The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China

by Samuel Hawley

“Magnificent!” (South China Morning Post)“A wonderful read!” (JoongAng Daily News)“The scope is truly vast!” (Seoul Magazine)“Like a prelude to Shogun!"(StrategyPage.com)“A feast!” (Shogun-ki)In May of 1592, Japanese dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent a 158,800-man army of invasion from Kyushu to Pusan on Korea’s southern tip. His to conquer Korea, then China, and then the whole of Asia. The resulting seven years of fighting, known in Korea as imjin waeran, the “Imjin invasion,” after the year of the water dragon in which it began, dwarfed contemporary conflicts in Europe and was one of the most devastating wars to grip East Asia in the past thousand years.The Imjin War is the most comprehensive account ever published in English of this cataclysmic event, so little known in the West. It begins with the political and cultural background of Korea, Japan and China, explores the diplomatic impasse that led to the war, describes every major incident and battle from 1592 to 1598 and introduces a fascinating cast of characters along the way. There is Hideyoshi, hosting garden parties as his armies march toward Beijing; Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin, emerging from a prison cell to take on the Japanese navy with just thirteen ships; Chinese commander Zhao Chengxun, suffering defeat after promising to “scatter the Japanese to the four winds”; the courtesan Chu Non-gae, luring a samurai into her arms and then jumping into the Nam River with him locked in her embrace.One nation fighting to expand, another to survive. Shockwaves extending across China and beyond. The Imjin War is an epic tale of grand perspective and intimate detail of an upheaval that would shape East Asia for centuries to come.

Genres: History, Japan, Nonfiction, China, War, Asia, Military History

779 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Samuel Hawley has BA and MA degrees in history from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and worked in East Asia as a teacher for two decades before becoming a full-time writer. His nonfiction books include The Imjin War, about Japan's 16th-century invasion of Korea and attempted conquest of China; Speed Duel: The Inside Story of the Land Speed Record in the Sixties; Ultimate Speed, the authorized biography of land speed racing legend Craig Breedlove; and The Fight That Started the Movies, the epic story of how the emerging technology of cinema combined with prizefighting to make the world's first feature-length film. His latest book is a novel about Japan in the closing days of WWII, Daikon, hailed by John Grisham as "a breathtaking story of what might have been. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, Daikon is a riveting tale about war, intrigue, love, and perseverance.”

Reviews

[Earl Grey Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ex-pat and a history buff living in Korea, I found this book absolutely fascinating. The Imjin War was a piece of history that I knew little of that concerns my host country.

Samuel Hawley did an amazing job writing this book. The author was able to set up the situation of 16th century Eastern Asia very clearly. I knew next to nothing about Japanese history (other than the basic ideas of samurais), but after the first chapter, I understood the background of a unified Japan and its leader Hideyoshi so that I was able to continue on with the rest of the book without any confusion.

Hawley wrote in a style that made me feel many times that I was reading a novel. The depth of his information was deep enough that I felt I was learning a lot without being bogged down by a plethora of minute and obscure details.

It is pretty clear that this book was written from more of a Korean-centric perspective. In my personal opinion, I am glad the story is focusing on Korea which often gets overshadowed by the two most recognizable countries in Eastern Asia. I find the author does try to remain objective. Many times he provides insight into actions and thoughts of historical figures, especially the ones that have been vilified by the passing of time (e.g. Won Gyun).

[Bob Aarhus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid book that makes this rather obscure chapter in history accessible. Not a particularly academic tome, Hawley nevertheless keeps the reader entertained. Some dispute over characterizations of the Ming Dynasty and Japan's Hideyoshi's pan-Asian plans from other historians limit the impact this book will have in historical circles, but to the average reader, it is a great introduction to the events of the latter years of the 16th Century.

