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In Mortal Combat: Korea, 1950–1953
A brilliant history of the Korean War based on the real experiences of soldiers from both sides
Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Toland reports on the Korean War in a revolutionary way in this thoroughly researched and riveting book. Toland pored over military archives and was the first person to gain access to previously undisclosed Chinese records, which allowed him to investigate Chairman Mao’s direct involvement in the conflict. Toland supplements his captivating history with in-depth interviews with more than two hundred American soldiers, as well as North Korean, South Korean, and Chinese combatants, plus dozens of poignant photographs, bringing those who fought to vivid life and honoring the memory of those lost.
In Mortal Combat is comprehensive in it discussion of events deemed controversial, such as American brutality against Korean civilians and allegations of American use of biological warfare. Toland tells the dramatic account of the Korean War from start to finish, from the appalling experience of its POWs to Mao’s prediction of MacArthur’s Inchon invasion.
Toland’s account of the “forgotten war” is a must-read for any history aficionado.
Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Toland reports on the Korean War in a revolutionary way in this thoroughly researched and riveting book. Toland pored over military archives and was the first person to gain access to previously undisclosed Chinese records, which allowed him to investigate Chairman Mao’s direct involvement in the conflict. Toland supplements his captivating history with in-depth interviews with more than two hundred American soldiers, as well as North Korean, South Korean, and Chinese combatants, plus dozens of poignant photographs, bringing those who fought to vivid life and honoring the memory of those lost.
In Mortal Combat is comprehensive in it discussion of events deemed controversial, such as American brutality against Korean civilians and allegations of American use of biological warfare. Toland tells the dramatic account of the Korean War from start to finish, from the appalling experience of its POWs to Mao’s prediction of MacArthur’s Inchon invasion.
Toland’s account of the “forgotten war” is a must-read for any history aficionado.
924 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
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About the author
John Toland
40 books192 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
John^Toland - 17th century theologian, Philosopher & Satirist
John^^Toland - American writer and historian (WWII & Dillinger)
John^^^Toland - Article: "The Man who Reads Minds"
John Willard Toland (June 29, 1912 in La Crosse, Wisconsin - January 4, 2004 in Danbury, Connecticut) was an American author and historian. He is best known for his biography of Adolf Hitler.[1]
Toland tried to write history as a straightforward narrative, with minimal analysis or judgment. This method may have stemmed from his original goal of becoming a playwright. In the summers between his college years, he travelled with hobos and wrote several plays with hobos as central characters, none of which achieved the stage.[2] At one point he managed to publish an article on dirigibles in Look magazine; it proved extremely popular and led to his career as a historian.
One exception to his general approach is his Infamy: Pearl Harbor and Its Aftermath about the Pearl Harbor attack and the investigations of it, in which he wrote about evidence that President Franklin Roosevelt knew in advance of plans to attack the naval base but remained silent. The book was widely criticized at the time. Since the original publication, Toland added new evidence and rebutted early critics. Also, an anonymous source, known as "Seaman Z" (Robert D. Ogg) has since come forth to publicly tell his story.
Perhaps his most important work, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1971, is The Rising Sun. Based on original and extensive interviews with high Japanese officials who survived the war, the book chronicles Imperial Japan from the military rebellion of February 1936 to the end of World War II. The book won the Pulitzer because it was the first book in English to tell the history of the war in the Pacific from the Japanese point of view, rather than from an American perspective.
The stories of the battles for the stepping stones to Japan, the islands in the Pacific which had come under Japanese domination, are told from the perspective of the commander sitting in his cave rather than from that of the heroic forces engaged in the assault. Most of these commanders committed suicide at the conclusion of the battle, but Toland was able to reconstruct their viewpoint from letters to their wives and from reports they sent to Tokyo. Toland died in 2004 of pneumonia.
While predominantly a non-fiction author, Toland also wrote two historical novels, Gods of War and Occupation. He says in his autobiography that he earned little money from his Pulitzer Prize-winning, The Rising Sun, but was set for life from the earnings of his biography of Hitler, for which he also did original research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tol...
