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Hold Back the Night: A Classic War Novel of the Marines' Harrowing Korean War Retreat from Changjin Reservoir
From the author of the classic Alas Babylon comes this riveting story of a Marine captain and his soldiers and their arduous, difficult retreat from Changjin Reservoir to Hungnam during the Korean War—a stirring portrait of courage and sacrifice, now back in print.
“These are not stragglers, sir. This is Dog Company…”
In Pat Frank’s classic 1951 war novel, one-hundred-twenty-six soldiers commence their long, harrowing journey at Changjin Reservoir during the height of the Korean War, but few will survive the grueling fight and eventually reach Hungnam. Vividly bringing to life the bravery, daring, and turmoil a unit of soldiers endures, Hold Back the Night reveals their gripping stories…
Captain Mackenzie, commander of Dog Company, not only bears the responsibility for victory or defeat, but also feels the full weight of the emotional toll that the war inevitably takes on him and his troops. His one consolation to inspire his band of soldiers to keep on going is an unopened bottle of Scotch that holds bittersweet memories of his wife who gave it to him as a gift.
Sergeant Ekland, a cocky, determined communications sergeant, is due for a battlefield promotion and longs for the day his tour is over so he can be reunited with his fiancée—that is if he makes it out of Korea alive.
Private Couzens, finds himself in a precarious situation with the enemy due to circumstances out of his control—a situation that causes his loyalties to come into question with his superiors.
As readers follow the lives of these men and the other unforgettable soldiers, Pat Frank’s epic novel of war, loss, and survival recounts a crucial chapter in American history.
“These are not stragglers, sir. This is Dog Company…”
In Pat Frank’s classic 1951 war novel, one-hundred-twenty-six soldiers commence their long, harrowing journey at Changjin Reservoir during the height of the Korean War, but few will survive the grueling fight and eventually reach Hungnam. Vividly bringing to life the bravery, daring, and turmoil a unit of soldiers endures, Hold Back the Night reveals their gripping stories…
Captain Mackenzie, commander of Dog Company, not only bears the responsibility for victory or defeat, but also feels the full weight of the emotional toll that the war inevitably takes on him and his troops. His one consolation to inspire his band of soldiers to keep on going is an unopened bottle of Scotch that holds bittersweet memories of his wife who gave it to him as a gift.
Sergeant Ekland, a cocky, determined communications sergeant, is due for a battlefield promotion and longs for the day his tour is over so he can be reunited with his fiancée—that is if he makes it out of Korea alive.
Private Couzens, finds himself in a precarious situation with the enemy due to circumstances out of his control—a situation that causes his loyalties to come into question with his superiors.
As readers follow the lives of these men and the other unforgettable soldiers, Pat Frank’s epic novel of war, loss, and survival recounts a crucial chapter in American history.
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1951
24 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Pat Frank
28 books635 followers"Pat Frank" was the lifelong nickname adopted by the American writer, newspaperman, and government consultant, who was born Harry Hart Frank and who is remembered today almost exclusively for his post-apocalyptic novel Alas, Babylon. Before the publication of his first novel Mr. Adam launched his second career as novelist and independent writer, Frank spent many years as a journalist and information handler for several newspapers, agencies, and government bureaus. His fiction and nonfiction books, stories, and articles made good use of his years of experience observing government and military bureaucracy and its malfunctions, and the threat of nuclear proliferation and annihilation. After the success of Alas, Babylon, Frank concentrated on writing for magazines and journals, putting his beliefs and concerns to political use, and advising various government bodies. In 1960 he served as a member of the Democratic National Committee. In 1961, the year in which he received an American Heritage Foundation Award, he was consultant to the National Aeronautics and Space Council. From 1963 through 1964 the Department of Defense made use of Frank's expertise and advice, and this consultancy turned out to be his last response to his country's call. His other books include Mr. Adam and Forbidden Area.
Biography courtesy of HarperCollins.com
Biography courtesy of HarperCollins.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2024
The first novel I ever read by Pat Frank was
Alas, Babylon
. His most famous novel and still in print. Hold Back The Night is one of his earlier works and not as well known. The novel is about a United States Marine Corp Rifle Company during the retreat from Changjin Reservoir in November/December 1950 after the Chinese launched a massive offensive against the U.N. forces in North Korea.
