III.H. Korea

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Anderson, Christopher J. The War in Korea: The U.S. Army in Korea, 1950-1953. [The G.I. Series: The Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment; v. 23] Greenhill Books (UK)/Stackpole Books (US) 2001 [The pictures in this series are supplemented with good captions. Most pictures are black & white, but a few are in color. Each book also has an introductory essay.]

Ballenger, Lee. The Outpost War: U.S. Marines in Korea, vol. 1: 1952. [Allan R. Millett, foreword] Brassey's 2000 [This book makes for a harrowing read as squads and platoons of Marines try holding strong points (often nothing more than a bunker and some trenches) on isolated hills against often overwhelming Chinese forces during the stalemate portion of the war. The positions had names that have entered the Marine Corps lore -- the Hook, Stromboli, Detroit, Frisco, Reno, Carson, Irene, and Bunker Hill. The raids and patrols, intense mortar barrages, grenade duels -- it's all here and thoroughly supplemented with dramatic excerpts from memoirs and after-action reports. The fighting in this forgotten phase of the war resulted in 7,800 Marine casualties. "A chilling and vivid account of a vicious and costly phase of the Korean War over terrain that still remains a no man's land. It awakened harrowing memories that I thought had been long buried. The war along what is now the Demilitarized Zone pitted brave men on both sides against one another in the face of the cruel might of artillery, mortars, machine guns, and grenades. . . . The survivors are soul-mates of the generation that fought a similar war at the Somme, Ypres, and Bellau Wood." -- Lt. Gen Bernard e. Trainor, USMC (Ret.). ". . . captures the dark excitement of the outpost fighting in Korea and the attitude of young Marines who crossed the mysterious all-or-nothing line to engage the Chinese in stark dramas of death. . . . military history of the first class." -- Martin Ross. "A fitting tribute to those who fought the most truly unknown part of the 'unknown war.'" -- Allan Millett (from the foreword).]

Berebitsky, William. A Very Long Weekend: The Army National Guard in Korea, 1950-1953. White Mane Pub. 1996

Brady, James. The Coldest War: A Memoir of Combat. Griffin/Thomas Dunne/St. Martins Pr. 2000 [This book was originally published in 1990. "War reporting at its best - a graphic depiction, in all its horror, of the war we've almost forgotten. . . . Jim Brady has used his finely honed reportorial skills to record his own front-line experiences in the Korean War. His story reads like a novel." -- Walter Cronkite. "A marvelous memoir. A sensitive and superbly written narrative that eventually explodes off the pages like a grenade in the gut. . . . Taut, tight, and telling. Jim Brady proves again that he is one of the most underrated writers in American books." -- Dan Rather. "It is about time somebody wrote about the personal side of the Korean War - the forgotten war. It is a gripping and honest book. Everyone prone to think simply about war should read it." -- Jim Lehrer.]

Brady, James. The Marines of Autumn: A Novel of the Korean War. St. Martin's Pr. 2000 [". . . captures the viciousness of combat, the brutal weather conditions, the forbidding terrain and the Marines' display of extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and valor." -- Publishers Weekly. "Readers nostalgic for the patriotic news reports of American wars prior to Vietnam, or those who enjoy vintage Hollywood war movies, will savor James Brady's accurate and informed treatment of the disastrous Chosin Reservoir campaign in North Korea in the fall and early winter of 1950. . . . Admittedly, it is hard to avoid cliché in this genre. The unconventional plot--an ill-advised advance followed by a hasty and equally costly retreat--helps Brady. And there is no flag-waving at the end. . . . The author's treatment is sentimental but realistic, and will be relished by Marines and ex-Marines alike, since the army is the butt of every joke." -- Regina Marler, Amazon.com. ". . . a bitter, despairing novel. . . . Gloomy, gory, and furiously critical of MacArthur. . . ." -- Kirkus Reviews . "Brady tells it like it was and tells it extremely well." -- Booklist.]

Breuer, William B. Shadow Warriors: The Covert War in Korea. John Wiley & Sons 1996 ["An absorbing text with colorful yarns. . . suitable for serious students of history as for fans of cloak-and-dagger mayhem military-style." -- Publishers Weekly
"In an engrossing tale of unsung heroes and high-risk missions, military historian Breuer penetrates the little-known espionage, proaganda, and guerrilla operations of the Korean War." -- Kirkus Reviews.]