John^Toland - 17th century theologian, Philosopher & Satirist
John^^Toland - American writer and historian (WWII & Dillinger)
John^^^Toland - Article: "The Man who Reads Minds"
John Willard Toland (June 29, 1912 in La Crosse, Wisconsin - January 4, 2004 in Danbury, Connecticut) was an American author and historian. He is best known for his biography of Adolf Hitler.[1]
Toland tried to write history as a straightforward narrative, with minimal analysis or judgment. This method may have stemmed from his original goal of becoming a playwright. In the summers between his college years, he travelled with hobos and wrote several plays with hobos as central characters, none of which achieved the stage.[2] At one point he managed to publish an article on dirigibles in Look magazine; it proved extremely popular and led to his career as a historian.
One exception to his general approach is his Infamy: Pearl Harbor and Its Aftermath about the Pearl Harbor attack and the investigations of it, in which he wrote about evidence that President Franklin Roosevelt knew in advance of plans to attack the naval base but remained silent. The book was widely criticized at the time. Since the original publication, Toland added new evidence and rebutted early critics. Also, an anonymous source, known as "Seaman Z" (Robert D. Ogg) has since come forth to publicly tell his story.
Perhaps his most important work, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1971, is The Rising Sun. Based on original and extensive interviews with high Japanese officials who survived the war, the book chronicles Imperial Japan from the military rebellion of February 1936 to the end of World War II. The book won the Pulitzer because it was the first book in English to tell the history of the war in the Pacific from the Japanese point of view, rather than from an American perspective.
The stories of the battles for the stepping stones to Japan, the islands in the Pacific which had come under Japanese domination, are told from the perspective of the commander sitting in his cave rather than from that of the heroic forces engaged in the assault. Most of these commanders committed suicide at the conclusion of the battle, but Toland was able to reconstruct their viewpoint from letters to their wives and from reports they sent to Tokyo. Toland died in 2004 of pneumonia.
While predominantly a non-fiction author, Toland also wrote two historical novels, Gods of War and Occupation. He says in his autobiography that he earned little money from his Pulitzer Prize-winning, The Rising Sun, but was set for life from the earnings of his biography of Hitler, for which he also did original research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tol...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 27, 2016
Korea is called "the forgotten war." Odd for a conflict that cost four million lives, at least, and to this very day has placed us on the brink of nuclear war (what if MacArthur hadn't kept pushing towards the Yalu, drawing the Chinese over the border? Would we have been able to effect a more stable Korean peninsula? We'll never know).
I find Korea to be fascinating. It's the only battle between superpowers we've ever had. It took the reputation of several World War II heroes and slashed them to pieces (MacArthur, Almond). It's the first war fought with integrated units. And it's one of those strange hybrid wars, like World War I, when old technology was used side-by-side with cutting edge innovations (Riflemen on the ground still slogged forward with WWII-era rifles and machine guns, while the skies overhead filled with helicopters and jet planes).
In Mortal Combat is John Toland's crisp, fast-reading narrative of America's involvement in Korea. I found it entertaining, and informative, but a bit sloppy. The general arc of the war is pretty basic. In 1950, the North Koreans swarmed across the 38th Parallel and smashed the South Koreans to bits. The US intervened but was unable to do much to stop the NKA. They were pushed back to Pusan, where a defensive arrangement finally stalled the invasion - this is the so-called Pusan Perimeter. A dilatory MacArthur plans his "masterstroke", an amphibious landing at Inchon. This works so well that suddenly the whole NKA is on the run. MacArthur follows with his army, which becomes strung out in Korea's harsh and unforgiving terrain. Mac is told to stop because if he gets to the Yalu, the Chinese will attack. Drinking his own Kool-Aid, MacArthur is certain there will be no intervention. At Chosin, he is proven wrong. The American Army is once again in retreat behind the 38th Parallel. The Chinese launch an offensive, the US holds them back. MacArthur wants to nuke China. Truman holds him back. MacArthur is fired; a stalemate ensues (which lasts, essentially, to this day).
Knowing the basic framework is important when reading this book, because Toland has only limited success in placing the movements in context. This is due to big chronological leaps. He'll dedicate pages and pages to one subject, then jump to another subject with only a sentence explanation. I don't lay all the blame on Toland, though: Korea is a difficult war to write because most of the action takes place between 1950-51, while 1951-53 is a stalemate. Thus, even though Toland makes an attempt to talk about the end of the war, devoting an entire chapter to American P.O.W.s (and the controversy over those Americans who wanted to stay and become Communists), the book fizzles mightily at the end.
Toland is at his best in dealing with the micro-elements of war. Getting down to grunt level and describing troop movements and small-unit actions.