Pat Frank served as a war correspondent during World War II and had come to understand those in in uniform and their experiences. He made an effort with Hold Back The Night to convey to readers what the world of war is like. By the standards of today the story has numerous stereotypes and covers ground that seems pretty ho-hum to an audience reared on the ultra-violent and gritty war movies of the past twenty-five years such as Platoon, Full-Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan and Blackhawk Down. It's also a short novel with just over 150 pages - more of a novella really.
However, those films and recent novels (such as The 13th Valley) owe much to the early war novels that were published in the late forties and throughout the fifties. Instead of supercharged, made of steel heroes these novels made an effort to portray the men in uniform as all too human with both weaknesses and strengths. You might not necessarily like all of them, but at least you can respect what they have to do to survive and still do their duty.
Yes, some of that characters are stereotypes in 2022. There are times when the action comes to a halt for speeches and the enemy is portrayed as a faceless threat. But the characters that are focused on are believable. Several of the characters are veterans of World War II (which ended just five years before Korea began) and they still have something of the idealism and motivation that got them through the previous war - even if they are more battered and cynical. The novel can provide an understanding about the generation that had to deal with the Depression, World War II and then the Cold War. They were doing their best. They didn't want to see the world destroyed, but they weren't going to just lay down either. Not necessarily "The Greatest Generation", but an interesting one and in some ways admirable.
For example, there is one sequence where one of the Marines is worried that the Chinese intervention is the beginning of World War III and is focused on how to get his wife out of Chicago, a high priority target in case of a nuclear exchange. The man is in the middle of a warzone, on the frontline, and he's worried for his wife. I find that to be Human and truthful. In addition to some pretty strong characterization Frank does an excellent job of making the reader feel the intense physical discomfort that the Marines experienced during this phase of the war. Temperatures would drop below zero, vehicles wouldn't run, wounded froze to death, weapons wouldn't fire - the weather was as formidable an enemy as the Chinese Army. This aspect comes across very powerfully. Considering that Frank began his career as a reporter I would expect nothing less.
Now don't misunderstand this book. It isn't just a study of men in combat. This novel has some political points to make, and it has some mild propaganda throughout. After all the Korean War was still going when it was published and there are political points made. In the end the book is intended to be a warning about an enemy that might become even greater than the Soviet Union. In the early 1950's the Gigantic Chinese Communist Hoard was a very real threat to Americans. And that fear is in the novel. Actually, the fear of the Gigantic Chinese Economic Hoard has replaced the old one. So perhaps the more things change the more they stay the same. Something to keep in mind while reading it.
I like the older novels though. They are a fascinating look into a America that no longer exists and they can bring the hopes and fears of the time alive to the modern reader. One just has to be able to get past one's own pre-conceived ideas. "Hold Back the Night" can take you back to the early days of the Cold War and make it real.
Pat Frank served as a war correspondent during World War II and had come to understand those in in uniform and their experiences. He made an effort with Hold Back The Night to convey to readers what the world of war is like. By the standards of today the story has numerous stereotypes and covers ground that seems pretty ho-hum to an audience reared on the ultra-violent and gritty war movies of the past twenty-five years such as Platoon, Full-Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan and Blackhawk Down. It's also a short novel with just over 150 pages - more of a novella really.
However, those films and recent novels (such as The 13th Valley) owe much to the early war novels that were published in the late forties and throughout the fifties. Instead of supercharged, made of steel heroes these novels made an effort to portray the men in uniform as all too human with both weaknesses and strengths. You might not necessarily like all of them, but at least you can respect what they have to do to survive and still do their duty.
Yes, some of that characters are stereotypes in 2022. There are times when the action comes to a halt for speeches and the enemy is portrayed as a faceless threat. But the characters that are focused on are believable. Several of the characters are veterans of World War II (which ended just five years before Korea began) and they still have something of the idealism and motivation that got them through the previous war - even if they are more battered and cynical. The novel can provide an understanding about the generation that had to deal with the Depression, World War II and then the Cold War. They were doing their best. They didn't want to see the world destroyed, but they weren't going to just lay down either. Not necessarily "The Greatest Generation", but an interesting one and in some ways admirable.
For example, there is one sequence where one of the Marines is worried that the Chinese intervention is the beginning of World War III and is focused on how to get his wife out of Chicago, a high priority target in case of a nuclear exchange. The man is in the middle of a warzone, on the frontline, and he's worried for his wife. I find that to be Human and truthful. In addition to some pretty strong characterization Frank does an excellent job of making the reader feel the intense physical discomfort that the Marines experienced during this phase of the war. Temperatures would drop below zero, vehicles wouldn't run, wounded froze to death, weapons wouldn't fire - the weather was as formidable an enemy as the Chinese Army. This aspect comes across very powerfully. Considering that Frank began his career as a reporter I would expect nothing less.