Bruning, John R. Crimson Sky: The Air Battle for Korea. Brassey's 2000 [This book recounts twenty air missions which show a diversity of actions, e.g., air-to-air combat, ground support, the first air rescue of a downed pilot. It was time of transition as the tactics and technology of propellor aircraft change with the large-scale introduction of jet aircraft. This book was originally published in 1999. ". . . fills a long-felt need in the literature of the Korean air war, for it combines a broad overview of the war with intimate details that put you in the cockpit. Showing his mastery of the subject, [the author] covers far more than the fabled bouts of the F-86 and MiG-15, and in doing so, shows us how very proud we should be of the men who forgot 'the forgotten war.' The many personal accounts lend an immediacy to the book that makes it a real page-turner. The skies over Korea were in truth crimson, with the blood of brave American men who flew under extraordinary political handicaps." -- Walter J. Boyne.]

Bussey, Lt. Col. Charles M., USA (Ret.) Firefight at Yechon: Courage and Racism in the Korean War. Univ. of Nebraska Pr. 2002 [Bussey, a former Tuskegee airman and WW II fighter pilot, here describes the leading the 77th Engineer Combat Company at the beginning of the Korean War and for the next 205 days. He tells a story of constant combat with the North Koreans while having to deal with the racial hostility directed at his unit made up of black soldiers. He argues that black units received unfair criticism in the early days of the war as white and black units both disintigrated before the enemy onslaught. And Bussey's unit played a key role in the retaking of Yechon, the first major U.S. victory of the Korean War. This book was originally published in 1991.]

Edwards, Paul M., compiler. The Korean War: An Annotated Bibliography. [Bibliographies and Indexes in Military Studies, no. 10] Greenwood Pr. 1998 [Edwards lists 2205 official reports, books, articles, theses, etc., and gives a brief one or two sentence description of each (occasionally running to three or four sentences). An author index and subject index are included. This book was featured in Issue #29 of Paper Wars magazine.]

Evanhoe, Ed. Dark Moon: Eighth Army Special Operations in the Korean War. [Naval Institute Special Warfare Series] Naval Institute Pr. 1995

Fehrenbach, T.R. This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War Story. Brassey's 2001 [This is the trade paperback 50th Anniversary (of the Korean War) edition of the noted work which was originally published in 1963 with the title, This Kind of War: A Study in Preparedness. Fehrenbach, a veteran of Korea, commanded units at the platoon, company, and battalion levels during the war. "The lesson of the Korean War as it has not been told by anyone. . . terse, machine-gun bursts of common sense." -- Life. "Immensely readable." -- The New York Times. "A comprehensive and impressively written history of the Korean War." -- Los Angeles Times. "An extremely readable book, filled with human interest and vigorous action scenes." -- New York Herald Tribune. This book is still available in a 50th Anniversary hardcover edition that was published in 2000.]

Foster, Simon. Hit the Beach!: The Drama of Amphibious Warfare. [Cassell Military Classics Series] Cassell (UK)/Sterling (US) 1998 [Originally published in 1995 with the subtitle, Amphibious Warfare from the Plains of Abraham to San Carlos Water, this book is part of the new Cassell Military Classics Series which draws on books formerly published under the Arms and Armour imprint. Foster recounts four amphibious campaigns in this work: the capture of Quebec in 1759, the Dardanelles offensive of 1915-16, the 1950 Inchon landings during the Korean War, and the Falkland Islands conflict of 1982.]

Giangreco, D.M. War in Korea 1950-1953. Presidio Pr. 2000 [This is an oversized hardcover history of the war using over 500 photographs with useful captions. This book was originally published in 1990.]

Hammel, Eric. Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War. [Gen. Lemuel C. Shepard, Jr., USMC (Ret.), intro.] Presidio Pr. 1994 [This book was originally published in 1981.]

Hammel, Eric. Marines at War: 20 True Heroic Tales of U.S. Marines in Combat, 1942-1983. Pacifica Pr. 1999 [Hammel provides 10 dramatic accounts of the Marines in action in WW II in the Pacific, three stories from Korea, six from Vietnam, and one from Beirut, Lebanon.]

Hickey, Michael. The Korean War: The West Confronts Communism. Overlook Pr. 2000 ["Michael Hickey offers a valuable contribution to the literature with The Korean War, which examines the conflict from the point of view of America's United Nations allies, an international force comprising contingents from Turkey, England, India, Australia, Canada, Belgium, and Norway, among other countries. Hickey, who served as a lieutenant in the British forces (he modestly describes himself as an "insignificant packhorse"), examines the debates surrounding UN involvement and the British government's fear of parting ways with the Truman administration over the best approach to containing North Korean and Chinese ambitions. . . . He observes that the war was "well worth the effort," for with it world communism "was firmly confronted and rebuffed." Well written and carefully documented, his book offers a thoughtful history of a conflict that still haunts our time." -- Gregory McNamee, Amazon.com.]

Holober, Frank. Raiders of the China Coast: CIA Covert Operations during the Korean War. [Naval Institute Special Warfare Series] Naval Institute Pr. 1999 ["All of us who served off the China mainland in the early 1950s have reason to be pleased that Frank Holober has written such and engaging account of that interesting period. Chinese scholar, participant, keen observer, and gifted writer, Holober deserves much credit for breaking the seal of secrecy surrounding the CIA operations off China." -- Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC (Ret.) Commandant, 1979-83 commander, Ta-ch'en base. "This story of American support of -- and often direct operational involvement with -- the coastal guerrillas of the Republic of China during the Korean War is long overdue in the telling. Holober has done a superb job recounting that story, as well as the individual stories of the characters who made up Western Enterprises Incorporated. . . . [This book] puts a human face on the CIA and illuminates at least one aspect of its contribution to U.S. foreign policy." -- Ambassador Robert Sherwood Dillon. "Historians of the future can thank Frank Holober for lifting the veil covering this operation and opening a specialized fragment of history to the public. As an eyewitness to many of the events he describes, I can testify to the accuracy of his observations. . . . He has delivered a whale of a story that makes us all proud to have been part of it." -- Lt. Col. Edward S. Hamilton, USA (Ret.), commander, Quemoy base. "This is an authentic firsthand, lively, and insightful account of an audacious CIA plan to stir up the remnants of the defeated Chinese Nationalist army and civilians still loyal to Chiang Kai-shek and build a guerrilla movement that would divert Chinese Communist troops from the Korean front. With a keen eye, sharpened by his Chinese expertise, Holober has recorded the high and low points of this Terry-and-the-Pirates adventure to illuminate and overlooked corner of an important facet of the Cold War in Asia." -- Robert J. Myers, Hoover Institution former CIA official in Asia.]

Jackson, Robert. Air War Korea 1950-1953. Motorbooks 1998

Leckie, Robert. Conflict: The History of the Korean War. Da Capo 1996 ["The best history of the Korean War." -- Army Times.]

Leckie, Robert. The March to Glory. ibooks 2002 [This book is a popular history that recounts the amazing story of the First Marine Division which fought overwhelming Chinese forces and horrific weather (-25 degrees Fahrenheit) in the withdrawal from Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam, a North Korean port almost eighty miles away. This book was originally published in 1960.]

Maher, William L. A Shepard in Combat Boots: Chaplain Emil Kapuan of the 1st Cavalry Division. Burd Street Pr./White Mane 1997 [If you've been lamenting America's lack of heroes, here's a book that should renew your faith in the American spirit -- certainly, in the human spirit. U.S. Army Chaplain Emil Kapaun died in one of North Korea's notorious Chinese prison camps in 1951, but the story of his heroic struggle to save the lives, souls and sanity of his men during the seven months of his captivity is extraordinary, and one too few Americans know about.
William Maher tells Father Kapaun's story in this moving biography of an ordinary man touched by grace. Drawing from more than 250 sources, including diaries, correspondence and scores of interviews with surviving POWs, he weaves a compelling narrative that begins with a story of courage and ends in the mystery of faith. Some believe Father Kapaun may become the first American born in this century to be canonized by the Vatican. (In 1993, he was named "Servant of God," a first step in the lenghthy canonization process.) In the 1950s American Catholics stormed Hollywood with petitions to make a motion picture based on Father Kapaun's life. That effort failed, but Maher's book captures all the drama in an easy read.
The only thing wrong with this book is the picture on the cover -- an ethereal-looking portrait of a young Emil Kapaun in Roman collor. The real Kapaun looked more like every American family's war vet on the mantle. That's what makes his story so uplifting. It's about a very real American, one you could swear you've met somewhere not so long ago, back when all men were expected to "serve their country" and all priests were supposed to become saints. One, at least, may have done both. (This review contributed by Anne Flannery).]

Murphy, Edward F. Korean War Heroes. Presidio Pr. 1997 ["[The author] has interwoven the story of each of the Medal of Honor winners into an overview history of the Korean War. . . . Their heroic actions are retold within the context of what was going on around them, both in their units and in the larger scope of the war itself." -- Infantry Magazine. "Highly charged, emotinal incidents. . . . the extraordinary courage of these men shines through." -- The Retired Officer Magazine. "Murphy decribes the essence of combat, the dignity, the inhumanity, the waste." -- San Antonio Express-News. Originally published in 1992.]