There are a lot of complaints about Toland's research. I don't find any major problems. Any book is going to have certain mistakes. You'll see reviews in which Korean vets say they threw the book into the garbage because Toland got the unit numbers mixed up. With all due respect, big deal. Simply because you were there, and your perspective was different, doesn't necessarily mean you're right and Toland is wrong. A ground-level soldier is only going to know what's in front of his face; he's no more qualified to speak to the overall experience than anyone else. Toland, to his credit, interviews a lot of people. I mean, a lot. American soldiers. South Korean soldiers. North Korean soldiers. Chinese soldiers. He even goes rooting around the Chinese archives, bringing fascinating perspective to Chairman Mao's actions. Indeed, I think the best "character" in this book is Mao's general, Peng Teh-huai.
Aside from the anti-climatic ending and the noticeable gaps in the narrative, I found myself getting tired of Toland's descriptions of the actions of war correspondents. It's fine to make mention of them, but he keeps going back to their experiences, and almost makes a fetish of Maggie Higgins, the famous female journalist.
I was also surprised at Toland's fawning over the mediocre General Walton Walker. Toland gives him way too much credit for his performance. When Walker is killed in a jeep accident, Toland is quite crestfallen. Now, I'm definitely not happy when anyone is killed, but in the long-run, Walker's removal from the scene, to be replaced by the great Matt Ridgeway, was to America's benefit.
In all, I wouldn't look to this book for a scholarly take on Korea. It is far too gap-ridden and anecdotal. However, as a blood-and-thunder retelling of a dirty, nasty conflict, it works.
I find Korea to be fascinating. It's the only battle between superpowers we've ever had. It took the reputation of several World War II heroes and slashed them to pieces (MacArthur, Almond). It's the first war fought with integrated units. And it's one of those strange hybrid wars, like World War I, when old technology was used side-by-side with cutting edge innovations (Riflemen on the ground still slogged forward with WWII-era rifles and machine guns, while the skies overhead filled with helicopters and jet planes).
In Mortal Combat is John Toland's crisp, fast-reading narrative of America's involvement in Korea. I found it entertaining, and informative, but a bit sloppy. The general arc of the war is pretty basic. In 1950, the North Koreans swarmed across the 38th Parallel and smashed the South Koreans to bits. The US intervened but was unable to do much to stop the NKA. They were pushed back to Pusan, where a defensive arrangement finally stalled the invasion - this is the so-called Pusan Perimeter. A dilatory MacArthur plans his "masterstroke", an amphibious landing at Inchon. This works so well that suddenly the whole NKA is on the run. MacArthur follows with his army, which becomes strung out in Korea's harsh and unforgiving terrain. Mac is told to stop because if he gets to the Yalu, the Chinese will attack. Drinking his own Kool-Aid, MacArthur is certain there will be no intervention. At Chosin, he is proven wrong. The American Army is once again in retreat behind the 38th Parallel. The Chinese launch an offensive, the US holds them back. MacArthur wants to nuke China. Truman holds him back. MacArthur is fired; a stalemate ensues (which lasts, essentially, to this day).
Knowing the basic framework is important when reading this book, because Toland has only limited success in placing the movements in context. This is due to big chronological leaps. He'll dedicate pages and pages to one subject, then jump to another subject with only a sentence explanation. I don't lay all the blame on Toland, though: Korea is a difficult war to write because most of the action takes place between 1950-51, while 1951-53 is a stalemate. Thus, even though Toland makes an attempt to talk about the end of the war, devoting an entire chapter to American P.O.W.s (and the controversy over those Americans who wanted to stay and become Communists), the book fizzles mightily at the end.
Toland is at his best in dealing with the micro-elements of war. Getting down to grunt level and describing troop movements and small-unit actions.
"Infantry clustered atop tanks as the column approached their first objective, a village called Mulgaeri. It was filled with burning mud huts and sharpshooters. Riflemen slipped off tanks to flush out the snipers on both sides of the road...Tanks began firing down into the defile, throwing white phospherous into the town. Buildings flared up, yet no figures came out. Mortar fire was coming in, but so far there were no casualties. When the order came to advance, the troops fanned into the edge of town in columns, with tanks lumbering between, their machine guns spraying the sidestreets. Infantrymen were firing at anything moving inside the buildings."
