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Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story
An epic story of valor and sacrifice by a legendary Marine company in the Korean War brought to gripping, cinematic light by an acclaimed historian ("Gives the brave Marines of George Company long overdue recognition"--New York Post) "What would you want if you could have any wish?" asked the photojournalist of the haggard, bloodied Marine before him. The Marine gaped at his interviewer. The photographer snapped his picture, which became the iconic Korean War image featured on this book's jacket. "Give me tomorrow," he said at last.After nearly four months of continuous and agonizing combat on the battlefields of Korea, such a simple request seemed impossible. For many men of George Company, or "Bloody George" as they were known-one of the Forgotten War's most decorated yet unrecognized companies-it was a wish that would not come true.This is the untold story of "Bloody George," a Marine company formed quickly to answer its nation's call to duty in 1950. This small band of men-a colorful cast of characters, including a Native American fighting to earn his honor as a warrior, a Southern boy from Tennessee at odds with a Northern blue-blood reporter-turned-Marine, and a pair of twins who exemplified to the group the true meaning of brotherhood-were mostly green troops who had been rushed through training to fill America's urgent need on the Korean front. They would find themselves at the tip of the spear in some of the Korean War's bloodiest battles.After storming ashore at Inchon and fighting house-to-house in Seoul, George Company, one of America's last units in reserve, found itself on the frozen tundra of the Chosin Reservoir facing elements of an entire division of Chinese troops. They didn't realize it then, but they were soon to become crucial to the battle-modern-day Spartans called upon to hold off ten times their number. Give Me Tomorrow is their unforgettable story of bravery and courage. Thoroughly researched and vividly told, Give Me Tomorrow is fitting testament to the heroic deeds of George Company. They will never again be forgotten.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2010
181 people are currently reading
1286 people want to read
About the author
Patrick K. O'Donnell
14 books270 followersO’Donnell is a bestselling author, critically acclaimed military historian and an expert on elite units. The author of twelve books, including: Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution, The Unknowns, First SEALs, Give Me Tomorrow, The Brenner Assignment, We Were One, Beyond Valor, and Dog Company, he has also served as a combat historian in a Marine rifle platoon during the Battle of Fallujah and speaks often on espionage, special operations, and counterinsurgency. He has provided historical consulting for DreamWorks’ award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers and for scores of documentaries produced by the BBC, the History Channel, and Discovery and is the recipient of several national awards. He also regularly contributes to several national publications and shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
October 4, 2017
My grandfather fought in the Korean War. I can't really talk to him about it. Couple that with my impression that he's also not going to be with us much longer, so a natural and deep desire has brewed within me to know something of what he went through. This leads me to a book like Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story by Patrick K. O'Donnell.
I know so very little about this war. The reasons for the conflict, the region, the location of individual battles, etc etc, it's all new to me. My ignorance hindered my enjoyment of this book. It made following the story difficult because I was trying to envision where it all took place, and while O'Donnell did a decent job describing terrain and conditions, I still felt lost.
That didn't deter from my appreciation of the story told and of the sacrifice made by the soldiers of George Company, the featured unit of the book. What they did during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir was incredible. Absolutely unbelievable. I highly recommend Give Me Tomorrow. It gave me a footing from which I will continue my education into a largely forgotten conflict.
I know so very little about this war. The reasons for the conflict, the region, the location of individual battles, etc etc, it's all new to me. My ignorance hindered my enjoyment of this book. It made following the story difficult because I was trying to envision where it all took place, and while O'Donnell did a decent job describing terrain and conditions, I still felt lost.
That didn't deter from my appreciation of the story told and of the sacrifice made by the soldiers of George Company, the featured unit of the book. What they did during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir was incredible. Absolutely unbelievable. I highly recommend Give Me Tomorrow. It gave me a footing from which I will continue my education into a largely forgotten conflict.
March 22, 2018
Give me tomorrow gets 4 Stars for the story of George Company, mainly told in the words of the men who fought in its battles. We follow the unit from the Inchon landing to the street-fighting in Seoul and then to the landings on the eastern coast of Korea and the battles of the Chosin Reservoir. George Co. fought in the Drysdale Task Force that fought its way from Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri to bring crucial reinforcements to that desperate fight. “Bloody” George then was tasked to take and hold “East Hill” overlooking the airfield and main route to be used in the retreat from Chosin (or the “attack in a new direction”). The “epic stand” of George Co. on the hill is covered quickly. There are a couple of future Army Lt Generals (one a lieutenant and one a PFC) in George Co as well as three Medal of Honor recipients. My one complaint would be the book is way too short because George Co was in many battles and fought in Korea for a long time. Should have been included in the book.
Some great vignettes, here is a trick from WWI still in use in the Korean War:
Fighting in Seoul, the Marines never knew when they might bump into the enemy:
Every Marine is a rifleman first and must take care of his weapon at all time:
Some Marines swore they heard the Chinese attackers swearing at them during the night time assault:
Some great vignettes, here is a trick from WWI still in use in the Korean War:
Fighting in Seoul, the Marines never knew when they might bump into the enemy:
Every Marine is a rifleman first and must take care of his weapon at all time:
Some Marines swore they heard the Chinese attackers swearing at them during the night time assault:
February 20, 2023
For a long time I wanted to learn more about the Korean War.
I would imagine anyone with an interest in military history would find this book absorbing and compelling. I do wish it included a little more background on the war itself, but take that as my personal preference versus a criticism. Looking forward to deepening my knowledge on the war, and I'm certain these scenes of George company will always stay with me.
I would imagine anyone with an interest in military history would find this book absorbing and compelling. I do wish it included a little more background on the war itself, but take that as my personal preference versus a criticism. Looking forward to deepening my knowledge on the war, and I'm certain these scenes of George company will always stay with me.
October 4, 2013
I have absolutely no complaints with this book, but I cannot give it more than three stars. It is a war book. It describes in great detail exactly what happened to George Company at Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. As such, it depicts many individuals' experiences and so you do NOT get close to any one person. I prefer books that draw me close to the thoughts of one or just a few individuals.
The audiobook's narration by Lloyd James was good.
The audiobook's narration by Lloyd James was good.
March 22, 2015
I have uncles and cousins who served in Korea, yet from my schooling until now this truly is the "forgotten war". "Give Me Tomorrow" is gut wrenchingly honest, poignant, and real. Yet the brave men who fought with George Company (Marines), as well as all the men from every branch of the military, were funny, brave and candid about their fear. Their humanity could have been killed on those frozen fields in Korea, but as the men saw family pictures in some of the dead enemies pockets their hearts broke for all the loss and destruction of war. The battles were grueling and for the men still living those battles are even now being fought in their dreams. Read this book. Pass it on to another. Our brave soldiers deserve to have us listen to their story.
February 10, 2018
I've read quite a few books on the Korean war over the years but not so many on grunt/jarhead level so it was quite interesting to get this collection of memories linked by the narration of the author.
Apart from the Chosin Reservoir campaign the anecdotes on Inchon and Seoul caught my attention, notably Seoul which is a campaign often under the shadow of the main feats of Inchon and Chosin.
The style is good if a bit praising and emphatic but that's to be expected in this kind of book.
The link between the "great" and "small" History is correctly done yet I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read a bigger overview of the Korean War before. Being on company level is too narrow a focus to fully appreciate the events that surround the protagonists.
Apart from the Chosin Reservoir campaign the anecdotes on Inchon and Seoul caught my attention, notably Seoul which is a campaign often under the shadow of the main feats of Inchon and Chosin.
The style is good if a bit praising and emphatic but that's to be expected in this kind of book.
The link between the "great" and "small" History is correctly done yet I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read a bigger overview of the Korean War before. Being on company level is too narrow a focus to fully appreciate the events that surround the protagonists.
March 2, 2022
Audible.com
This book is my first look into the Korean War. Patrick O'Donnell takes the reader on a brief overview of the military status of the U.S. just prior to the invasion by North Korea into the South. Then we take a trip from Camp Pendleton to Inchong, South Korea with George Company of the U.S. Marines about half of whom had had only 6 to 8 weeks of preparation. After reclaiming the territory lost and expelling or capturing invaders, a disastrous decision is made by General D. McArthur to cross the 38th parallel and push into the heart of North Korea. Most of these young men and their officers had expected to be out of Korea before Thanksgiving. They hadn't even been issued cold weather gear. What in sued became a battle for survival by Faith Company U.S. Army on the west and George Company on the east with plunging temperatures of the Siberian winter and an overwhelming invasion by Chinese guerrillas with Americans outnumbered 8 to 1. My great respect goes to the men who made the trip north out of duty and support for their country. My soul hurts for all the lives lost both American and Chinese. War is awful.