[Alexandru · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent account of the bloody invasion of Korea by the Japanese samurai of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This was a war of epic proportion pitting together samurai armies against Korean and Ming Chinese armies. The highlight of this conflict was the naval campaigns of the Korean admiral Yi Sun-Sin, probably the greatest admiral in history. The book is well documented and very balanced using sources from both sides. It's probably the best Western account of the war. Worth reading for anyone interested in this unusual war.

[Manolo González · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! It contains everything you need to know to understand this forgotten conflict, it’s superb how the author connects this conflict with future wars or political changes between the 3 countries involved (stories about westerners in this conflict is definitely a plus) Even though it’s sometimes a little bit repetitive, it’s the perfect book for those eager to learn some more about samurai and lost conflicts

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading about the Imjin War in "Shogun", I decided to find out more by reading this long, complicated book which detailed Korea's defense against the invasion by Japan in 1592. It can be slow-going but many of the characters are unforgettable, especially Y-I SUN-SIN who led the Korean navy to victory. The atrocities, devastation, and economic ruin on land dragged on until 1598, even with the help of China which was also one of Japan's targets. Finally, the war ended after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who had launched the war to conquer Asia and to feed his ego.

[Franco Luciano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me interested from the first page to the last. The author does a good job of showing the background and conflict from the three main viewpoints: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The differences between the countries' political and military systems are explained in depth, and the cultural facets that caused decisions or misunderstandings. The dichotomy between the Japanese dominance on land and the Korean supremancy at sea was fascinating, as well as the complex web of dynastic politics that linked China and Korea. The book also goes into detail about the impacts of the conflict, some lasting for the next 300 years that Korea was never able to fully recover from. A great historical read that provides a compelling addendum to the Sengoku Jidai period of Japan. If there was one nitpick I had with the book, it was that the author used modern place names (Seoul, Beijing) throughout, instead of period-authentic names.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This giant book (586 pages, not counting notes, index, etc.) is a major achievement. When I received it, I figured it would a dry recitation of facts and that I'd skip chunks of it simply to get the outline, the basic knowledge on the subject. I was shocked to find that it's actually a riveting page-turner that almost reads like a novel. Hawley occasionally gives over to speculation, but his research is impeccable and quite a lot of documentation survives to this day on this lengthy, devastating war. He tries, and I believe, succeeds in finding the truth somewhere between the accounts of the Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese. He gives us highly detailed, yet fascinating, accounts of the political and social situations of all three nations before, during, and after the war. And at the start of each chapter, he re-briefs us on prevailing conditions in case we've forgotten anything. The editor, on the other hand, should be fired -- there are far more typographical errors here than I could hope to count.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of only a few books written in English about the Imjin War. Samuel Hawley is an excellent writer, who makes this almost completely unknown 16th century East Asian conflict not only accessible but also pleasant to read. He gives context to the cultures (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) without using a condescending manner to the reader. A lot of translators use King James English to give a sense that the people are historical, but it makes reading and understanding difficult. Hawley avoids this problem completely. The quotes he uses are modernly translated, which not only makes the meaning more accessible but also avoids unwanted comparisons with European cultures.

Hawley does have a pro-Korean bias that runs through the entire book; however, he is obviously an honest historian because he consistently presented all sides' point of view. And it should be mentioned that the Koreans were the ones who kept the best records at the time. Yi Sun-Shin, the most famous Korean war hero, gets a lot of attention and sympathy from Hawley. He rarely criticized Yi Sun-Shin, maybe once or twice in the entire book. Some chapters seemed to be dedicated to explaining exactly why Yi Sun-Shin is considered a war hero.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The many small facts Hawley adds give scope and depth to the history and bring this part of history to life. Every chapter has interesting points and has something to add, except the last chapter. The last chapter of the book didn't need to be there and is a stretch. Overall it's one of the most well written history books I've read.

[AskHistorians]

One of the three main English accounts of the Imjin War, perhaps the only thing that comes close to a "world war" in East Asia. This is not the most comprehensive text on the war but it gives an excellent introduction. Hawley uses mostly Korean sources for this book and writes from a Korean perspective, so the book does suffer from a pro-Korean bias.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big picture history at its most cohesive. One of the most important wars in East Asian history, often overlooked, and whose tide was mostly turned by a single man, the greatest naval commander in history, who showed just how stopping an enemies logistics can stop them in their tracks no matter how well they fight.