There are a lot of complaints about Toland's research. I don't find any major problems. Any book is going to have certain mistakes. You'll see reviews in which Korean vets say they threw the book into the garbage because Toland got the unit numbers mixed up. With all due respect, big deal. Simply because you were there, and your perspective was different, doesn't necessarily mean you're right and Toland is wrong. A ground-level soldier is only going to know what's in front of his face; he's no more qualified to speak to the overall experience than anyone else. Toland, to his credit, interviews a lot of people. I mean, a lot. American soldiers. South Korean soldiers. North Korean soldiers. Chinese soldiers. He even goes rooting around the Chinese archives, bringing fascinating perspective to Chairman Mao's actions. Indeed, I think the best "character" in this book is Mao's general, Peng Teh-huai.
Aside from the anti-climatic ending and the noticeable gaps in the narrative, I found myself getting tired of Toland's descriptions of the actions of war correspondents. It's fine to make mention of them, but he keeps going back to their experiences, and almost makes a fetish of Maggie Higgins, the famous female journalist.
I was also surprised at Toland's fawning over the mediocre General Walton Walker. Toland gives him way too much credit for his performance. When Walker is killed in a jeep accident, Toland is quite crestfallen. Now, I'm definitely not happy when anyone is killed, but in the long-run, Walker's removal from the scene, to be replaced by the great Matt Ridgeway, was to America's benefit.
In all, I wouldn't look to this book for a scholarly take on Korea. It is far too gap-ridden and anecdotal. However, as a blood-and-thunder retelling of a dirty, nasty conflict, it works.
November 5, 2020
An enthralling look at "the forgotten war." The author does a tremendous job of both describing the large scale movements of men and machines that shaped the combat, and putting the reader in the shoes of fighting men on the front lines as well as politicians in the conference rooms. Some of the personal stories of men that experienced the conflict were truly mesmerizing, as they survived ruthless battle, arctic cold, and human depredations through faith and courage. I am immediately interested in the author's other works after reading this book.
June 16, 2020
as I wrote on my review of The Korean War, there's a good book written about once a decade on this interesting flareup of the Cold War. this book is one of the better ones, avoiding an obsessiveness about MacArthur, and professionally laying out the history of the three years. a matter-of-fact tone combined with in-depth research makes this book highly readable. solid 4/5
December 11, 2021
Between 3,5 and 4 stars. Good research and great narrative skills are on display but the final result is not quite up to par with his one volume history of the Pacific War. (The Rising Sun: The Decline & Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-45|79929] . The military history component is quite good, individual combat scenes are excellent, what is missing is a more in depth coverage and analysis of the strategic, political and cultural scene of the period. This war was the first open military conflict between the West and the nations under Communist rule. The original conflict has since morphed under different forms; the South China Seas, Taiwan and Ukraine are the hot areas in 2021. China and Russia, the original arsonists from 1950 are still playing with fire. This is what gridlock produces, a bump on the road to conflicts.
The Korean War, often called the forgotten war, ended in 1953 with the Korean nation as the main loser. The North is a dysfunctional society where all citizens are prisonners of a violent dictatorship while the South has become a modern prosperous democracy. It is such a shame that the stalemate has seen the destruction of the lives of not only those who died between 1950 and 1953 but especially those that have no notion of the possibilities of life in a normal country. The coverage of the military causes for the stalemate are the strength of the book and lessons learned could prove to be relevant to this day.
The Korean War, often called the forgotten war, ended in 1953 with the Korean nation as the main loser. The North is a dysfunctional society where all citizens are prisonners of a violent dictatorship while the South has become a modern prosperous democracy. It is such a shame that the stalemate has seen the destruction of the lives of not only those who died between 1950 and 1953 but especially those that have no notion of the possibilities of life in a normal country. The coverage of the military causes for the stalemate are the strength of the book and lessons learned could prove to be relevant to this day.
November 28, 2019
I got this because it was $2 on Amazon and I knew nothing about the Korean War. Toland isn't nearly as objective as he thinks he is, but he's also unsparing towards people who deserve it (Kim Il-Sung and MacArthur in particular) as ego, miscalculation, and stupidity lead to 4 million dead. Not a cheerful read, but a thought-provoking one worth tackling.
December 8, 2019
If you are looking for a way to include the Korean War in your coverage of American or military history...this is it. Well written and hard to put down.....glimpses of Vietnam and today's Korea. Toland is an excellent writer and covers the territory without beating it to death.
March 21, 2017
Fine book
Toland once again showed his mastery of military history. In Mortal Combat is perhaps the most complete and objective study of the Korean conflict available today.