Now don't misunderstand this book. It isn't just a study of men in combat. This novel has some political points to make, and it has some mild propaganda throughout. After all the Korean War was still going when it was published and there are political points made. In the end the book is intended to be a warning about an enemy that might become even greater than the Soviet Union. In the early 1950's the Gigantic Chinese Communist Hoard was a very real threat to Americans. And that fear is in the novel. Actually, the fear of the Gigantic Chinese Economic Hoard has replaced the old one. So perhaps the more things change the more they stay the same. Something to keep in mind while reading it.
I like the older novels though. They are a fascinating look into a America that no longer exists and they can bring the hopes and fears of the time alive to the modern reader. One just has to be able to get past one's own pre-conceived ideas. "Hold Back the Night" can take you back to the early days of the Cold War and make it real.
December 10, 2025
2.4⭐️
Short novel of the Korean War, focusing on the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Melodramatic, not particularly original and only adequately written, this didn't change my life.
It may have seemed fresher at the time but it's stereotypical characters and unimaginative plot haven't aged well. The slimy Chinese officer who interogates a captured American is right out of central casting (and resembles the villanous Japanese characters from vintage World War Two movies).
At one point Frank essentially calls the Chinese "barbarians" who scorn and despise "civilization" (i.e. Western culture and morality) and want to destroy it. Yellow Peril, much?
The ending is classic Deus Ex Machina, with the machina in question being a helicopter.
Frank was a newspaper reporter and P.R. man who wrote a number of Cold War thrillers, some of which, notably "Alas, Babylon" were popular in their day.
I read this as part of The Complete Pat Frank Fiction Collection- five novels that I'm slowly making my way through. I'm about ready for a break, now.
Short novel of the Korean War, focusing on the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Melodramatic, not particularly original and only adequately written, this didn't change my life.
It may have seemed fresher at the time but it's stereotypical characters and unimaginative plot haven't aged well. The slimy Chinese officer who interogates a captured American is right out of central casting (and resembles the villanous Japanese characters from vintage World War Two movies).
At one point Frank essentially calls the Chinese "barbarians" who scorn and despise "civilization" (i.e. Western culture and morality) and want to destroy it. Yellow Peril, much?
The ending is classic Deus Ex Machina, with the machina in question being a helicopter.
Frank was a newspaper reporter and P.R. man who wrote a number of Cold War thrillers, some of which, notably "Alas, Babylon" were popular in their day.
I read this as part of The Complete Pat Frank Fiction Collection- five novels that I'm slowly making my way through. I'm about ready for a break, now.
October 26, 2021
Not bad, just dated. I realized about 30 pages in that I've seen the movie. It's a 1956 production with john Payne, Peter Graves and Chuck Connors.
August 8, 2025
It's not A Walk in the Sun, not by a long shot, but as a tribute to the Marines who fought and died in Korea it does the job well. The author was a bit too fond of repeating the propaganda of the times, the domino theory gets trotted out often, but I guess this also reflects on how the people of that time thought and made their decisions. Very decent stuff.
May 28, 2024
Hold Back the Night was written by journalist Pat Frank, and published in 1951. Frank apparently wanted to document his admiration for the United States Marine Corps’ performance during the Chosin Reservoir breakout/ retreat. Frank was an accomplished novelist when he wrote Hold Back the Night. Although, Frank himself had no military service I am aware of, he was a combat correspondent during WWII. By his own account, he amplified his experiences in Italy and applied them to his fictional account of Dog Company’s retreat to friendly lines. The book was popular enough to be made into a movie of the same name.
Frank’s lack of a direct connection to the Korean War offers a more objective view of the conflict than what is typically offered by the novelist veterans of the conflict. Hold Back the Night was reprinted in 2017 so it has some staying power. The typical racist language used to describe Chinese and Koreans is employed. However, the venom is missing from Frank’s description of Chinese and Korean peoples. It’s apparent a little research went into the novel, Mao’s writings are referenced with a fair amount of respect. But the motivations of the Chinese and North Korean actors are left nondescript. That is when they aren’t boiled down to a Communist desire to keep half the world enslaved while the United States napalms 20% of the Korean population to death for freedom.
