics of Korean War to now. There's plenty of other books for that!.......2006-01-31
What makes this book GREAT is Cummings' ability to artfully and intelligently convey the cultural and historical flavor of Korea! He does this amazingly with such honesty, insight and intelligence. This is what makes this book one of the BEST books about Korea! If you're interested in kearning about Korean culture, people history, READ THIS BOOK!
The portions of the book when Cummings tells the story of Chosun Kings, Korea's troubled relations with Japan, or the last chapter describing personal experiences with his wife's family to illustrate Korean characteristics, etc., are gold! He weaves all of it to convey a heartful description of Korea and its people that's insightfully authentic and genuine. It's quite amazing how he does this.
The politics of the book and its treatment of events leading up to Korean War until now is admittedly leftist, albeit well-written. If you want to learn about politics and Korean War, etc., go read another book.
If you want to get a genuine feel of Korean culture, history and insight into the character of Korean people, read this book!
Book Description
Half a century after he fought there as a young lieutenant of Marines, James Brady returns to the brooding Korean ridgelines and mountains to sound Taps for a generation. It's been 15 years since Brady first wrote of Korea in The Coldest War, drawing raves from Walter Cronkite and The New York Times, which called it "a superb personal memoir of the way it was." In the spring of 2003 Brady and Pulitzer-winning combat photographer Eddie Adams, a couple of old Marines, "gentlemen rankers off on a spree," flew in Black Hawk choppers and trekked the Demilitarized Zone where it meanders into North Korea, interviewing four-star generals and bunking in with tough U.S. Recon troops, in Brady's words, "raw meat on the point of a sharpened stick." The two Marine veterans bond with this handful of youthful GIs confronting the loopy and nuclear saber-rattling North, in a contemporary Korea which just might become the war we have to fight next. Brady recalls that first time on bloody Hill 749, the men who died there, what happened to the Marines who lived to make it home, and experiences yet again the emotional pull of a lifelong love affair with the Corps in which they all served. With consummate skill James Brady summons up the past and illuminates the present, be it the Korea of "the forgotten war", the Yanks who fought there long ago or today's soldiers standing wary sentinel over "the scariest place in the world". The result is uplifting, inspiring, often heart-breaking, and this new Brady memoir proves as powerful as his first.
Customer Reviews:
From what I hear, its a good book!.......2007-01-19
I bought this book as a xmas present for my grammpa, he was a marine who fought in Korea the same time the author did....He is half was through it, and he is really enjoying it. Can't say enough good things about it!
Great read.......2006-11-04
I loved this book. I served in Korea with USMC during the exact same time frame. It brought back many memories
A sell for "The Coldest War".......2006-09-23
As a previous reviewer I thought that Brady's book would be more of a focus on the DMZ and perhaps show some insight into "the scariest place." I did enjoy his war time reminiscences but that wasn't why I purchased his book. I didn't particularly care for his 'how he belatedly was awarded the Bronze Star,' and chumming around with colonels and generals at galas and such as it sounded like 'how great I am after all.' Oh, and by the way, Senator Chafee was my CO. I got tired of Mr. Brady selling his earlier pub,"The Marines of Autumn" (which is a fine read) but in particular I did not like him pimping (perhaps a bit too strong) his "The Coldest War." There are sections of the book where he cites this book seemingly every other page. After awhile I started to feel a bit sorry for Mr. Brady which is too bad as I'm sure that he was a fine officer for his Marines of Dog Company. It's an ok book for what it is but it really isn't about "the scariest place."
Reunion with Combat.......2006-04-06
The Scariest Place in the World by James Brady. Published by St. Martin's Press 11 April 2006. Paperback. ISBN 0312332432.
$14.95US.
The Scariest Place in the World is the latest missile by James Brady to remind the world that the Korean "Police-Action" should not be limited to a paragraph or two as in the recent history books.
It was a "real" war, fought by "real" men, who "really" died leaving empty chaits at many a table around the world.
The book is written speaking of the realities of war in a "tough-love", macho, politically incorrect style that will jar the reader awake causing them to remember those three years (1950-53) of warfare in which 37,000 American service men and women paid the ultimate price to stop the onslaught of communist aggression.
Captain Brady tells of his indoctrination in the United States Marine Corps which contributed in forming the basis of his love of the Corps but more so the love of the men he served with, partied with and fought with.
The book is a journey back in time, (remindful of "The Viet Journal" by James Jones), through the rigors of basic training providing backbround for stories for one's children and grandchildren that deserve to be told.
There are biographical sketches of Senator John Chafee, Maurice "Mack" Allen, John Fitzgerald, Nathaniel "Taffy" Sceva, et.al., which are written lovingly as a tribute to the lives of these men and the women who loved and supported them. The memory of the funeral of Senator Chafee must have been most difficult to attend as it was a memory.
The book is not devoid of humor as at times Brady's telling of an incident brought on a chuckle or two. But it would have had to been exerienced to understand the reason for the chuckle. In the same vein, a tear was shed at times by the memory stirred.
The unabshed emotion(s) of the author are as open as any I have read. Brady doesn't mask his love for his compatriots-in-arms, expressing his love not for dramatic flare, but to tell them and the world "This is how I feel and it is also the Raison d' etre for the book".
James Brady dedicated the book to all who fought in Korea and provided to those who will not make the journey back a return from the comfort of an easy chair.
It is an easy read and thoughful. Try it!
A warm look back at a cold and scary place.......2006-03-17
Man... Talk about crabby... Everyone else who's reviewed this book so far here don't seem to be impressed. But I always enjoy James Brady's writing and this book was no exception. It's a memoir, of course. The underlying theme of the book is the march of time and how one looks back at -- or in this case, returns to -- a specific geographic place where youthful impressions were made, ideals died or changed... Where a young, unsure Marine officer discovered he did, in fact, have what it took to lead Marines in combat.
Those looking for edge-of-your seat combat with Marines gunning down on-rushing human waves of Chinese infantry will be disappointed. This book is more like a love letter to youth and to the Marine Corps. And taken in that context, it's a fine book and a satisfying read.
Book Description
he United States is heading directly toward a confron-ta-tion with North Korea. Everyday, we see a build-up to a situation similar to the morass we now know as Iraq. Carpenter and Bandow take a look at the twin crises now afflicting United States policy in East Asia and how we might best solve them: the reemergence of North Korea's nuclear weapons pro-gram and the growing anti-American sentiment in South Korea. They also question whether Washington's East Asia security strategy makes sense with the looming prospect of United States troops stationed in South Korea becoming nuclear hos-tages. Carpenter and Bandow put forth the most provoca-tive solution yet to this gnarled and dangerous situation.
Book Description
The fun and easy way to start speaking Korean
There are 42 million native Korean speakers, including more than 1 million in the U.S., and knowledge of Korean is increasingly in demand due to South Korea's growing economic influence and North Korea's continuing international security issues. This fun and easy guide helps people pick up basic skills in this challenging language. Complete with a CD featuring sample dialogues in MP3 format, it covers grammar, numbers, greetings and introductions, small talk, phone conversations, eating and drinking, money, transportation, directions, shopping, recreation, and emergencies.
Jungwook Hong (Charlottesville, VA) created a Korean language program and taught beginning-level Korean at the University of Virginia, where he also helped found the Korean Studies Organization. He has worked as an interpreter at international business conferences.
Customer Reviews:
Exposing US lies .......2006-03-01
A must read. Published during the war, I.F. Stone exposes US military communiques on the criminal bombing of North Korea which killed 2 million civilians, one-quarter of the population, as well as the use of millions of gallons of napalm on the civilian population.
This is one of the best books about the korean war........1998-08-15
I.f Stone presents a very well documented case much of what most people know about the Korean War is false. A must read.
Book Description
This book explores Korea's place in terms of multiple levels and domains of interaction pertaining to foreign-policy behaviors and relations with the four regional/global powers (China, Russia, Japan, and the United States). The synergy of global transformations has now brought to an end Korea's proverbial identity and role as the helpless shrimp among whales, and both North Korea and South Korea have taken on new roles in the process of redefining and projecting their national identities. Synthetic national identity theory offers a useful perspective on change and continuity in Korea's turbulent relationships with the great powers over the years. Following a review of Korean diplomatic history and competing theoretical approaches, along with a synthetic national-identity theory as an alternative approach, one chapter each is devoted to how Korea relates to the four powers in turn, and the book concludes with a consideration of inter-Korean relations and potential reunification.
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