Toland once again showed his mastery of military history. In Mortal Combat is perhaps the most complete and objective study of the Korean conflict available today.
February 6, 2021
A book about the entire Korean War; about 800 pages. I’ve read several books on this particular conflict. Whereas this one was good overall, I have to honestly say it was probably my least favorite. Whenever a history book is written about a war, the author can choose to approach the tough subject from many angles. Some choose to focus only on the politics and the maneuvering of the leaders of the respected countries. Others put you in the thick of the battle focusing on particular soldiers and their recollections. While others, still, prefer to give you detailed events of every battle; including troop movement, detailed accounts of weapons used, and plenty of named locations and directions in which everything seems to be moving.
This book actually does all of the above, yet I never felt like any of it was quite as good as it could have been. One example is the tumultuous relationship between Harry Truman and Douglas MacArthur. Now, to be fair, entire books have been written about these two adversaries during the early 1950s, so I’m not suggesting a detailed rehash, yet I simply felt that not enough emphasis was being placed on the relationship and how it affected not only the war, but the sentiments of the United States at the time. Then, when the author spends a meticulous amount of page space of the intricacies of the battles being fought, I confess I was bored most of the time. Then again, these kind of details in a book about war don’t go over well for me. I prefer to view the action from 30,000 feet as opposed to, say, 500 feet. If you prefer the opposite, you might enjoy this book a bit better than I did.
The Korean War was a bit of an odd conflict; although it does seem a bit of an oxymoron to call a war “normal”. In June 1950, Communist North Korea invaded Democratic South Korea. Harry Truman and the United Nations threw themselves into the battle, and managed to not only expel North Korea, but drive them all the way up to the Chinese border. Then, China entered the war, pushed the U.N. backed South Korea back to the dividing line (the 38th parallel) which was essentially where both sides were when the fighting began. This all happened within the first six months of the war. The war then dragged on for 2 ½ more years while the powers that be negotiated truce talks. Neither side ever picked up much ground while their leaders were haggling, and it seemed like an awful lot of people died in this war for no good reason.
So about 65-70% of this book is the first six months of the conflict since this was where most of the movement was. Once the fighting was in a stalemate, so to speak, more focus is made on the key leaders, the motives, and the reasons for delayed peace. As I’ve already mentioned, I personally prefer reading about these type of events as opposed to detail after detail of particular battles.
Don’t misunderstand, this wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite. Two other books on The Korean War that I would recommend over this one are T.R. Fehrenbach’s “This Kind of War” and “Brothers at War” by Sheila Miyoshi Jager. For a good account of the animosities between Truman and MacArthur, I would recommend H.W. Brands’ “The General vs. the President”. All of these books were slightly better, and somewhat shorter in terms of page length as well.
This book actually does all of the above, yet I never felt like any of it was quite as good as it could have been. One example is the tumultuous relationship between Harry Truman and Douglas MacArthur. Now, to be fair, entire books have been written about these two adversaries during the early 1950s, so I’m not suggesting a detailed rehash, yet I simply felt that not enough emphasis was being placed on the relationship and how it affected not only the war, but the sentiments of the United States at the time. Then, when the author spends a meticulous amount of page space of the intricacies of the battles being fought, I confess I was bored most of the time. Then again, these kind of details in a book about war don’t go over well for me. I prefer to view the action from 30,000 feet as opposed to, say, 500 feet. If you prefer the opposite, you might enjoy this book a bit better than I did.
The Korean War was a bit of an odd conflict; although it does seem a bit of an oxymoron to call a war “normal”. In June 1950, Communist North Korea invaded Democratic South Korea. Harry Truman and the United Nations threw themselves into the battle, and managed to not only expel North Korea, but drive them all the way up to the Chinese border. Then, China entered the war, pushed the U.N. backed South Korea back to the dividing line (the 38th parallel) which was essentially where both sides were when the fighting began. This all happened within the first six months of the war. The war then dragged on for 2 ½ more years while the powers that be negotiated truce talks. Neither side ever picked up much ground while their leaders were haggling, and it seemed like an awful lot of people died in this war for no good reason.
So about 65-70% of this book is the first six months of the conflict since this was where most of the movement was. Once the fighting was in a stalemate, so to speak, more focus is made on the key leaders, the motives, and the reasons for delayed peace. As I’ve already mentioned, I personally prefer reading about these type of events as opposed to detail after detail of particular battles.
Don’t misunderstand, this wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite. Two other books on The Korean War that I would recommend over this one are T.R. Fehrenbach’s “This Kind of War” and “Brothers at War” by Sheila Miyoshi Jager. For a good account of the animosities between Truman and MacArthur, I would recommend H.W. Brands’ “The General vs. the President”. All of these books were slightly better, and somewhat shorter in terms of page length as well.
May 9, 2019
The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war”, but for me, it was an “unknown war” trivialized by the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. In Mortal Combat: Korea 1950-1953 by John Toland is an eye opening account of the military and political events that plunged the US, China, Korea, Russia, and the UN to the brink of World War 3 with atomic bombs. There were so many mistakes, but John Toland points out that the US strategic failures of the war were primarily the creation of Douglas MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
There are numerous books about the Korean War, but most focus only on one branch of the service, one military unit, one battle (e.g., Chosin Reservoir), one individual (e.g., General Douglas MacArthur). In Mortal Combat: Korea 1950-1953 is a more comprehensive account, but what makes this book unique is that John Toland gives account of individual soldiers and marines. The book is not one-sided. He gives accounts of individual ROK, North Korean, Chinese, UN soldiers and politicians. These individual stories makes the readers realize that the Korean War was “a war of cruelty, stupidity, error, misjudgment, racism, prejudice, and atrocities on both sides committed by people in high, middle, and low ranks.”
The one thing that I found astonishing was how poorly prepared ROK and US forces were during the initial invasion and when the Communist Chinese entered the war. Mike Lynch, a WW2 veteran, described it as “the Battle of the Bulge revisited. Nobody knows what’s going on, rumors are rampant. Guys are panicking for no reason and people are saying the enemy is all over.”
Marines at the Chosin Reservoir were nearly annihilated. One marine veteran of WW2 thought it was worse than Iwo Jima.
Mike Lynch, who later became a US Army General, summarized everything that went wrong in the Korean War - “we made the worst mistake in warfare. We began by underestimating enemy capabilities and overestimating our own. . . . then we overestimated the enemy’s capabilities and underestimated ours, thus forcing us to accept compromises that were not necessary.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Korea, I highly recommend having a map (a topographic map would be great) as reference. The book has small area maps, but to get a clear understanding of the distance and terrain, you need to look at a map. The distances that needed to be covered in one of the longest retreat in US military history is better understood when looking at a map.
There are numerous books about the Korean War, but most focus only on one branch of the service, one military unit, one battle (e.g., Chosin Reservoir), one individual (e.g., General Douglas MacArthur). In Mortal Combat: Korea 1950-1953 is a more comprehensive account, but what makes this book unique is that John Toland gives account of individual soldiers and marines. The book is not one-sided. He gives accounts of individual ROK, North Korean, Chinese, UN soldiers and politicians. These individual stories makes the readers realize that the Korean War was “a war of cruelty, stupidity, error, misjudgment, racism, prejudice, and atrocities on both sides committed by people in high, middle, and low ranks.”
The one thing that I found astonishing was how poorly prepared ROK and US forces were during the initial invasion and when the Communist Chinese entered the war. Mike Lynch, a WW2 veteran, described it as “the Battle of the Bulge revisited. Nobody knows what’s going on, rumors are rampant. Guys are panicking for no reason and people are saying the enemy is all over.”
Marines at the Chosin Reservoir were nearly annihilated. One marine veteran of WW2 thought it was worse than Iwo Jima.
Mike Lynch, who later became a US Army General, summarized everything that went wrong in the Korean War - “we made the worst mistake in warfare. We began by underestimating enemy capabilities and overestimating our own. . . . then we overestimated the enemy’s capabilities and underestimated ours, thus forcing us to accept compromises that were not necessary.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Korea, I highly recommend having a map (a topographic map would be great) as reference. The book has small area maps, but to get a clear understanding of the distance and terrain, you need to look at a map. The distances that needed to be covered in one of the longest retreat in US military history is better understood when looking at a map.
February 19, 2018
The Korean War has been largely forgotten in these United States. This despite the recent atomic bomb/missile building sponsored by the running dog lunatic leaders, many descendants of the man who launched the 1950 war, Kim Il sung. We tend to remember our glory days---the First and Second World Wars---and our sad national bungled exploit, the Vietnam War. But the three-year 'police action' which claimed four million lives (54,242 American military, according to Toland) slides smoothly through our collective conscience. The destruction of one of our great heroes, General Douglas MacArthur, remains hidden in the mist of time now that we are about 65 years between then and now. That I have long believed MacArthur to be an egotistical dolt is immaterial; that Toland's depiction (not judgment) supports my prejudice adds to my liking for his narrative.
The war part of the book reminds one of, say, Tom Clancy at his best. Much of the later book drags a bit, as did the peace talks themselves. This was the part of the war that 'M.A.S.H.' was mainly set in---peace talks going on during a World War One kind of deadly slapping match across an almost fixed strip of land.
Toland's obviously is not the latest word on the Korean War, but it is quite well written, marred a bit by a Notes section which does contain a few gems of information but is really a ten-page shotgun Bibliography. The Index consists almost exclusively of character's names, another flaw. The maps are helpful but inconsistent and incomplete in reference to the text.
Altogether,
Recommended.
The war part of the book reminds one of, say, Tom Clancy at his best. Much of the later book drags a bit, as did the peace talks themselves. This was the part of the war that 'M.A.S.H.' was mainly set in---peace talks going on during a World War One kind of deadly slapping match across an almost fixed strip of land.
Toland's obviously is not the latest word on the Korean War, but it is quite well written, marred a bit by a Notes section which does contain a few gems of information but is really a ten-page shotgun Bibliography. The Index consists almost exclusively of character's names, another flaw. The maps are helpful but inconsistent and incomplete in reference to the text.
Altogether,
Recommended.
March 31, 2019
A more complete history of the Korean War than I have read elsewhere
I have read every history of the Korean War that I can lay my hands on. Most of them give one part or another a short shrift. It is easy to find haigiographies of one Commander or another. How Gen Walker botched the Pusan Perimiter or how Col "Chesty " Puller wonthe war with his retreat from the "Frozen Chosin". But none I saw that tried to give the entire "Warts and all" history. This volume fills that hole nicely. Toland covers the POW wars and notes that ill treatment of POWs is not something that only occurred on one side. This has resulted in more training on the treatment of POWs for everyone down to the Signal troops such as I.
I have read every history of the Korean War that I can lay my hands on. Most of them give one part or another a short shrift. It is easy to find haigiographies of one Commander or another. How Gen Walker botched the Pusan Perimiter or how Col "Chesty " Puller wonthe war with his retreat from the "Frozen Chosin". But none I saw that tried to give the entire "Warts and all" history. This volume fills that hole nicely. Toland covers the POW wars and notes that ill treatment of POWs is not something that only occurred on one side. This has resulted in more training on the treatment of POWs for everyone down to the Signal troops such as I.
May 6, 2020
Complete history of the Korean War
John Toland once again produces a war history that is at once a tour d’horizon of the strategy, politics, and diplomacy underlying the conflict, but also thoroughly covers the fighting, frequently at the individual unit level. The only drawback is that this magisterial treatment limits its accessibility, with much switching between combat at the unit level, concurrent political maneuvering, and other contemporaneous events, such as the treatment of POW’s. Still, recommended to those interested in “the forgotten war.”
John Toland once again produces a war history that is at once a tour d’horizon of the strategy, politics, and diplomacy underlying the conflict, but also thoroughly covers the fighting, frequently at the individual unit level. The only drawback is that this magisterial treatment limits its accessibility, with much switching between combat at the unit level, concurrent political maneuvering, and other contemporaneous events, such as the treatment of POW’s. Still, recommended to those interested in “the forgotten war.”
May 26, 2024
Absolutely an epic accomplishment by the great John. Toland. His research combined with a gifted delivery of the events makes for a compulsive reading experience. This is a war that many people fail to understand or factor into the impact on American geopolitical events. It had a profound impact on the mind set of our future leaders as the Truman Doctrine was developed. Unfortunately it was a war that revealed the limitations and folly of America as the policeman of the world. It did set in motion and was the tragic bridge to an America that engaged in continuous war since WWII.
July 31, 2019
The war that should not be forgotten.
Well researched and clearly presented. The conclusions drawn by the author are well presented and defensible. I was not pleased however by the lack of attention to the battle on the East side of the Chosin reservoir were the 31st RCT were overwhelmed. My father is still there and it was barely mentioned how the sacrifice of those few assisted the 1st Marine Division to assault back to the coast. BTW I am a Marine - ‘66 - ‘68.
Well researched and clearly presented. The conclusions drawn by the author are well presented and defensible. I was not pleased however by the lack of attention to the battle on the East side of the Chosin reservoir were the 31st RCT were overwhelmed. My father is still there and it was barely mentioned how the sacrifice of those few assisted the 1st Marine Division to assault back to the coast. BTW I am a Marine - ‘66 - ‘68.
February 2, 2020
My knowledge of the Korean War extended time line wise as MacArthur landing at Inchon. After that I had no idea what happened after that, and post Inchon is 2/3 of the story. This book takes you many times into the story of individual soldiers on both sides, and includes what happened to prisoners of war. An important part was the deep political roots to the war and the much too long road to truce. Highly recommend it.
July 19, 2025
This was my first dive into the Korean War and John Toland's account did not disappoint. His approach to outlining the details of the war while intertwining the personal accounts of those involved provided for an interesting read.
I've also read by John Toland "The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945" and "Adolf Hitler". Each were extremely insightful and I highly recommend to those interested in a study of World War II.
I've also read by John Toland "The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945" and "Adolf Hitler". Each were extremely insightful and I highly recommend to those interested in a study of World War II.
July 30, 2025
John Toland wrote a very comprehensive account of the Korean War and Grover Gardiner did a magnificent job in his narration. Most books I’ve read as well as the documentaries I’ve seen seem to think the war started at Inchon. There was 6 full months of battle that were brutal and important to understand what led to Inchon. Clay Blair’s The Forgotten War is the most comprehensive and detailed account of the Korean War, however, Toland’s account is a close second.
December 2, 2021
John Toland's books are always well researched and written to convey an understandable story that enables the reader to relate to the people in the book, often major historical figures. He also gives you an "on the ground" POV so you can appreciate the war from the average soldiers or Marines perspective.
May 11, 2023
Other reviewers ding the author for a slow read. Yeah /no. The details given from those on the line make up for any slowness in the narrative.
I have a better understanding of why my father repeatedly said that my three brothers and myself were not going to Viet Nam. That he had done enough. He rarely spoke of it and refused to pick up a gun again.
Highly recommend…
I have a better understanding of why my father repeatedly said that my three brothers and myself were not going to Viet Nam. That he had done enough. He rarely spoke of it and refused to pick up a gun again.
Highly recommend…
October 21, 2019
Excellent accounting of the war
I was impressed with the author after reading The Rising Sun. This book is to be equally acclaimed and should be a must read for all those who want t to have an unbiased accounting of the Korean War.
I was impressed with the author after reading The Rising Sun. This book is to be equally acclaimed and should be a must read for all those who want t to have an unbiased accounting of the Korean War.
Read
December 3, 2019A very good and detailed account of the Korean War that included not only the usual characters but also some of the lesser known men and women who were involved in the conflict, including the civilians who were POW's.
For those who are interested in this subject, I highly recommend this book.
For those who are interested in this subject, I highly recommend this book.
June 27, 2023
Detailed account of the seesaw struggle for Korea. Toland alternates battle descriptions with personal accounts of the soldiers involved. Would have preferred more background on the origins of the war. For that, read Bruce Cumings. Still, Toland is excellent in portraying this vicious war.
October 29, 2025
Great account of the early days of the Korean War, up to about the middle of 1951. Primarily told through small stories of the men and leaders involved in the conflict. Book does gloss over much of 1952 and early 1953, when the front lines became more static.
December 23, 2018
A concise history of the Korean war. well written. More objective then most works of this time period.
February 29, 2020
Very good read. Very sad "police action." No wars are unnecessary. Some just escalate peculiarly.
And Communist propaganda, ay yi yi.
And Communist propaganda, ay yi yi.
March 28, 2020
Don't waste your time. There are many better books on this subject. Go to Halberstam.
April 8, 2020
Great book
In depth knowledge and great story telling! definitely worth the down load and read! Forgotten war forgotten no more! Highly recommend
In depth knowledge and great story telling! definitely worth the down load and read! Forgotten war forgotten no more! Highly recommend
November 2, 2020
Great coverage of a complex subject matter. Fun to read
November 13, 2021
Outstanding
A fantastic study of "the forgotten war". Toland covers it with great understanding and compassion. A must read for Americans who seem to forget history.
A fantastic study of "the forgotten war". Toland covers it with great understanding and compassion. A must read for Americans who seem to forget history.
April 25, 2022
History
The book is very factual, but like most history books goes way too much into the life of each and every character.
The book is very factual, but like most history books goes way too much into the life of each and every character.
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