Owen, Joseph R. Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir. Ivy Books 1997 [This is Owen's dramatic account of the hurriedly assembled mix of 200 veterans and raw recruits and their effort to spearhead the Marine withdrawal through the snowy mountains in North Korea. Owen commanded the mortars and a rifle platoon in this action. Originally published by Naval Institute Pr. in 1996, this book is still available in a hardcover edition. In 1998 it was released in an audiotape edition in the Naval Institute Press Audiobooks "Now Hear This" Series. Unlike so many other audiotapes, this is an unabridged edition of the book. There are six cassettes running nine hours and they are nicely packaged. The reader, Richard Rohan, is very capable. He is able to handle the text discussing combat, the wounded screaming, panic, shouts, etc. without sounding campy, corny or maudlin, something not all readers can do. If you do a lot of commuting or have a long drive ahead of you, get these tapes. "Owen's firsthand account is chilling and rather wonderful." -- James Brady, author, The Coldest War. "Owen's account of Baker-One-Seven's courageous ordeal is blunt, authentic, and compelling -- a fitting tribute to his company and to his Corps." -- Col. Joseph H. Alexander, USMC (Ret.), author Storm Landings.]

Paschall, Rod. Witness to War: Korea. Perigee [Berkley] 1995 [A short introduction to the Korean War. This book makes a very good first book to read on Korea, or a great refresher for those who do not read regularly on this conflict.]

Russ, Martin. Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950. Penguin 2000 [This is an account of Chosin by a Marine who earned a Purple Heart during his service in Korea. "An engrossing account. . . . Vivid, at times powerful; emotional but unsentimental." -- Ronald Spector, The New York Times. "No more chilling or terrible account of war in a frozen hell has ever been written. Nor has any American army come as close to panic and disintegration . . . if they ever had a stanza to the 'Marines Hymn,' here are the lyrics." -- James Brady, author of The Coldest War. "A century from now the U.S. Marines will still be toasting their brave comrades who fought their way out of the Frozen Chosin in the Freezing Season. Martin Russ has done us all a great service by retelling the story with fresh insight." -- James Webb. "The most gripping account of a legendary battle . . . at last, half a century after it happened, Martin Russ has given us the definitive story of an epic. This is a vital and lasting contribution, a sermon on the splendor of human courage." -- W.E.B. Griffin. Originally published by Fromm International in 1999, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Sandler, Stanley, ed. The Korean War: An Encyclopedia. [Military History of the United States, v. 4] Garland Publ. 1995 [Sandler's encyclopedia is an excellent piece of work that features wide-ranging but detailed essays by sixty-three historians. For example, the entry "Korea and the United States to 1945" runs four and one-half pages, "Korea and the United States, 1945-1950" is seven and one-half pages long, Inchon -- four pages, naval air operations runs nine and on-half pages, the US Marine Corps entry is eight and one-half pages, the Turkish Brigade receives two pages. Almost every entry has a bibliography, and the book has a further twenty-nine page bibliography plus an index. Only the poorly reproduced maps mar this fine work." -- Fritz Heinzen, Paper Wars magazine, issue #29.]

Sandler, Stanley. The Korean War: No Victors, No Vanquished. Univ. Pr. of Kentucky 1999 [This is a concise, one-volume history of the war. This book was published simultaneously in a hardcover edition.]

Shrader, Charles R. Communist Logistics in the Korean War. [Contributions in Military Studies, no. 160] Greenwood Pr. 1995

Simmons, Edward Howard. Dog Company 6: A Novel. Berkley Books 2001 [This is the story of a Marine rifle unit in the Korean War. It focuses on George Bayard, a reserve captain recalled to active duty at the beginning of the war. The author, Brig. Gen. Edwin Howard Simmons, USMC (Ret.), served with the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1978, including combat in both World War II and Vietnam. During the Korean War, he took part in the Inchon landing, the Chosin Reservoir campaign, and the spring offensive, earning a Silver Star, a Bronze star, and a Purple Heart. He was also the director of Marine Corps History and Museums, retiring in 1996. "If you want to know what it was like to be a Marine at Inchon or the Chosin Reservoir, read Edwin Howard Simmons." -- Stephen E. Ambrose. "Not just an action-adventure story-though it is that, to be sure-but a starkly realistic portrait of infantry combat. . . . a valuable contribution to both the literature of the Marine Corps and the Korean War." -- Marine Corps Gazette. ". . . evocative writing cuts through the mist of half a century to bring into stark relief a proud Corps of Marines in one of their darkest-and finest--hours." -- W.E.B. Griffen. "Will bring you to tears of sorrow and tears of joy." -- Leon Uris. "An intense, psychological novel by a retired Marine general who fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam and knows how to write." -- USA Today. "In a class by itself. . . . Is Dog Company Six the best autobiographical novel to come out of the Korean War? Aye, Sir!" -- Leatherneck. "Superb. The fear, the stench, the endless number of ifs and the heaven/hell all in one lump, are there." -- Harry Jackson, combat artist. "A superb novel. It works as a story of the Korean War and the U.S. Marine Corps, but also as a probe into the deepest reaches of the human condition." -- Jim Lehrer. "Simmons masterfully sets the scenes, allowing the reader to share the intensity and realism experienced by Marines." -- The Globe. "An excellent debut novel. . . ." -- Publishers Weekly. "An absorbing tale. Simmons's depth of understanding, insider knowledge, and informed compassion are especially effective." -- Library Journal. "Time has not diminished. . . . the authentic ring of the words spoken by his characters." -- Associated Press. ""Simmons's novel describes well the miseries of . . . how a few hundred men slugged their way to victory or death."" -- Washington Post. "This is the best Korean War novel I have read." -- T.R. Fehrenbach, author of This Kind of War. Originally published by Naval Institute Press in 2000, this book is still available in a hardcover edition.]

Spurr, Russell. Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the U.S. in Korea, 1950-1951. Newmarket Pr. 1998 [This is an account of the Chinese entry into the Korean War. It was originally published in 1988, which is notable because Spurr was one of the first authors to make extensive use of Chinese sources in the writing of this book (he was also one of the first Western correspondents to report from Beijing after the creation of the People's Republic of China). As a correspondent he covered both the Korean War and the conflict in Indochina. "Dramatic . . . Spurr has tackled a difficult topic and is to be applauded." -- New York Times Book Review. "His unique opportunity to use Chinese and North Korean archives and his interviews with many participants, from privates to generals, give the work a reality not found in comparable books. . . . Spurr offers an invaluable explanation of why China fought in Korea and why it fought as it did. Essential." -- Library Journal.]

Stanton, Shelby L. Ten Corps in Korea, 1950. Presidio Pr. 1996 [A very favorably reviewed book when it came out in 1989. At that time the title was America's Tenth Legion: X Corps in Korea, 1950.]

Stanton, Shelby L. U.S. Army Uniforms of the Korean War. Stackpole Books 1992

Terry, Addison. The Battle for Pusan: A Korean War Memoir. Presido Pr. 2000 [Terry was a lieutenant in the 27th RCT (Regimental Combat Team), a unit that was used as a "fire brigade" to plug the North Korean breakthroughs in the Allied perimeter around Pusan.]

Thomas, Nigel & Peter Abbott. The Korean War. [Mike Chappell, illus.] Osprey (UK)/Stackpole (US) 2000 [This is a new edition of Osprey Men-at-Arms #174. It was originally published in 1986 with the title, The Korean War 1950-53.]

Thompson, Leroy. America's Commandos: U.S. Special Operations Forces of World War II and Korea. [The G.I. Series: The Illustrated History of the American Soldier, His Uniform and His Equipment, v. 25] Greenhill Books (UK) 2001/Stackpole Books (US) 2002 [The pictures in this series are supplemented with good captions. Most pictures are black & white, but a few are in color. Each book also has an introductory essay.]

Wilson, Jim. Retreat, Hell! Pocket Books 1997 [An account of the 1st Marines and Chosin Reservoir.]

Zellers, Larry. In Enemy Hands: A Prisoner in North Korea. [John Toland, foreword] Univ. Pr. of Kentucky 1999 [This is the memoir of a newly married Methodist minister who was serving as a missionary and teacher in a town just south of the 38th parallel when North Korean troops overran it on 25 June, 1950. He was held in brutal and inhumane POW camps until released in 1953 (at which point he became a U.S. Air Force chaplain). "This harrowing but inspiring account is especially absorbing." -- Publishers Weekly. "A chilling account of the suffering he and a group of fellow civilians endured during three years as prisoners of Communist North Korea." -- Retired Officer Magazine. "Gives some new insights into the treatment and thinking of American prisoners. . . . Zellers writes with authority on such issues as strategies for survival in a POW environment and the subsequent need for a strong will to live. . . . A compelling book." -- Military.]

Zhang, Shu Guang. Mao's Military Romanticism: China and the Korean War, 1950-1953. Univ. Pr. of Kansas 1995

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