The mildly respectful tone serves to almost humanize an enemy which was brutally pushing UN forces south and robbing them of the initiative, and their misplaced sense of superiority, gained during the Inchon landing. One of the marines in the story bemoaned being beat by “chinks” and “gooks”. Just as American failure was traumatic for one marine, it was likewise damaging to the national psyche to an extent where the Korean War has largely been purged from the national memory.
The author inserted 1950s racial politics in a fascinating way. During Raleigh Couzens’ interrogation by Chinese forces, the interrogator notes the United States history of oppressing ethnic minorities. The observation was leveled at Couzens because he was from Florida, and the interrogator wanted to know if he had witnessed a lynching. Which is a pretty fair line of questioning considering Florida had a notoriously high number of lynchings compared to its southern neighbors. Florida had some fairly well known lynchings into the 40s, and Couzens brought a Confederate flag with him which he left on ship. So it seemed unlikely that Couzens could seriously dismiss the phenomenon of lynching or anti-black violence as relics of some bygone age.
I was surprised to see Frank make mention of the Chinese Exclusion Act during Couzens’ interrogation. It was oddly relevant seeing as it had only been repealed in 1943 when the United States needed to court the Chinese nationalists as allies. Why wouldn’t it be known to Chinese soldiers that the U.S. banned all Chinese from citizenship solely on the basis of race? Frank was aware of stories regarding POW treatment by the Chinese military. The interrogation scene was one of the more interesting parts of the book for me because of what was said.
Frank’s lack of a direct connection to the Korean War offers a more objective view of the conflict than what is typically offered by the novelist veterans of the conflict. Hold Back the Night was reprinted in 2017 so it has some staying power. The typical racist language used to describe Chinese and Koreans is employed. However, the venom is missing from Frank’s description of Chinese and Korean peoples. It’s apparent a little research went into the novel, Mao’s writings are referenced with a fair amount of respect. But the motivations of the Chinese and North Korean actors are left nondescript. That is when they aren’t boiled down to a Communist desire to keep half the world enslaved while the United States napalms 20% of the Korean population to death for freedom.
The mildly respectful tone serves to almost humanize an enemy which was brutally pushing UN forces south and robbing them of the initiative, and their misplaced sense of superiority, gained during the Inchon landing. One of the marines in the story bemoaned being beat by “chinks” and “gooks”. Just as American failure was traumatic for one marine, it was likewise damaging to the national psyche to an extent where the Korean War has largely been purged from the national memory.
The author inserted 1950s racial politics in a fascinating way. During Raleigh Couzens’ interrogation by Chinese forces, the interrogator notes the United States history of oppressing ethnic minorities. The observation was leveled at Couzens because he was from Florida, and the interrogator wanted to know if he had witnessed a lynching. Which is a pretty fair line of questioning considering Florida had a notoriously high number of lynchings compared to its southern neighbors. Florida had some fairly well known lynchings into the 40s, and Couzens brought a Confederate flag with him which he left on ship. So it seemed unlikely that Couzens could seriously dismiss the phenomenon of lynching or anti-black violence as relics of some bygone age.
I was surprised to see Frank make mention of the Chinese Exclusion Act during Couzens’ interrogation. It was oddly relevant seeing as it had only been repealed in 1943 when the United States needed to court the Chinese nationalists as allies. Why wouldn’t it be known to Chinese soldiers that the U.S. banned all Chinese from citizenship solely on the basis of race? Frank was aware of stories regarding POW treatment by the Chinese military. The interrogation scene was one of the more interesting parts of the book for me because of what was said.
March 15, 2023
In the past, I've read quite a few novels based on actual wars and enjoyed them. But, I haven't really been looking for them recently. But when a reading challenge included a task about reading a best seller from your birth year I decided to check out a title that I had not read before. Hold Back the Night was the book I chose.
Over thirty years ago I read the book that Pat Frank is best known for: Alas, Babylon. I enjoyed it, so I thought it might be interesting to see whether his style could still hold my attention.
Hold Back the Night is set during the Korean War. Written pretty much in the middle of the war, I found that it was interesting to read this contemporary account. The Korean conflict has been termed "the forgotten war" by some, and I firmly believe that many of us don't fully understand what soldiers experienced there. This novel follows one company of U.S. Marines, "Dog Company," while they attempt to follow their orders while many nearby U.S. forces are being evacuated from the area. Fighting the enemy, the extremely cold weather, starvation, and, even, their own demons, this is a tale of mostly average guys doing their duty, whether their self-preservation instincts tell them otherwise of not. It's that self-preservation that is probably part of the reason they endure so much during the course of the book.