This is a conflict I have been fascinated with since I first went to Korea in 2003, but large scale sources on it are not common in English which tell the full story of what probably was the most calamitous event to ever befall Korea, possibly even surpassing the events of 1950-3. This was also a war filled with 'what ifs' really worth engaging in, though I doubt even if Yi Sun Shin had a massive heart attack before he could strike at the Japanese and Hideyoshi's armies had marched on to Beijing they could have done more than ransack it. And the real military power of the 17th Century, the Manchus, would still be waiting in the wings.

[Elliot Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough deep-dive into a conflict I knew very little about prior to reading.

The author does a fantastic job of summarising large amounts of information about the war in a way that is interesting and still factual.

I studied this to learn about Yi Sun Sin but came out of it with a much wider understanding of the relationship between Korea, Japan and China during the 16th century.

Highly recommended.

[Jean-paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book - its very long but delivers brilliant insights on this time in history

[Michael A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information here seems solid and well-researched. It also gives a fair big picture view of the conflict from all three major participants. On this score, I would recommend the book especially seeing no other book in English addresses the topic very well. The nuances of China, Korea, and Japan are all thoroughly explored and their respective roles are equally written about in the war itself.

What I took issue with is the writer's approach to history writing. For him, it is a narrative of "big man" chracters, battles, political intrigue. On the subjects just mentioned, the reader gets provided perhaps too much information at times since he repeats the same points a few times in some cases. Also, the history as narrative approach is too exploited as when he tries to shift into a dialogue mode supposedly taking us into the heads of the characters at the time of the historical event. I found that extremely unconvincing. This is a far cry from Zinn or any solid academic historian's less intrusive approach and it made me detract a star or a star and a half as a result. I think some of those things would be done by a high-schooler trying to write history who just thinks it is fun to put historical episodes in blunt dialogue. Plus, the emphasis on people and their personalities got a bit tiring to read about by the end of the book -- the book itself could have been much shorter honestly.

No doubt you'll want to read this if Japanese-Korean relations interest you or you need information about this particular conflict. Until a better book comes along, it's about the only thing out there to read.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me forever to read it b/c of all the stuff I MUST read in life, but this book is awesome.

I can't attest to the accuracy, as I'm no expert on historical Korean/Chinese/Japanese texts that he's drawing from, but the man sure knows how to tell a good tale and sprinkles in a lot of memorable anecdotes.

A great example from the 1500s on having an overwhelming force pursuing foggy objectives with few supply lines, and just a brutal, savage, and mind-boggling war of hundreds of thousands.

Also a few laugh-out-loud moments oddly enough...

[Jeremy Ngadiman3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of the Imjin War in high school through a K-drama advertisement in cable tv for a period drama titled "The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War" produced to celebrate seventy years of South Korean independence. After watching one or two episodes, I discovered that period dramas were not to my taste, but the weeping and sorrow of the actors, prominently displayed during advertisements, left strong impressions on me. It was only many years later, though, after taking world history classes, playing video games on the Japanese late-Warring States period (1561-1615), and reading up on the real history behind them that I decided to explore the Imjin War. Reading the Jingbirok directly, however, would have been challenging, so I looked for recommendations and ended up with Samuel Hawley's work.

The book contains thirty chapters. The first four provides historical context by discussing the brief history, conditions, and interactions between the Chinese Ming Dynasty, Korean Joseon Dynasty, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Japan. The book then had three chapters on how the war began, twelve chapters on the first phase of the war (1592-1593), seven chapters on the stalemate and negotiations that occurred, six chapters on the second phase of the war 'til its end (1597-1598), and one chapter describing the long-term legacies of the war for each of the participants four hundred years later, all the way to the 21st century.

The book provides a good narrative of the war although the pacing was relatively slow until the outbreak of the war. Multiple dimensions were covered ranging from high politics to low politics; the perspectives of kings, officials, military officers, and civilians; social and physical technologies involved; religious, cultural, military, and conceptual contexts behind the decisions that were made; and the variety of historiographies available from contemporary, 18th-19th century, and modern historians or observers. Readers will be introduced to a variety of samurai invaders, Ming generals, and Korean officials, civilian armies, and their generals, including Korean national hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Minister Ryu Seong-Ryong who led the nation then and authored the Jingbirok. A variety of sources were used to narrate the war including diaries, letters, memoirs, poems, bureaucratic and military reports, royal annals, and histories from the 18th century onwards all from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and even European sources.

The history is narrated, but there were few stories to romanticize. Factional in-fighting and some individual interests dominated much of Joseon and Ming decision-making processes. Diplomats were constantly confronted with and powerless before the vast misunderstandings and different perspectives of the world order between the warring parties. Famed Japanese samurai prowess were employed in civilian massacres and scorched earth attacks, especially in the second-phase of the war. Fierce civilian resistance were often episodes of martyrdom. Even the famous Yi Sun-sin at times displayed moments of emotional vulnerability and weakness in his personal writings. What shone throughout the book consistently, above all, were the sorrows experienced by the Koreans, the destruction on their land, the powerlessness they felt in involving the Ming in the conflict, and the frustration and regrets notable figures felt regarding not only the invading Japanese but also themselves. To be fair, the book is paced in such a way that moments of joy, intrigue, sorrow, and hope are all balanced out, so the book is certainly not depressing. Nevertheless, the only thing I could think of after finishing the book were the tears of the actors I saw in high school.

"The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China" is an informative, accessible, and engaging read on the Imjin War of 1592-1598. Readers would be introduced to one of the biggest historical events in modern-day South Korean memory other than the 19th century Japanese colonization, World War II atrocities, and the still unfinished Korean Civil War. Those with an interest in East Asian history will learn about the details of this late-16th century conflict and be provided a glimpse of how it affects Korean and Japanese national identity, memory, and diplomatic relations today.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written and highly researched book of a significant, but generally overlooked, war in East Asia around the end of the 16th century. Although one may expect a 600 pg. history book to be anything but a page turner, this book proved to be a real deal, with certain parts that were outright hilarious (e.g., the diplomatic farce between Ming and Japan), outrageous (e.g., the utter mediocrity of the Korean and Chinese leadership) and inspiring (e.g., heroic and at times miraculous achievements of Yi Sun Shin). Below are a few highlights to note:

- S. Hawley's approach is generally a very "objective" one (to the extent that one can be when describing events from over 400 years ago) in that he consults various, and at times conflicting, sources from Korea, China and Japan when describing the events that took place during and in between the war. As Hawley notes throughout the book, the "truth" likely lies somewhere between the conflicting accounts provided by these Chinese, Korean and Japanese parties with different incentives and conflicting interests (to the chagrin of certain Chinese and Japanese reviewers here who would only put faith in the historical records left in their own country, which obviously is the least "objective" metric to use when describing the events surrounding an international conflict).

- There is no doubt about the fact that Japan was the aggressor (and often vilified as a consequence) in the Imjin war saga. However, Hawley does a very good job into digging into the utter mediocrity and incompetence of Korea's leadership during these times, which greatly contributed to the initial success of the Japanese invasion (e.g., Korean leaders that are busier with faction fights and consequently overlook external threats; cowardly Korean commanders that destroy their own weapons and ships and retreat at the sight of the enemy; and despicable career government officials that criticize and imprison capable men like Yi Sun Shin just for political gains).

- The diplomatic farce between Ming and Japan is unbelievably hilarious and at times reads like a Shakespearean comedy of errors.

- No commentary on the Imjin war is complete without a reference to the great Admiral. Yi Sun Shin's legendary achievements are relatively well known throughout Asia and Hawley's book doesn't add anything further to what is already generally known (although Hawley helpfully clears away certain misconceptions about Yi, such as the prevalent misconception in Korea that some of Yi's ships were covered in iron). Hawley however emphasizes certain characteristics about Yi that are not as well known albeit still significant: e.g., Yi's absolute focus on being fully prepared before entering into any conflict (e.g., even after the Japanese landed on Korean soil and help was requested from Yi, Yi took a full 2.5 weeks to gather information before setting sail to confront the Japanese) and Yi's obsession with reporting objective facts to the Korean court and his superiors, even when there was a good chance that doing so would impede his career and even result in punishment. (Side note: Query whether Yi would've been a more effective defender of his country if he had learned to be more "diplomatic" and political (like Konishi on the Japanese side) - although the Yi Sun Shin that we know of today would not have existed if he was anything other than what he was - a soldier who never compromised what he believed to be the truth.)

Highly recommended to anyone with any interest in East Asian history and kudos to S. Hawley for providing a much-needed English-written account of this significant (but often overlooked) piece of Asian history.

[Robert Jeens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I worked with Sam twenty years ago.
There are several ways to write a good history book, and here is one of them. Find an epic story that is not so well known and convey it to a new readership. Most Westerns do not know this, but Japan tried to invade China through Korea in the late sixteenth century. The Japanese invaded with 150,000 soldiers, the Chinese sent 100,000, tens of thousands of Korean troops fought, and the Korean Admiral Lee Sung-shin saved the country. Korea was ransacked twice, so that cities were destroyed, farms laid waste, and there is a mound of noses in Japan to this day that were collected as trophies of the war. About 50,000 Korean slaves were sent to Japan, and perhaps two million people died. It took centuries for Korea to recover and left a lot of hatred for Japan.
Hawley sets up the background of the conflict well. First, there was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the man who unified Japan after centuries of feudalism and civil wars. He started the war both to keep his warriors busy and because he really thought that he could beat China. After that, he was going to go through Southeast Asia and on to India. The Philippines too. He was ambitious and his generals were experienced. Then there was China, led by the Wanli Emperor, august, self-confident, and assured. But inefficient, bureaucracy-ridden, and hard to move. Korea was led by King Sonjo, who basked in the role as lead vassal to China, a self-consciously virtuous neo-Confucian country. Not very warlike.
Here I was going to summarize the course of the war, but I feel I should leave you to read that for yourself.
Hawley tells a fine story. The book is accessible, but I didn’t feel that he was sensationalizing or exaggerating. Reality is fascinating enough. He describes the big battles and tells you the main events. Who made mistakes? Who were the heroes? Who distinguished themselves by their cowardice? What were the politics behind all this? Not just between the countries, but also among the Japanese, the Chinese, and the Koreans themselves. How did maneuvering and the pursuit of power affect the events on the ground? How about the role of technology? The suffering of the common people. The only complaint I have is that I think the book needed a better editor. I find that Hawley repeats himself unnecessarily from time to time.
Sam is a good person to tell this story. He grew up in a missionary family in Korea and lived as an adult in both Japan and Korea for many years. He obviously has a love for the country. He managed to immerse me. His wife, Margaret, interviewed me for the College English Department at Yonsei University, where Sam also taught.
If you like to read about large armies of swordsmen, arquebusiers, and bowmen, ships encased in iron spikes, besieged cities, mountain fortresses, bravery, cowardice, and endurance, read this. There were monk soldiers, for Christ’s sake. The scale alone is something that was not known in Europe at the time. You have to go back to the Roman Empire or ahead to French Revolutionary times to get European armies this bid. I am not a military man, but I know that the logistics challenges to supply an army of this size were enormous.
If you visit Seoul, at the main intersection of Gwanghwamun, where is Seoul City Hall, there is a statute of the big hero of the war, Admiral Yi Sun Shin. This book will tell you why he is there.

[Ocean G · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a whirlwind. The Japanese overrun Korea in order to Conquer China, then get sent back, then return, and get sent back again. This will end up involving not only those three countries, but soldiers from as far as Thailand, Okinawa and Indonesia, the Spanish and the Portuguese, Catholic priests (including the first documented westerner to set foot in Korea), more games and tricks than Romance of the 3 kingdoms or game of thrones, and characters like Hideyoshi, Yi Sun-shin (probably the most underrated admiral/general ever), the Red robe general and Big Sword Liu. Anyway, so many other things were happening due to this war as well, such as Korean potters being taken to Japan and spreading new pottery styles (and neo-Confucianism), Japanese and Chinese negotiators forging documents so as to reach a peace settlement their rulers knew nothing about, slave traders buying Korean prisoners in Nagasaki and taking them to India and Europe, Catholic Japanese generals infighting with Buddhist Japanese generals, Korean political factions infighting amongst each other, bilingual double agents spreading misinformation, new weapons and ingenious tactical methods, etc. etc. This book does a great job of detailing the events in a coherent and chronological manner. It is a heavy, long, book, but definitely worth reading.

[Tony Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the late 1500's Japan embarked on a stunningly ill-conceived and horribly brutal invasion of Korea in their first attempt at world domination. After Korea, China. Then on to The Philippines, then to Portugal. It didn't turn out that way and seven years later nothing had changed. Oh, but for a war torn and totally ravaged Korea whose people, men and women, boy and girls, had been slaughtered, their noses cut off and sent to a shrine in Kyoto. (Still there but you probably won't find it in a guide book.) An utterly futile war driven by a deranged maniac. Samuel Hawley's history is gripping. So well written, clear, engaging and really exiting. And tragic. And, strangely, quite funny. I'm not used to laughing out loud while reading history. The Japanese invasion was led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a madman with blood lust who gave orders while obsessing over tea ceremonies and performing on stage in Noh plays that he had written. I can't recall reading such a character. While the story is set in the 1590's, it feels - and is - as fresh and relevant today. After all, it wasn't so long ago when Japan embarked on another crazed, blood-soaked rampage for domination over others. It makes you wonder. Don't be put off by the obscurity of this war. The book is just a great read. I couldn't put it down.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, well-written account of one of the most consequential military expansions in history. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, it led directly to the fall of the long-running Ming Empire and set the stage for the next three hundred years of East Asian history. If it had succeeded -- a not impossible scenario -- the name Hideyoshi Toyotomi would have been remembered alongside Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Cortes, or Napoleon as among history's greatest conquerors.

In 1543, Portuguese traders aboard a Chinese junk sailed into Tanegashima and sold two primitive muskets -- arquebuses -- to the local feudal Lord Tokitaka. Ordering his artisans to make copies, the resulting firearm design was by the 1560s being manufactured in volume throughout Japan.

This new weapon was key to the ultimate unification of Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who kept the resulting country together partly by distributing land to the daimyos, powerful noblemen who sided with him. Because the delicate power balance depended partly on new land distribution, Hideyoshi decided to continue his military campaigns into Asia.

The rest of the book describes in detail the various battles and important figures on all sides of the conflict. If you enjoy in-depth stories about important historical events, you'll like this book.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

We see in this book that Japan already had a militarist, conquer-them attitude a long time before World War II. In this case Japan plans to attack Korea (or just go through them if they will cooperate) and then move on to attack China (something they actually did in 1931).

The book spends a lot of time looking into the history of Japan and how certain men rose to power. There was a tremendous amount of in-fighting among the Japanese but once they were united under one leader they were able to turn their attention outward towards conquering others.

The book also goes into the decline of the Ming dynasty in China which made China an easier target to defeat. Hideyoshi wanted Japan to rule 'all corners of the world' which was an early version of their 'uniting the four corners of the world) under Japanese rule.

The book goes into the initial invasion, mistakes the Korean military made and how there were some successes against the Japanese invaders and why the Japanese did not succeed in their attempt to conquer China.

There's a lot of battles covered. The book does remain interesting throughout, especially in how it relates Japanese attitude towards later events such as the war against China and Japan's entry into WWII.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple criticisms have been mentioned by other reviewers below, such as the lack of academic tone and minor historical errors. I find most of this valid, as the author does give into speculation and bias.

Here's my biggest personal objection: despite calling itself such, this book is not a comprehensive account of the Imjin War, even from a Korean perspective. For example, Gwanghaegun / Kwanghae is only mentioned in terms of succession, with nothing on his contributions during the war. I find that unfortunate because he's one of Joseon's most interesting kings - a perspective that is shared by Koreans through discussions of his legacy in academia and popular culture.

There are also some very minor grievances: repetitions, unnecessary quotations, and a very rushed closing chapter: but they reflect more on my whims than on the merit of an artistic work.

That being said, I did enjoy reading this book. I expected most of these faults and didn't take it too seriously, and found the book to be accessible, riveting, and entertaining. I would recommend it to anyone because the scope is enough for the layperson, and more people need to know about the (arguably) greatest naval admiral in history.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, outlining the Japanese invasions of Korea in the 1590s. This is not a conflict I'd read much about, so the author's detailed account, including cultural info which help put the historical actions into perspective, was greatly appreciated. Also useful was the historiography included by the author throughout the text, especially as this conflict had, and continues to provide, no end of emotional relevance between the interactions of Japan, Korea, and China. Given the broad spectrum of fighting, with large conventional battles on land and sea, a guerrilla war also fought on land and sea, and periods of uneasy 'truce' as both sides rested for the next clash, this conflict provides many lessons in dealing with a variable environment. A great book for anyone wanting a detailed introduction to a conflict that continues to shape relations in Northern Asia to this day.

[Francis Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I was put off reading this (having bought my copy very cheaply in a second-hand bookstore) by the sheer length and detail of Hawley's treatment of what is to Westerners an obscure historical event. But this was effectively an East Asian "world war", encompassing Japan, Korea, China and neighbouring countries, and involving larger armies than fought in, say, any European wars until comparatively modern times, and massive destruction. Also, Hawley (who is also a novelist) writes well. Five stars!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vivid account of a Korean struggle against Japanese invadors.

Approachable yet very detailed this book dives into the psychology of Korean, Japanese and Chinese commanders of the time. Part of the book follows the advance of the Japanese army, part of the book records the resistance of the Koreans army.


Slightly biased toward certain historical characters the author manages to describe with talent the misery & sacrifice of Korean people.

This book is a perle !

[Daniel Yi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun and interesting read covering a historic period most Americans likely know so little about. Learned a lot about how society/governments functioned in Korea/Japan/China, how those 3 nations viewed and interacted with each other. Learned lots of random interesting things like about Christian samurai who were part of the Japanese invasion force into Korea...the legend of admiral Yi Sun Shin...
lots of stuff.

[Shane Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, provides good background on the various parties involved in the conflict while also giving a good account of the events of the war itself. Well written & clearly involved a good amount of research & examination of contemporary sources. Definitely worth a read for anyone interested in this period of history.

[Malachi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really compellingly written I thought. A really approachable style, but did a reasonably good job of providing citational information within the text, and weaving together different sources to create a real narrative. I knew nothing about the Imjin War prior to reading, and feel that this is a great introductory book.

[Jonah Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable account of a massive and important event. Hits the right level of self- repetition and pacing for easy casual reading. Structured in an analytically clear way.

Possibly an inevitable result of poor record keeping but there seems to be little focus on ordinary people.

[Mark A. Pridgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book. The author presents the war in a page turning way: it's hard to put this book down. He analyses the war from the perspectives of the three parties: Japan, Korea and China. He lays in very rich detail the strategy and logistics for each side. He also describes the internal rivalries that played a major part in how the war developed. this book is historical writing at it's best.