This book is my first look into the Korean War. Patrick O'Donnell takes the reader on a brief overview of the military status of the U.S. just prior to the invasion by North Korea into the South. Then we take a trip from Camp Pendleton to Inchong, South Korea with George Company of the U.S. Marines about half of whom had had only 6 to 8 weeks of preparation. After reclaiming the territory lost and expelling or capturing invaders, a disastrous decision is made by General D. McArthur to cross the 38th parallel and push into the heart of North Korea. Most of these young men and their officers had expected to be out of Korea before Thanksgiving. They hadn't even been issued cold weather gear. What in sued became a battle for survival by Faith Company U.S. Army on the west and George Company on the east with plunging temperatures of the Siberian winter and an overwhelming invasion by Chinese guerrillas with Americans outnumbered 8 to 1. My great respect goes to the men who made the trip north out of duty and support for their country. My soul hurts for all the lives lost both American and Chinese. War is awful.
June 20, 2012
This was the 1st book I had read b by Mr. O'Donnell.
I must say that I was truely taken away and could taste the mud in my mouth and the sweat from my brow.
I had never really read any books about Korea. Not,that I didn't want to... Just thatI had never really found one that got my interest. I must say this is a fine fine book. I would reccommend this book to anybody that wants a good read. A good read about heores, soldiers, the bond that makes them and the blood, sweat and tears of true hero's. Fantastic. Gripping. Sad and Triumphant.
Cudo's Mr. O'Donnell.
Thx For the Book.
I must say that I was truely taken away and could taste the mud in my mouth and the sweat from my brow.
I had never really read any books about Korea. Not,that I didn't want to... Just thatI had never really found one that got my interest. I must say this is a fine fine book. I would reccommend this book to anybody that wants a good read. A good read about heores, soldiers, the bond that makes them and the blood, sweat and tears of true hero's. Fantastic. Gripping. Sad and Triumphant.
Cudo's Mr. O'Donnell.
Thx For the Book.
November 29, 2020
What a book. Definitely being added to the library.
December 20, 2024
This is the Marine’s Korean War “Band of Brothers”. It’s visceral, violent, and highlights George Company into the Chosin Reservoir. I often thought that this was the nonfiction of Jeff Shaara’s “The Frozen Hours”. I really enjoyed this look into the Korean War. Just would have liked more background into the war itself. It follows the unit specifically during the Chosin Reservoir and the retrograde after the Chinese horde assault.
October 17, 2022
Great account of America's forgotten war. I've always admired the tenacity of the veterans that fought and survived the Chosin Reservoir campaign but this book takes it to another level.
March 4, 2017
The Marines of George Company, known as "Bloody George" during the Korean War, survived some of the most rugged battles of that conflict. During the war's first year, this green company of men was formed rapidly to fight the North Koreans as they quickly advanced to conquer most of the south. Storming ashore as part of Douglas MacArthur's masterful Inchon landing, George Company fought house-to-house through Seoul up to the frozen Chosin Reservoir as the Chinese entered the war in force. This unit held the line, allowing the American-led UN forces to regroup and fight again. While the book does a fine job of showing off the colorful characters of men in this unit, it feels a bit stereotypical. Much of the book feels like a rehash of any good World War II war movie. Most frustratingly, the book stops in December 1950, at the end of the battle at Chosin. A short appendix gives the highlights of George Company's experiences during the remaining two and a half years of the "forgotten war." This creates a narrative that feels unfinished, as if the author lost interest. Give Me Tomorrow is good but feels unfinished.
March 20, 2016
"The Greatest Untold Story"... is attached to many books today to peak one's interest; give and take a little they are nearly all most interesting, though their qualities as the greatest untold story are up to the reader.
This is not my favorite book on the Korean War. At times, the importance of G. Company (of which the story surrounds) seems blown in comparison to the other Companys' and Battalions. And at times the quantity of characters mixed with anecdotes were a bit incohesive and made it harder to follow. This may be a result that I was listening to an audio-book... and I may, in future, change my mind on a second reading.
That said, I liked this book. A whole lot. O'Donnell's introduction to the book was enough to grab anyone. He gives a very helpful explanation and summary of the causes of the war (which made my blood boil!), and surprisingly treated Gen. MacArthur with a great deal of grace as he dealt with the various complicated issues that arose from high-command. The stories he tells of the cold, the hardness, the fighting, the men; they are all tremendous. Especially in the 4th quarter of the book during the climax of the fighting (end of November, early December '50). The last lines in the book, though spoken by an enemy Chinese officer, are absolutely tear-jerking.
Something that continually stuck out was the high number of WWII veterans who saw combat in Korea and eventually gave up their lives for brand new recruits. There is always great courage and fear in battle, but when one survives a great world war and is called in to action again, you would suppose they try to be careful with their lives. Not so here. Over and over again accounts are given from newbie Marines who's lives were saved by an "Old WWII Vet" (25-30 years) who had survived Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, the Normandy invasion, only to give up their life for a replacement soldier in Korea. It is a irony of war; tragic indeed. Yet it is also a remarkable and powerful act of devotion to duty and comrades. Semper Fidelis
This is not my favorite book on the Korean War. At times, the importance of G. Company (of which the story surrounds) seems blown in comparison to the other Companys' and Battalions. And at times the quantity of characters mixed with anecdotes were a bit incohesive and made it harder to follow. This may be a result that I was listening to an audio-book... and I may, in future, change my mind on a second reading.
That said, I liked this book. A whole lot. O'Donnell's introduction to the book was enough to grab anyone. He gives a very helpful explanation and summary of the causes of the war (which made my blood boil!), and surprisingly treated Gen. MacArthur with a great deal of grace as he dealt with the various complicated issues that arose from high-command. The stories he tells of the cold, the hardness, the fighting, the men; they are all tremendous. Especially in the 4th quarter of the book during the climax of the fighting (end of November, early December '50). The last lines in the book, though spoken by an enemy Chinese officer, are absolutely tear-jerking.
Something that continually stuck out was the high number of WWII veterans who saw combat in Korea and eventually gave up their lives for brand new recruits. There is always great courage and fear in battle, but when one survives a great world war and is called in to action again, you would suppose they try to be careful with their lives. Not so here. Over and over again accounts are given from newbie Marines who's lives were saved by an "Old WWII Vet" (25-30 years) who had survived Guadalcanal, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, the Normandy invasion, only to give up their life for a replacement soldier in Korea. It is a irony of war; tragic indeed. Yet it is also a remarkable and powerful act of devotion to duty and comrades. Semper Fidelis
November 20, 2020
I'm a fan of Pat O'Donnell without being a fan of his writing. This is the second of his books that I've read this week, and I found both to be less than I expected. I think O'Donnell thinks the facts can stand for themselves, and he doesn't need to draw the reader in with interesting writing.
My main complaints about this book are 1) a lack of explaining the greater context of the what/why, 2) lots of names and places without stories to make them more remarkable, and 3) upon finishing, I almost feel like I've forgotten it. I've read a couple books (Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine and This Kind of War: The Classic Military History of the Korean War) about the Korean War, and without them, I don't think I would have appreciated/understood this account. The Korean War, like all war, is tragic and horrific. In George Company, of the 17 men who started on the machine gun team at Inchon, only 3 remained after the exit from the Chosin Reservoir. And while the death toll was high for the Marines, Task Force Faith's convey retreating from the Chosin was utterly destroyed. O'Donnell addressed it indirectly, but he didn't dwell on how much better the Marines performed than the Army. The hardship they endured is hard to comprehend (one day reached -125 degrees -wind chill was 65mph).
Lots of great stories in here - especially of Rocco Zullo. I hope this isn't really an untold story and I can read more about it by another author.