We get to know several of the men in the company in depth, not only through their actions but through flashbacks to their pre-war lives and hopes. Many also fought during the end of WWII and have returned because their country asked them to.
I found that their story was interesting and I cared about what happened, even though the feeling throughout is rather hopeless. Readers will come to appreciate their sacrifices and hope to see them through to the end. I have an even greater respect, now, for those fathers and grandfathers of my friends and family that took part, including my late father-in-law. Thank you all for your service...
Over thirty years ago I read the book that Pat Frank is best known for: Alas, Babylon. I enjoyed it, so I thought it might be interesting to see whether his style could still hold my attention.
Hold Back the Night is set during the Korean War. Written pretty much in the middle of the war, I found that it was interesting to read this contemporary account. The Korean conflict has been termed "the forgotten war" by some, and I firmly believe that many of us don't fully understand what soldiers experienced there. This novel follows one company of U.S. Marines, "Dog Company," while they attempt to follow their orders while many nearby U.S. forces are being evacuated from the area. Fighting the enemy, the extremely cold weather, starvation, and, even, their own demons, this is a tale of mostly average guys doing their duty, whether their self-preservation instincts tell them otherwise of not. It's that self-preservation that is probably part of the reason they endure so much during the course of the book.
We get to know several of the men in the company in depth, not only through their actions but through flashbacks to their pre-war lives and hopes. Many also fought during the end of WWII and have returned because their country asked them to.
I found that their story was interesting and I cared about what happened, even though the feeling throughout is rather hopeless. Readers will come to appreciate their sacrifices and hope to see them through to the end. I have an even greater respect, now, for those fathers and grandfathers of my friends and family that took part, including my late father-in-law. Thank you all for your service...
February 3, 2017
A short but entertaining book about Dog Company of the 1st Marine Division in Korea. The two main characters are Captain Mackenzie and Sergeant Eklund who do their best to make sure their men survive the retreat from the Changjin Reservoir to Hungnam. It may not be in the same category of men at war as THIN RED LINE, but it is a good read with memorable characters who are just trying to stay alive while doing their duty.
One incident that makes the story slightly different from typical men at war stories is the temporary capture of one of the soldiers, Couzens. It's a good example of what can happen to a good soldier who doesn't think through his actions. There is a reason for name, rank and serial number only.
I would recommend this book, actually written while the Korean War was in progress.
One incident that makes the story slightly different from typical men at war stories is the temporary capture of one of the soldiers, Couzens. It's a good example of what can happen to a good soldier who doesn't think through his actions. There is a reason for name, rank and serial number only.
I would recommend this book, actually written while the Korean War was in progress.
August 28, 2024
Amazing fictional story based on real events. The tragedy of war and the complexities of that human endeavor are tangible. The stories are relatable across time and you can imagine a similar tale being told about a company during past wars or present. The author skillfully builds the characters and balances the tension of high stakes combat with everyday life and the lives left behind. This book really hit home and will be one I re-read regularly.
January 21, 2023
This book is a good example of a simplistically structured novel that accomplishes much more than expected. It is very approachable. Almost JV at the opening. But it’s told non linearly about as effectively as it could be. And the drama keeps heightening. And that damn bottle of scotch, such a sweet philosophical vehicle.
Teared up a bit at the conclusion.
A nice quick read.
Teared up a bit at the conclusion.
A nice quick read.
October 12, 2018
Set in the Korean War during the Chinese intervention, the last platoon of Marines retreating from the Chosen Reservoir back to the port of Wonson. I think I have frostbite now. Riveting.
February 10, 2019
A great little book about a company of Marines in the Korean war. Look forward to checking out Alas, Babylon!
July 6, 2021
Excellent story depicting the horrors of combat in war.
March 19, 2020
Reading this book could be described by the words blurry, confusing, and boring.
August 9, 2011
another classic by notorious commie ball-buster pat frank. its a yarn about a ragtag group of us marines tearing up the korean countryside during the war in said country that no one seems to remember anymore. this book gets four stars because its about americans, such as myself, shooting koreans in the head and other extremities, which is possibly something in my near future if i dont go on leave soon.
May 5, 2009
classic writing. Also liked Alas Babylon
August 1, 2012
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A compelling narrative of connection and brotherhood…
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A compelling narrative of connection and brotherhood…
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews