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A Nonconformist History of Our Times #2
The Hidden History of the Korean War: 1950–1951
In 1945 US troops arrived in Korea for what would become America’s longest-lasting conflict. While history books claim without equivocation that the war lasted from 1950 to 1953, those who have actually served there know better. By closely analyzing US intelligence before June 25, 1950 (the war’s official start), and the actions of key players like John Foster Dulles, General Douglas MacArthur, and Chiang Kai-shek, the great investigative reporter I. F. Stone demolishes the official story of America’s “forgotten war” by shedding new light on the tangled sequence of events that led to it.
391 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
141 people are currently reading
1431 people want to read
About the author
I.F. Stone
34 books53 followersIsidor Feinstein Stone (better known as I.F. Stone or Izzy Stone) was an American investigative journalist.
He is best remembered for his self-published newsletter, I.F. Stone's Weekly, which was ranked 16th in a poll of his fellow journalists of "The Top 100 Works of Journalism in the United States in the 20th Century."
He is best remembered for his self-published newsletter, I.F. Stone's Weekly, which was ranked 16th in a poll of his fellow journalists of "The Top 100 Works of Journalism in the United States in the 20th Century."
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 31, 2013
I read this book in high school, finding it quite by accident while researching something else in the library. I'd never read anything substantive about the Korean War previously, thus the interest. What Stone relates, with ample documentation, is a story far, far different than what I'd been led to believe.
Since then I've purchased the book in its recent incarnation as a volume in the "A Nonconformist History of Our Times".
Since then I've purchased the book in its recent incarnation as a volume in the "A Nonconformist History of Our Times".
April 26, 2013
Written during the Korean War, The Hidden History of the Korean War was so accurate that the U.S. Government bought up all copies of it and burned them at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City!
January 7, 2019
Stone is writing about a critical time in US national security. Unfortunately, Stone knows little to nothing about how the elements of national security – military, diplomacy, intelligence – work. This reader has experience education in all three areas. A key repeated failing by Stone is the assumption that contingency planning, by either the military or diplomats, indicates an expectation, even a desire, for the contingent event to occur. The US had a Single Integrated Operations Plan, from 1961 to 2003, giving the President options on how to employ nuclear weapons. It doesn't mean we expected or wanted nuclear war. Between the World Wars, the US had color-coded plans for war against Canada (“Crimson”), Mexico (“Green”), New Zealand (“Garnet”), India (“Ruby”), Tan (“Cuba”), France ('Gold”), and so on. None were ever used. On a narrower military point, Stone manages to view the pre-war deployment of South Korean units to defensive positions, and their orders to fall back if attacked, as provocative (!). As to intel, Stone believes that detecting a military build-up equates to detecting offensive plans. Conversely, in reference to the Chinese build-up in October 1950, Stone equates the absence of proof to the proof of absence.
Repeatedly, Stone asserts that the UN should have mandated “mediation” and not the authorization of an armed response in reaction to the outbreak of the Korean conflict, pointing to the “success” of mediation in Kashmir and Palestine. In 1952, that might have been a viable attitude. But UN mediation in Kashmir did not preclude major wars in 1965 and 1999, nor numerous military skirmishes. Palestinians suffered major wars and conflict in 1967, 1978, 1982, and continually since 1987. In comparison to either, the Koreas are quiet.
And the argument that MacArthur provoked the Chinese into crossing the Yalu to preserve Formosa (Taiwan ) for Chiang Kai-shek is presented without evidence, let alone proof. It would be nice to think that wars, especially America's wars after 1945, went on forever because American leaders secretly thought they benefited from the death, destruction, and expense; that they are Machiavelli re-incarnate. In that case,we just need to watch for and curb such Florentine intrigues. But, I fear, expect and deduce that our leaders are, at worst, short-sighted and unimaginative – a Louis XV, not a de Medici. Imposing checks is hard enough; imposing wisdom is impossible.
Stone's narrative of the Chinese Offensive that began in late 1950 is mere fantasy, a farrago of carefully selected stories to paint a picture of a conniving MacArthur “fleeing” before an imaginary Red army, in Stone's view to justify a continued war against China, fought with nuclear weapons. Frankly, his tale is an affront to the 110,000 soldiers who became casualties (80,000 Chinese, 20,000 US/UN – about 1/3 of which were killed). Stone also deceives his readers, as when he quotes a December 13 Daily Mail story stating that soldiers of the British 29th Brigade had ”yet to fire a shot in anger.” Stone omits that the Brigade had just arrived in Korea, after the advance to the Yalu was well over – by early January, it had taken 300 casualties (over 2% of the unit) in the fight for Seoul.