My main complaints about this book are 1) a lack of explaining the greater context of the what/why, 2) lots of names and places without stories to make them more remarkable, and 3) upon finishing, I almost feel like I've forgotten it. I've read a couple books (Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine and This Kind of War: The Classic Military History of the Korean War) about the Korean War, and without them, I don't think I would have appreciated/understood this account. The Korean War, like all war, is tragic and horrific. In George Company, of the 17 men who started on the machine gun team at Inchon, only 3 remained after the exit from the Chosin Reservoir. And while the death toll was high for the Marines, Task Force Faith's convey retreating from the Chosin was utterly destroyed. O'Donnell addressed it indirectly, but he didn't dwell on how much better the Marines performed than the Army. The hardship they endured is hard to comprehend (one day reached -125 degrees -wind chill was 65mph).
Lots of great stories in here - especially of Rocco Zullo. I hope this isn't really an untold story and I can read more about it by another author.
March 12, 2022
There are some great books written on the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. In particular, Hampton Side’s “On Desperate Ground” is my favorite and in the epilogue he lists “Give Me Tomorrow” as a wonderful read for anyone interest in additional history/story about the battle. I enjoyed the book, relished the specific stories of individual marines, their incredible toughness, selflessness, and love for one another. My grandfather was a Marine who fought in Korea. And this book tells an important story and does a nice job of placing the men of George Company within the larger context of the Korean War. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoyed this book also read “On Desperate Ground,” which paints a vivid picture of the personalities, idiosyncrasies, and characteristics of the three biggest American military leaders of this particular part of the Korean War: General MacArthur, General Ned Almond, and General Oliver P. Smith (the most underrated American General maybe ever).
November 17, 2020
It is difficult to rate this book as amazing, as I cannot entire recommend it to everyone, yet I would recommend everyone to read from its genre. Of the stories of the past with which I am trying to familiarize myself, the Korean war was never high on that list. I know this book is not comprehensive to the scope of the battle, but I think it gives enough of an overview to help form an opinion of what happened... With the war, with North Korea, and with communism.
I half wonder if two or three different choices would not only have changed the outcome of the war, but the history of the world.
It's bloody and graphic and sad. We cannot brush over the events of history without pausing the focus in on the actors, both great and small, to feel the broken and beating heart of our nation and our world. It's a good read, but it is a hard read.
I half wonder if two or three different choices would not only have changed the outcome of the war, but the history of the world.
It's bloody and graphic and sad. We cannot brush over the events of history without pausing the focus in on the actors, both great and small, to feel the broken and beating heart of our nation and our world. It's a good read, but it is a hard read.
April 22, 2021
A compelling history of George Company and their struggle in America's forgotten war. Compelling because it is personal, albeit a bit fragmented as O'Donnell hops from scene to scene. This one is not about strategy or policy. It is about the grunt's experience, his challenges, trials, loss, and the journey to overcome. We may not get to know any one individual well in this telling, but we do get an intimate view into one Company's experience through the hell of war and how it sometimes brings out the best in us.
This is my first read (listen) of O'Donnell's work and I will definitely be reading more of it. His writing brings the moment into view in a personal way. The Audible.com version is read by Lloyd James, whose work adds to the story and its personalization.
This is my first read (listen) of O'Donnell's work and I will definitely be reading more of it. His writing brings the moment into view in a personal way. The Audible.com version is read by Lloyd James, whose work adds to the story and its personalization.
May 11, 2017
This is an unbelievable story. This is a very real, very gritty book. The amount of death and misery that these men endured was completely astounding. The battles they fought against a relentless and numerically superior enemy were described in great detail. And when the men weren't fighting the enemy, they were fighting temperatures of -40 to -60 degrees with wind chills much lower. Read this book. What these men, and others, went through in this terrible war should not be forgotten.
I couldn't put this book down.
I couldn't put this book down.
August 2, 2022
About the only thing I can say about this book is that it should probably be required reading for all American students. I bet it would instill for more than a few of our young people here (and now) just how good their lives truly are…
February 29, 2020
This account was so moving, I literally cried! I couldn’t put it down. The men of George company went through hell.
December 16, 2022
Excellent book. My grandfather was killed in the Korean war. Getting educated about what happened during the war seems to help the fact that he wasn’t able to be a part of my life.
March 11, 2024
I am sorry, but I believe the men of George company deserve better. Theirs is a truly heroic story, and one is delighted that the spotlight of history has shone on them. However, one wishes that they had a better proponent for their story.
I have any number of issues, but chief among them are the following:
1) Right at the start of the book, Mr. O'Donnell makes the unpardonable error of making himself central to the narrative.
2) His representation of Don Carlos Faith seemed extremely churlish. Col. Faith was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, but reading this book you would have never known it.
3) The backdrop of events and the historic detail associated with those events were off - particularly in the case of Taskforce Drysdale.
4) The devil is in the detail and the accuracy of the fact checking around those details really wasn't great - George Company's comrades in arms, for instance, were Royal Marines; not hard to get right, but Mr. O'Donnell persistently gets it wrong.
5) There were a number of peculiar footnotes, which were repetitious in nature, especially when compared to the text itself - why weren't these properly edited? This sloppiness smacks of filler when none is required in a set of stories so gripping in nature.
6) The "where are they now section" seemed sadly lacking - these are heroic men, and to know more about them and their lives would have been an honour.
In short, in my opinion, Mr. O'Donnell has taken the lazy man's approach to this book - he has simply let his heroic subjects do all the work through the brush strokes of their words alone. What he has failed to do is provide them, as was his reponsibilty as the named author, with the accurate, unobtrusive and reflective canvas on which their deeds deserve to have been painted.
I have any number of issues, but chief among them are the following:
1) Right at the start of the book, Mr. O'Donnell makes the unpardonable error of making himself central to the narrative.
2) His representation of Don Carlos Faith seemed extremely churlish. Col. Faith was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, but reading this book you would have never known it.
3) The backdrop of events and the historic detail associated with those events were off - particularly in the case of Taskforce Drysdale.
4) The devil is in the detail and the accuracy of the fact checking around those details really wasn't great - George Company's comrades in arms, for instance, were Royal Marines; not hard to get right, but Mr. O'Donnell persistently gets it wrong.
5) There were a number of peculiar footnotes, which were repetitious in nature, especially when compared to the text itself - why weren't these properly edited? This sloppiness smacks of filler when none is required in a set of stories so gripping in nature.
6) The "where are they now section" seemed sadly lacking - these are heroic men, and to know more about them and their lives would have been an honour.
In short, in my opinion, Mr. O'Donnell has taken the lazy man's approach to this book - he has simply let his heroic subjects do all the work through the brush strokes of their words alone. What he has failed to do is provide them, as was his reponsibilty as the named author, with the accurate, unobtrusive and reflective canvas on which their deeds deserve to have been painted.
December 21, 2020
This is a well written (and narrated audiobook) of the Korean war and of George Company specifically. I have read many military/war history books and this is another good book. The Korean war is another conflict that the United States engaged in that is difficult to firmly grasp and understand.
The author does a good job of following George Company on it's campaigns through the Korean war and describing the terrible conditions that the men faced along the way. It is quite hard to imagine fighting in such brutal arctic temperatures.
There are some leadership principles to take away from the book. Small unit leadership is extremely important, having communication and ensuring that all members are aware of and following the plan can make or break any team. The narration of the battle along the Main Supply Route (MSR) where the unit became separated and the Chinese began to pick apart the smaller units is a prime example of this.
While General McArthur had a stellar career it is also quite apparent that in trying to obtain a mystical "we won" by a certain date he pushed the men too far, too fast, into a trap that was not adequately planned for. It seems in hindsight that had more intelligence been gathered rather than rushing the US could have determined that China had sent soldiers in and saved the US a lot of lives and fighting.
Overall the book does a fantastic job of displaying the fighting spirit of Americans, but, as the title of the book accurately depicts. Most of us just want to live to tomorrow, and the next tomorrow after that.
The author does a good job of following George Company on it's campaigns through the Korean war and describing the terrible conditions that the men faced along the way. It is quite hard to imagine fighting in such brutal arctic temperatures.
There are some leadership principles to take away from the book. Small unit leadership is extremely important, having communication and ensuring that all members are aware of and following the plan can make or break any team. The narration of the battle along the Main Supply Route (MSR) where the unit became separated and the Chinese began to pick apart the smaller units is a prime example of this.
While General McArthur had a stellar career it is also quite apparent that in trying to obtain a mystical "we won" by a certain date he pushed the men too far, too fast, into a trap that was not adequately planned for. It seems in hindsight that had more intelligence been gathered rather than rushing the US could have determined that China had sent soldiers in and saved the US a lot of lives and fighting.
Overall the book does a fantastic job of displaying the fighting spirit of Americans, but, as the title of the book accurately depicts. Most of us just want to live to tomorrow, and the next tomorrow after that.
March 27, 2021
This is a great book from the perspective of the infantrymen. It tracks one Marine company in the Korean War as they assemble and ship out for the amphibious landing at Inchon.
They sustain atrocious casualties in their journey from the beach head to Seoul and on through the fight at Chosin Reservoir. The author interviewed the aging Marine survivors and collected together the pain and heartbreak of their hellish experience.
The only flaw worth mentioning is one that attends any memoir of recollections of old veterans, and that is they sometimes conflate memories of things they'd read, experienced, or heard elsewhere. This is human nature. I mentioned in a previous book review about a Guadalcanal veteran describing their "K-Bar" knives. Those weren't issued until after Guadalcanal. He likely had one in a later action, like Pelelieu.
One veteran in this book talked about how the North Koreans were wearing "black pajamas" in November. He's describing the uniform of a Viet Cong guerrilla in a later war. Still another description has the Chinese wearing split toed sneakers. The"tabi" sneaker was a Japanese uniform in an earlier war. Photos of captured Chinese show them wearing a simple sneaker.
But in their reflections, they should be allowed a few errors. Their stories are valuable, and need to be heard.
They sustain atrocious casualties in their journey from the beach head to Seoul and on through the fight at Chosin Reservoir. The author interviewed the aging Marine survivors and collected together the pain and heartbreak of their hellish experience.
The only flaw worth mentioning is one that attends any memoir of recollections of old veterans, and that is they sometimes conflate memories of things they'd read, experienced, or heard elsewhere. This is human nature. I mentioned in a previous book review about a Guadalcanal veteran describing their "K-Bar" knives. Those weren't issued until after Guadalcanal. He likely had one in a later action, like Pelelieu.
One veteran in this book talked about how the North Koreans were wearing "black pajamas" in November. He's describing the uniform of a Viet Cong guerrilla in a later war. Still another description has the Chinese wearing split toed sneakers. The"tabi" sneaker was a Japanese uniform in an earlier war. Photos of captured Chinese show them wearing a simple sneaker.
But in their reflections, they should be allowed a few errors. Their stories are valuable, and need to be heard.
November 9, 2021
This is the story of George Company, mainly told in the words of the men who were there.
We follow the unit from the Inchon landing to Seoul and then to the landings on the eastern coast of Korea and the battles of the Chosin Reservoir. George Company fought in the Drysdale Task Force that fought its way from Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri to bring crucial reinforcements to that desperate fight.
They were then tasked to take and hold “East Hill” overlooking a newly created irfield and main route to be used in the retreat from Chosin. The “epic stand” on the hill is covered quickly and maybe a little too quickly.
One point to add is this book was too short to really talk about all the battles of the George Company. At the end he touched off and summarized the rest of the battles, but it seemed like more of an afterthought.
There is a lot of great stuff, but he unfortunately it didn't go far enough and if I hadn't read a couple other books like "On Desperate Ground" by Hampton Sides and to a degree Devotion by Adam Makos I wouldn't have fully understood some of battles he was trying to describe.
We follow the unit from the Inchon landing to Seoul and then to the landings on the eastern coast of Korea and the battles of the Chosin Reservoir. George Company fought in the Drysdale Task Force that fought its way from Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri to bring crucial reinforcements to that desperate fight.
They were then tasked to take and hold “East Hill” overlooking a newly created irfield and main route to be used in the retreat from Chosin. The “epic stand” on the hill is covered quickly and maybe a little too quickly.
One point to add is this book was too short to really talk about all the battles of the George Company. At the end he touched off and summarized the rest of the battles, but it seemed like more of an afterthought.
There is a lot of great stuff, but he unfortunately it didn't go far enough and if I hadn't read a couple other books like "On Desperate Ground" by Hampton Sides and to a degree Devotion by Adam Makos I wouldn't have fully understood some of battles he was trying to describe.
November 4, 2018
With the detail of Band of Brothers, this is a company-level recollection drawn from interviews of the bitter and contests, often bloody and at close range, leading to the breakout from the Chosin Reservoir by G Company of the 1st Marine Regiment, led by Col. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. While this is a very personal, low-level account, some higher level features of the Korean War emerge, such as the threat to the very existence of the Marines as an organization under Truman and the extent to which General MacArthur's hubris led to a mistaken battle with the underestimated and determined Chinese forces.
April 29, 2019
I wasn't there, so I don't know if it truly was the greatest untold story of the "Unknown War," but this certainly was an interesting read.
This was a collection of vignettes about the men in the George Company, telling their intertwined stories as they fought the North Koreans, Chinese, hunger, deprivation, and dismemberment with each other. They entered the war grossly unprepared and under-equipped (though so were their tennis-shoe-clad Chinese counterparts), and left it a company of well-decorated Marines.
The stories bring a humanity to the war that is so often summarized in a paragraph or two.
This was a collection of vignettes about the men in the George Company, telling their intertwined stories as they fought the North Koreans, Chinese, hunger, deprivation, and dismemberment with each other. They entered the war grossly unprepared and under-equipped (though so were their tennis-shoe-clad Chinese counterparts), and left it a company of well-decorated Marines.
The stories bring a humanity to the war that is so often summarized in a paragraph or two.
June 19, 2020
A nice account of George Company but....
An account of an american unit and should be considered as such. Well researched, but written from a pov that ultimately leaves alot to be desired. There's also some repetitive sections that begs the question if it is poorly edited, or that it is done intentionaly to glorify certain aspects. A nice companion to anyone who wants to understand the hearts and minds of a marine in the Korean war, but ultimately the author is not able to distance himself properly from his subjects to provide a balanced account of the hsrrowing experiences of George company
An account of an american unit and should be considered as such. Well researched, but written from a pov that ultimately leaves alot to be desired. There's also some repetitive sections that begs the question if it is poorly edited, or that it is done intentionaly to glorify certain aspects. A nice companion to anyone who wants to understand the hearts and minds of a marine in the Korean war, but ultimately the author is not able to distance himself properly from his subjects to provide a balanced account of the hsrrowing experiences of George company
April 22, 2022
A lot of war, action, death and honor.
This book is based on over a hundred oral history interviews with the men of George Company, marines. Proud men who served in the Korean War.
A great focus is used to tell about the individual men and their stories of survival against the enemy the Koreans in the Chinese and also the weather which was very severe down to minus 30 degrees.
All water of course is very brutal and the stories told tell it all.
This book is researched quite well about half of the book tells actual stories in the war and another half are the reference notes, quotes, etc that are used.
This book is based on over a hundred oral history interviews with the men of George Company, marines. Proud men who served in the Korean War.
A great focus is used to tell about the individual men and their stories of survival against the enemy the Koreans in the Chinese and also the weather which was very severe down to minus 30 degrees.
All water of course is very brutal and the stories told tell it all.
This book is researched quite well about half of the book tells actual stories in the war and another half are the reference notes, quotes, etc that are used.
October 27, 2025
I never really knew anything about the Korean War/Conflict. This book opened my eyes. Not just to the Korean War, but to all wars and what our soldiers endure during any wartime offensive.
The author narrates in great detail the bloody battles, the fears and the terrible toll a war takes on anyone involved. But it gives great detail on Company George 31, a group of men that should never be forgotten. They were known as the bloody 31.
Give me Tomorrow was what one of the men asked for, if they could have anything. Each day in the unit was a gift, or so it seemed. Very few came out of the war to live and tell about it.
The author narrates in great detail the bloody battles, the fears and the terrible toll a war takes on anyone involved. But it gives great detail on Company George 31, a group of men that should never be forgotten. They were known as the bloody 31.
Give me Tomorrow was what one of the men asked for, if they could have anything. Each day in the unit was a gift, or so it seemed. Very few came out of the war to live and tell about it.
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