[“Huh?” metaphor: “The position of the MacArthur forces in Korea [at this time, along the 38th parallel) would be untenable, for they would be caught in a vise between the Chinese in Manchuria and the Russians in Siberia.” Has Stone EVER looked at a map? Persoanlly, I 've never seen a vise with both jaws on the same side of the object to be gripped.]
Even from the beginning, Stone uses rhetoric in place of argument. A notable example is the top of page 44, where six unanswered and unanalyzed questions are followed by two conditional statements to raise an unsustained inference that America and South Korea were to blame for a war unwanted by any on the Communist side. As Stone's narrative progresses, the level of snark and cherry-picking of data only increases, making his text more difficult to read and obscuring any legitimate argument in bias and half-truths. In fact, just what he accuses MacArthur and, to a lesser extent, the Truman Administration of doing.
Repeatedly, Stone asserts that the UN should have mandated “mediation” and not the authorization of an armed response in reaction to the outbreak of the Korean conflict, pointing to the “success” of mediation in Kashmir and Palestine. In 1952, that might have been a viable attitude. But UN mediation in Kashmir did not preclude major wars in 1965 and 1999, nor numerous military skirmishes. Palestinians suffered major wars and conflict in 1967, 1978, 1982, and continually since 1987. In comparison to either, the Koreas are quiet.
And the argument that MacArthur provoked the Chinese into crossing the Yalu to preserve Formosa (Taiwan ) for Chiang Kai-shek is presented without evidence, let alone proof. It would be nice to think that wars, especially America's wars after 1945, went on forever because American leaders secretly thought they benefited from the death, destruction, and expense; that they are Machiavelli re-incarnate. In that case,we just need to watch for and curb such Florentine intrigues. But, I fear, expect and deduce that our leaders are, at worst, short-sighted and unimaginative – a Louis XV, not a de Medici. Imposing checks is hard enough; imposing wisdom is impossible.
Stone's narrative of the Chinese Offensive that began in late 1950 is mere fantasy, a farrago of carefully selected stories to paint a picture of a conniving MacArthur “fleeing” before an imaginary Red army, in Stone's view to justify a continued war against China, fought with nuclear weapons. Frankly, his tale is an affront to the 110,000 soldiers who became casualties (80,000 Chinese, 20,000 US/UN – about 1/3 of which were killed). Stone also deceives his readers, as when he quotes a December 13 Daily Mail story stating that soldiers of the British 29th Brigade had ”yet to fire a shot in anger.” Stone omits that the Brigade had just arrived in Korea, after the advance to the Yalu was well over – by early January, it had taken 300 casualties (over 2% of the unit) in the fight for Seoul.
[“Huh?” metaphor: “The position of the MacArthur forces in Korea [at this time, along the 38th parallel) would be untenable, for they would be caught in a vise between the Chinese in Manchuria and the Russians in Siberia.” Has Stone EVER looked at a map? Persoanlly, I 've never seen a vise with both jaws on the same side of the object to be gripped.]
Even from the beginning, Stone uses rhetoric in place of argument. A notable example is the top of page 44, where six unanswered and unanalyzed questions are followed by two conditional statements to raise an unsustained inference that America and South Korea were to blame for a war unwanted by any on the Communist side. As Stone's narrative progresses, the level of snark and cherry-picking of data only increases, making his text more difficult to read and obscuring any legitimate argument in bias and half-truths. In fact, just what he accuses MacArthur and, to a lesser extent, the Truman Administration of doing.
July 7, 2022
I bought this book off Amazon, and it came to me a worn and old book, a library book from a middle of nowhere town in Kentucky. Right off the bat I knew, this was not a book the United States government wanted people to read.
As a Korean American named after Douglas MacArthur, this book was illuminating in many ways, and was certainly a book that probably would've changed the course of my life if I had read it a long time ago. While I am at the point in my personal political journey that I am not totally surprised at what's contained in the book, I am surprised that it was buried so deep that most Korean Americans are likely not aware that it exists.
As a book itself, it does read fairly repetitive as it is a journalist carefully sifting through reports and reanalyzing them piece by piece to highlight inconsistencies. Were it written in a different time (such as now), it would probably serve the audience a bit better by trimming some of that for an appendix section and making a more succinct version with the analysis intact as well as some context.
However, as the only book that I even know that contains this much attention to detail, it is invaluable to anyone studying the actual events of the Korean War.
As a Korean American named after Douglas MacArthur, this book was illuminating in many ways, and was certainly a book that probably would've changed the course of my life if I had read it a long time ago. While I am at the point in my personal political journey that I am not totally surprised at what's contained in the book, I am surprised that it was buried so deep that most Korean Americans are likely not aware that it exists.
As a book itself, it does read fairly repetitive as it is a journalist carefully sifting through reports and reanalyzing them piece by piece to highlight inconsistencies. Were it written in a different time (such as now), it would probably serve the audience a bit better by trimming some of that for an appendix section and making a more succinct version with the analysis intact as well as some context.
However, as the only book that I even know that contains this much attention to detail, it is invaluable to anyone studying the actual events of the Korean War.
October 5, 2014
The Korean war is a forgotten war but the longest lasting American conflict which saw 25,000 combat troops in Korea which shows how easy it is to get into a war but much harder to get out of it, how over 4 million people were killed, including 35,000 americans. The book exposes the truth and cold hard facts not some fictitious story which other writers would have you believe which is full of gaps and distortions.
abandoned
January 16, 2018The author assumes you already know everything official about the Korean war. After 3 chapters dedicated to how there's no way US did not know the North was about to invade, I gave up - this was not the book I was looking for. Well-written, though (if a bit exhaustive/reiterative).
March 7, 2017
Very disturbing, yet consistent with Howard Zinn's "History." Hidden subtleties of policy that killed millions in the name of the "Commie Menace."
August 5, 2017
Fascinating analysis
Through close analysis of the documentary record Stone builds a compelling case that once the war started MacArthur and Truman did everything they could to prevent a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The war was too convenient for Washington to allow it to end too soon. It's an enjoyable read that provides an excellent introduction to a conflict about which I had no prior exposure.
Through close analysis of the documentary record Stone builds a compelling case that once the war started MacArthur and Truman did everything they could to prevent a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The war was too convenient for Washington to allow it to end too soon. It's an enjoyable read that provides an excellent introduction to a conflict about which I had no prior exposure.
July 16, 2023
When I saw I.F. Stone was labeled as a 'radical' journalist, it read a truth seeker.
My reading of this book confirmed just that, like countless other times when someone labeled as radical, communist, or red.
This book is mostly based on American or Western historical records but not much on Korean records. As a result, not many Korean names are mentioned in the book.
This book was not written from the civil war aspect of the Korean war.
Instead, it shows from US official records how the American imperialism devastated Korea treating them (or us as I am a Korean) as sub-human and with little regard to their lives, dignity, interests but only for its own interests.
I couldn't breathe at times while reading this book, and felt like my blood boiling especially whenever I encountered the derogatory word "gook" which was often used by the imperialists to refer to Koreans (North and South)
Now US is much more civilized than back then, but still the myth US rescued Koreans from the evils is prevailing. So it's still long way to real civilization.
This book clearly shows who the evil was - American Imperialism.
Truce talks began around the first anniversary of the war when the war became stalemate.
However, the armistice took more than two years because US unreasonably changed the armistice terms again and again and harassed truce talks by violence to drag on the war despite of mounting causalities on both sides. By contrary, the North was desperate to end the war.
Another important fact the book shows is that the war was staged by US regardless who provoked first. The purpose of the US plan was the world domination of the US imperialism at the cost of Korean people and its own people.
In the end, the imperialists got what they wanted even though they didn't win the war.
My reading of this book confirmed just that, like countless other times when someone labeled as radical, communist, or red.
This book is mostly based on American or Western historical records but not much on Korean records. As a result, not many Korean names are mentioned in the book.
This book was not written from the civil war aspect of the Korean war.
Instead, it shows from US official records how the American imperialism devastated Korea treating them (or us as I am a Korean) as sub-human and with little regard to their lives, dignity, interests but only for its own interests.
I couldn't breathe at times while reading this book, and felt like my blood boiling especially whenever I encountered the derogatory word "gook" which was often used by the imperialists to refer to Koreans (North and South)
Now US is much more civilized than back then, but still the myth US rescued Koreans from the evils is prevailing. So it's still long way to real civilization.
This book clearly shows who the evil was - American Imperialism.
Truce talks began around the first anniversary of the war when the war became stalemate.
However, the armistice took more than two years because US unreasonably changed the armistice terms again and again and harassed truce talks by violence to drag on the war despite of mounting causalities on both sides. By contrary, the North was desperate to end the war.
Another important fact the book shows is that the war was staged by US regardless who provoked first. The purpose of the US plan was the world domination of the US imperialism at the cost of Korean people and its own people.
In the end, the imperialists got what they wanted even though they didn't win the war.
October 21, 2024
The book I purchased was a hard cover of the above edition, as new. Published by LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY, 1988. ISBN 0-316-81773-2 (HC), 368 pages
It took me 200-some pages before the stuff I didn't know started. The balance of the book made it an important read. If one ever doubted the wisdom of giving too much power to one man, in this case Douglas -Dugout Doug- MacArthur, this book should cure that notion. Over 36,000 U.S. soldiers died in that war. How many died after there was no point in continuing the hostilities? Read chapter 47 - 'Six Months of futile Slaughter'. I wrote out 23 pages of notes. There was a lot in I. F, Stone's book that I did not know. Constant war has been a basic justification of our military services with much of the reasons for the killings hidden from our citizens.
It took me 200-some pages before the stuff I didn't know started. The balance of the book made it an important read. If one ever doubted the wisdom of giving too much power to one man, in this case Douglas -Dugout Doug- MacArthur, this book should cure that notion. Over 36,000 U.S. soldiers died in that war. How many died after there was no point in continuing the hostilities? Read chapter 47 - 'Six Months of futile Slaughter'. I wrote out 23 pages of notes. There was a lot in I. F, Stone's book that I did not know. Constant war has been a basic justification of our military services with much of the reasons for the killings hidden from our citizens.
April 20, 2023
This was a very slow read for me.
I'm always astounded at the amount of outright
lying and misinformation given during a war.
Not only to the public but to the powers that be.
It's inconceivable to me that even while peace
talks were trying to take place, that the military
and others were trying to sabotage the chance for
peace. They kept threatening that the red hordes
were ready and waiting to cross over from Manchuria
and China to join the fight.
I'm always astounded at the amount of outright
lying and misinformation given during a war.
Not only to the public but to the powers that be.
It's inconceivable to me that even while peace
talks were trying to take place, that the military
and others were trying to sabotage the chance for
peace. They kept threatening that the red hordes
were ready and waiting to cross over from Manchuria
and China to join the fight.
February 9, 2019
Important Read
Considering the publication date, the radically unpopular perspective, and the depth of investigation, this is an important read. Even if the reader does not formulate the same opinions as Stone, the facts are much more interesting than many recognize.
Considering the publication date, the radically unpopular perspective, and the depth of investigation, this is an important read. Even if the reader does not formulate the same opinions as Stone, the facts are much more interesting than many recognize.
October 29, 2025
I have a lot of respect for I.F. Stone, especially his writings on the formation of Israel and then later on the Palestinian problem. But here, Stone was largely wrong--the North did initiate the fighting, and they had every right to! Stalin's conciliatory policies (which had no effect on US imperialism's drive to conquer the world) allowed a number of countries to be divided--Germany, Korea, Vietnam. In the cases of both Vietnam and Korea states were formed that had little support outside of the bourgeoisie, which had in both cases largely collaborated with colonial powers--in Vietnam, France, and then Japan. In Korea, Japan from 1910. The best book on the Korean War is The Korean War: A History by Bruce Cumings. His other books on Korea are worth reading too. But to fully understand, one can't limit oneself to Korea and the US. For a book with great essays on McCarthyism and the Korean War, Notebook of an Agitator: From the Wobblies to the Fight against the Korean War and McCarthyism.
It wasn't a fight between "Communism" and "Democracy." In both cases it was a fight by peasants for land, and a fight for national sovereignty. And yes, many were attracted to the idea of socialism, having no idea of how Stalin had distorted its basic ideas. Despite the Stalinist deformations these were genuine revolutions, deserving of support by everyone opposed to imperialist rule, whether by French, Japanese, or Americans. It was only years after it ceased to be true that the New York Times felt it was OK to talk about all the years when North Korea had a higher income level than the South.
Everyone interested in understanding this should start with Lenin, especially 'Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.' For understanding how Lenin tried to prevent the bureaucratization of the Soviet Union, read Lenin's Final Fight.
When Lenin failed the fight fell into Trotsky's hands. Read 'The Third International After Lenin' and The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going?.' Stalin's murder machine and show trials eventually eliminated all the leadership of the Soviet Union under Lenin. The Communist International was turned into a branch of Soviet diplomacy. The goal of world revolution, without which the Bolsheviks would never have taken power was turned into "socialism in one country," which especially, in a very backward country like Russia, was a total impossibility.
The Soviet Union collapsed because its polices were hated by the masses, not because of any "victory" by US imperialism. The bourgeoisie and its allies in the US went into an anti-communist orgy of this being the end of Marxism. This gave birth among the middle-class left to the insane politics of woke, and to some who support Putin's reactionary war against Ukraine. (China, despite the pretense, is also capitalist). And woke gave birth also to the support of pogroms by the pro-Nazi Hamas, pretending it's about "Palestinian rights." The Fight Against Jew-Hatred and Pogroms in the Imperialist Epoch.
But the class struggle continues: It wasn't a communist conspiracy. Cuba shows what socialism was intended to be, although I don't know how long they can hold out against increased US pressure. There are a huge number of good books on Cuba, mostly published by Pathfinder Press, who also publishes much of Trotsky's work. The latest book, despite its focus on the politics of Colombia, is a good place to start on genuine Marxist morality vs. capitalist morality: Revolution and the Road to Peace in Colombia: Lessons from the Cuban Revolution.
And let me add a book on the return of class-struggle politics: The Low Point of Labor Resistance is Behind Us: The Socialist Workers Party Looks Forward.
It wasn't a fight between "Communism" and "Democracy." In both cases it was a fight by peasants for land, and a fight for national sovereignty. And yes, many were attracted to the idea of socialism, having no idea of how Stalin had distorted its basic ideas. Despite the Stalinist deformations these were genuine revolutions, deserving of support by everyone opposed to imperialist rule, whether by French, Japanese, or Americans. It was only years after it ceased to be true that the New York Times felt it was OK to talk about all the years when North Korea had a higher income level than the South.
Everyone interested in understanding this should start with Lenin, especially 'Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism.' For understanding how Lenin tried to prevent the bureaucratization of the Soviet Union, read Lenin's Final Fight.
When Lenin failed the fight fell into Trotsky's hands. Read 'The Third International After Lenin' and The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going?.' Stalin's murder machine and show trials eventually eliminated all the leadership of the Soviet Union under Lenin. The Communist International was turned into a branch of Soviet diplomacy. The goal of world revolution, without which the Bolsheviks would never have taken power was turned into "socialism in one country," which especially, in a very backward country like Russia, was a total impossibility.
The Soviet Union collapsed because its polices were hated by the masses, not because of any "victory" by US imperialism. The bourgeoisie and its allies in the US went into an anti-communist orgy of this being the end of Marxism. This gave birth among the middle-class left to the insane politics of woke, and to some who support Putin's reactionary war against Ukraine. (China, despite the pretense, is also capitalist). And woke gave birth also to the support of pogroms by the pro-Nazi Hamas, pretending it's about "Palestinian rights." The Fight Against Jew-Hatred and Pogroms in the Imperialist Epoch.
But the class struggle continues: It wasn't a communist conspiracy. Cuba shows what socialism was intended to be, although I don't know how long they can hold out against increased US pressure. There are a huge number of good books on Cuba, mostly published by Pathfinder Press, who also publishes much of Trotsky's work. The latest book, despite its focus on the politics of Colombia, is a good place to start on genuine Marxist morality vs. capitalist morality: Revolution and the Road to Peace in Colombia: Lessons from the Cuban Revolution.
And let me add a book on the return of class-struggle politics: The Low Point of Labor Resistance is Behind Us: The Socialist Workers Party Looks Forward.
June 9, 2025
Maybe the most useless and wasteful conflict of the twentieth century? So much unnecessary death and destruction. This book highlights the endless hypocrisies and general sloppiness of American involvement. Book gives a good context as to why Korea is the way that it is now.
March 17, 2019
An absolutely essential look at the early part of the Korean War.
research
August 22, 2022⤑ research tag: in an effort to organise my shelves, I'm going to be labelling the books I'm using for study purposes as I tend to dip in and out of these.
February 26, 2024
Hating war but fearing peace.
September 5, 2024
Read for history coursework
March 9, 2018
A very good account of the Korean war by a journalist who broke the mould and dared to be objective. Some cover readers would shout conspiracy theory but I.F Stone sticks to official documents, reports from the ground and confirmation from various sources inside Korea amd Japan. All of which has been confirmed by the big empire. All I can say is thank you to the Russians for introducing the MIG at a time when Jingoism was at its peak.
December 12, 2017
A history of how soybean futures contributed to the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula.
Humorous examples of how US propaganda about the "Chinese hoards" were challenged by the US forces inability to find many of them.
Humorous examples of how US propaganda about the "Chinese hoards" were challenged by the US forces inability to find many of them.
February 17, 2007
Had to read it for a research paper...
January 14, 2015
Being Russian I have to be joyous that he wrote all this, but I am not. I love America and I am upset because all this seems me truth.
August 9, 2018
An insightful and factual narration of the conveniently 'forgotten war' that has still not officially ended. More so as the encumbent POTUS (2018) appears to have no background knowledge of this conflict as he is intently determined to restart this costly American-led folly that has the possibility to engulf other nations. IF Stone repeatedly enunciated the solutions for peace, prosperity and a united Korea in this narration: perhaps a national leader will rise up and lead others to adopt approaches to lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews