Only a few weeks later, American troops near the Yalu River, on the Korean border with China, noticed that some of their prisoners wore unfamiliar uniforms. Finally by default, I was goaded into reading it. A gutsy reporter not yet 30, he warned of a quagmire in the making by a government in denial. It varies from giving a broader perspective of political machinations at play as well as detailed accounts of combat. The complexity and moral ambiguity of war are front and center. America’s leaders knew little about either half of Korea, but haunted by the failure to deter Nazi aggression in the 1930s and by the “loss” of China to Communists in 1949, they decided instantly to resist what they insisted on viewing as a coordinated Sino-Soviet drive to Communize the world. Of course, Halberstam fixed all that. On a parallel line, he covers the key players, including Douglas McArthur, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Kim Il Sung, Mao Zedong, and Mathew Ridgeway. The cold of that winter became an enemy in itself, along with the Chinese and North Korean troops that American soldiers were fighting; and the testimony of U.S. servicemen bore out the brutal, punishing, unrelenting quality of that winter of 1950-51. But hundreds of thousands of Chinese lay in wait to spring American history’s greatest ambush. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/books/review/Frankel-t.html. It was his way of honoring the sacrifices he had witnessed and exposing the ruinous politics that had driven American policy. The biggest heartache I have with the book is that Halberstam fails to cover the last two years of the war. To see what your friends thought of this book. The Coldest Winter is contemporary history in its most literary and luminescent form, providing crucial perspective on every war America has been involved in since. The Coldest Winter is contemporary history in … The reality of how wrong that notion was, that presented itself in the horrible, cold winter of 1950-51 on the Korean peninsula, had repercussions that we still live with today. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published However, as Halberstam elucidates, this was more than military incursion across the 38th Parallel. If you're interested in the origins of the "Cold War," if you've never read anything about the Korean War, if you have little knowledge of the people who made the decisions that determined how the world got into the mess it's in in the latter half of the 20th Century you should probably read this book. In the background, of course, is General Douglas MacArthur, locked in his losing struggles with Chairman Mao Zedong and President Harry Truman. It is a book that Halberstam first decided to write more than thirty years ago and that took him nearly ten years to complete. The result is an outsize but fascinating epic directed simultaneously to battle buffs and pacifists, history enthusiasts and political moralists. Halberstam writes: “The bet had been called, and other men would now have to pay for that terrible arrogance and vainglory.”. The 1st Mar Div was spared because Smith disobeyed orders from MacArthur’s incompetent sycophant Edward Almond and concentrated his forces. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Among the summaries and analysis available for The Coldest Winter America and the Korean War, there is 7 Book Reviews. He adds a certain pluck to his writing and he has some very critical opinions aimed at the arrogant world leaders of the time; MacArthur, Truman, Mao and Kim high among them. This was my very first Halberstam book, a thumping slab of a book that covers the Korean War. It stood to represent much in an era of new ideas, emerging politics, and waning sentiments about the Asian region and its vast land-grab. Korea was where America first revealed its imperial ineptitude and where our military leaders vowed never again to wage a ground war in Asia. The Sunday Times review by Max Hastings. Watch out as it is liable to make you angry, however. I love Halberstam's books and this is no exception. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam A remarkable piece of storytelling about the first 10 months of the Korean War. Absolutely amazing!!! Halberstam was a pretty good writer, but this book jumps around too much. It stands as a lasting testament to its author, and to the fighting men whose heroism it chronicles. “Fear was the terrible secret of the battlefiled and could afflict the brave as well as the timid. The biggest heartache I have with the book is that Halberstam fails to cover the last two years of the war. I understand why that is. I did not know enough about the Korean War and was engrossed by the futility of that conflict. Summary: Pulitzer-winning historian Halberstam first decided to write this book more than thirty years ago and it took him nearly ten years. A lengthy and detailed history of the Korean War, told by a veteran war correspondent. 'The Coldest Winter' is the best kind of history book. Finally, MacArthur was sacked in favor of Ridgeway. I’d been told it’s a great book, but what a disappointment. ), it’s full of smarminess and jargon, action-packed soldier’s-eye perspective (i.e., the good guys), very little careful analysis or thoughtful reflection or genuine insight, and apparently little or no original research. Like The Best and the Brightest, it also delves beneath the current actions and attitudes of the major players to explain as much of the way their psychological makeup shapes their current part in history as is possible in a series of excellent mini-biographies. It varies from giving a broader perspective of political machinations at play as well as detailed accounts of combat. Meanwhile, Mao kept busy by sleeping with the teenage girl of his choice at every village he visited. It once again recalls the ugly fears and smears of the partisan wars at … 2. I really liked The Best and the Brightest, and this book contains contains the same behind the scenes accounts of the policy decisions that shape America's part on the world stage. This is due in large part to my ignorance of the Korean War itself and Halberstam's incredible synthesis of interviews, personal accounts, history, politics, and multiple biogrpahies from the lowliest corporeal to the President himself. It stood to represent much in an era of new ideas, emerging politics, and wan. Why? The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam. They were poorly led as well by officers who expected little from them and went along at least nominally, with the notion, promulgated by civilian authorities who drastically cut military budgets, that soldiers were nearly unnecessary in a a world of nuclear weapons. MacArthur, the reigning American monarch over a defeated Japan, had done nothing to prepare either his own or South Korea’s forces for the attack. Why? Halberstam paints a surprisingly vivid portrait of each of them. 'The Coldest Winter' is the best kind of history book. Like most middle-aged American’s, I knew next to nothing about the Korean War. On a parallel line, he covers the key players, including Douglas McArthur, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Kim Il Sung, Mao Zedong, and Mathew Ridgeway. He makes a lot of judgment calls that you may or may not agree with, but I found him pretty persuasive. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Gather your favorite ebooks in your digital library. Yet again the Americans were routed, and MacArthur’s obsessive reaction was to agitate for total war against China, nuclear if necessary. Worse it was contagious, and could destroy a unit before a battle even began. If you follow the world of food, chances are you’ve heard of David Chang. It made him angry, then famous, and he became a lover not of war but of war stories, the grit and stink of combat, be it military, political, bureaucratic or some combination thereof. The Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The book is an unabashed series of charcter studies and events that unfold across the conflict. It also held lessons for Vietnam, which the country's leadership utterly failed to learn. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivaled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another pivotal moment in our history: the Korean War. It was the very first in a long, sad line of “Communist” wars following World War II. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden. His war reporting is visceral and astute. A lot of people seem to love Halberstam, and this book’s been much ballyhooed, but I’ve rarely enjoyed history written by journalists. 4. But in looking over the carnage that was Korea, Halberstam wonders quietly about “the odd process — perhaps the most primal on earth — that turned ordinary, peace-loving, law-abiding civilians into very good fighting men; or one of its great submysteries — how quickly it could take place.”, And so he ends his last great book not in his own voice but with the reflections, in old age, of Sgt. Absolutely amazing!!! Author David Halberstam lived up to his normal high standards with this book. Sometimes a title will kill a good book. This was a fabulous book. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. A look into the "forgotten war" through the eyes of the late, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and author, David Halberstam. IT WAS THE warning shot the American commander in the Far East, Douglas MacArthur, did not heed, the one that allowed a smaller war to become a larger war… Sometimes a title will kill a good book. While this book is classified as military history – and it certainly is that – it is much more. The book is an unabashed series of charcter studies and events that unfold across the conflict. This better understanding supports that while temperatures on the open lands plummeted, the importance of this conflict rose exponentially behind the scenes. In this book, he does an outstanding job of closely examining the lead up to and the first ten months of the Korean War. The book starts as a mess: Halberstam drops the reader right into combat with no idea what is happening. Unfortunately, I've never really liked his books. I enjoyed reading of the criminal negligence of Generals MacArthur and Almond as much as I did about many, many individual acts of bravery by names now permanently etched. Halberstam is resolutely old school in his history. The author interviewed many Americans who had been troops on the ground and low-level commanders to see how they experienced various battles. Wider economic and social trends are referred to but very much in terms of setting the stage for the various heroes, bad guys and collateral damea. The history of this war is largely forgotten between WWII and Vietnam. Instead of reinforcing his surrounded troops, he threw a Hail Mary pass, staging an amphibious landing at Inchon, 150 miles to the north, seizing Korea’s narrow waist and decimating the suddenly encircled North Korean invaders. Halberstam was a pretty good writer, but this book jumps around too much. Last year I read and loved MacArthur’s flag waving hero’s manifesto, “American Caesar.” I knew it was unbalanced in it’s depiction of MacArthur but I loved it anyway. ), the resources below will generally offer The Coldest Winter America and the Korean War chapter summaries, quotes, and analysis of themes, characters, and symbols. As Halberstam barely needs to mention, then came Vietnam, then Iraq. His final gift --- to established fans and potentially new ones --- is THE COLDEST WINTER, perhaps the most dramatic and damning accounts of the Korean War ever put to paper. by Hyperion, The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War. It once again recalls the ugly fears and smears of the partisan wars at home that provoked politicians to send Americans to bleed needlessly abroad. As is often the case, politics, misunderstandin. When North Korea's army crossed the 38th parallel in June 1950 the American Army that was supposed to be able. Author David Halberstam lived up to his normal high standards with this book. Buy The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War First Edition by Halberstam, David (ISBN: 9781401300524) from Amazon's Book Store. The book teaches about heroes such as Marine general O.P. And perhaps most tragically, the psychology and personality of Douglas McArthur lead to brilliant, but mostly terrible decisions. It was written in such a way that kept me engaged, and the author's passion for the story is contagious. We get a few chapters in Korea with the troops then we bounce over to Washington D.C. for a few chapters. After that we swing around to the United Nations before returning to Korea and so forth. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden. This is unfortunate because the Korean War hold many lessons for people today. When North Korea's army crossed the 38th parallel in June 1950 the American Army that was supposed to be able to defend the country was as unprepared as any this nation had ever fielded. It was published posthumously in 2007, after his sudden death in a traffic collision at the age of 73. An almost great book about America's forgotten war: The Korean War. There are long descriptions of some of the most important battles. Pulitzer-winning historian Halberstam first decided to write this book more than thirty years ago and it took him nearly ten years. 1. Ever the patriot, Halberstam bemoans not so much the fact of our intervention as the mind-set behind it, which led to “an American disaster of the first magnitude, a textbook example of what happens when a nation, filled with the arrogance of power, meets a new reality.” The underrated North Koreans virtually destroyed two American regiments and cornered our retreating forces for three blood-soaked months at the edge of the Sea of Japan. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War is a non-fiction book by the author David Halberstam. The Coldest Winter changes that, giving readers a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. Price. Shrnutí knihy The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War z David Halberstam. This book changes that, giving readers a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. I liked the fact that a well-educated, erudite journalist with diverse interests lived in this world, writing big, messy, sprawling books about those interests, whether they be Vietnam, the Portland Trailblazers, or a single firehouse. Thanks to his well told and well edited story, I now have a very good sense of this little, lost war. Douglas MacArthur's reputation as a "great" military leader has been under scrutiny for several decades. Halberstam delves into the political sides of the struggle, and examines the inner workings of the Truman Administration, as well as the calculations of Mao Zedong, Kim Il Sung, and Joseph Stalin. The end result was to supply Red China with all the equipment that Chang’s forces surrendered which we. Posted on November 21, 2007 by coleros Historians call the Korean War, 1950-52, the Forgotten War, one that Americans would like to forget. David Halberstam was an American journalist and historian, known for his work on the Vietnam War, politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and later, sports journalism. With his experience of Vietnam still fresh, a young Halberstam had brilliantly mocked “the best and the brightest” who misled us into that debacle. As if to relieve those brooding labors, he alternated them with worshipful accounts of athletic feats, but they, too, focused on competitors under stress and reflected on their sweat-soaked devotion and their betrayals, by fate or higher authority. He is particularly harsh on Gen. MacArthur after the Inchon landing who, by failing to take the Chinese into account, turned the great successes of the war into a near disaster. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War. A lot of people seem to love Halberstam, and this book’s been much ballyhooed, but I’ve rarely enjoyed history written by journalists. After that we swing around to the United Nations before returning to Korea and so forth. Unfortunately, he was killed in a car accident that same year. If you're interested in the origins of the "Cold War," if you've never read anything about the Korean War, if you have little knowledge of the people who made the decisions that determined how the world got into the mess it's in in the latter half of the 20th Century you should probably read this book. The book was born of his desire to resurrect a war “orphaned by history,” a war that was cruel and inconclusive and claimed the lives of 33,000 American soldiers, 415,000 South Koreans and about 1.5 million North Korean and Chinese troops. Halberstam details the general’s last, late, futile and bumbling exit from the theater of war. Where Halberstam shines is the politics of the war. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In the Ardennes you always believed that the cold would break in a day or so; in Korea you never did” (p. 400). Second, how can a US statesman be so careless with his public comments to make the communists believe that the US would not defend South Korea in the first place? I liked it so much that I bought it twice. His Own Story. Many historians cover the first eighteen months and then end their accounts. The complexity and moral ambiguity of war are front and center. The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, David Halberstam. Although Halberstam’s insights are repetitive, the book is interesting and quite readable. This was my very first Halberstam book, a thumping slab of a book that covers the Korean War. Stanford Libraries' official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. From the publisher’s website:. “The Coldest Winter” still venerates the grunts on the ground and damns their feckless commanders. Few do heartbreaking as well as Halberstam. A fascinating look into a forgotten period that will leave readers in awe. Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. It stands as a lasting testament to its author, and to the fighting men whose heroism it chronicles. However, it like other studies of the man, make us question the judgement of leaders who had the ability to remove him but continued to keep him in place and the system that let it all happen. It is a riveting book which provides colorful and insightful portraits of the major political and military players in the "forgotten war" and also contains anecdotes and memories of the "common" soldiers who endured that hell on earth called the Korean War. It talks about all the players in the drama, MacArthur, Ridgway, Truman, Ned Almond (one of Macarthur's toadies), Mao, Kim Il Sung, etc. Essentially it was a return to World War One. At least that’s my take from the portion I’ve read. I had never read any of Halberstam's other books, but that's not uncommon in non-fiction circles. In Halberstam`s telling the drivers were men seeking glory or men reacting to being put in dreadful situations. This book reminds me why: it often reads like an extraordinarily drawn-out journalistic “lead” (730 pages! We’d love your help. Like most middle-aged American’s, I knew next to nothing about the Korean War. Refresh and try again. It synthesizes much of what you would read in a whole bookshelf of political history. Bleak days : The In Min Gun drives south -- pt. The coldest winter : America and the Korean War. Washington goes to war -- pt. And with Truman rushing across the Pacific to bask in the general’s glory, no one was able to restrain him. While this book is classified as military history – and it certainly is that – it is much more. The book includes a number of excellent maps, but, sadly, no photos. The book includes a number of excellent maps, but, sadly, no photos. Apparently we have learned nothing and therefore, we are once again destined to repeat our selves. Making such a statement is obvious, and when I hear of any of these courageous human beings getting killed I am saddened, but I understand that the profession they chose, or in the time of war was chosen for them, I take some comfort in the fact that possibly getting killed was something much m. There are certain professions that the risk of getting yourself killed is much greater than most other professions, such as a soldier, a covert CIA officer, FBI field agents, police officers, and firemen. Summary. A lengthy and detailed history of the Korean War, told by a veteran war correspondent. With remarkable energy, he went on to produce 20 books in 40 years, most notably big heaves about America’s war machine but also voluminous studies of our news media and auto industry, and poignant memorials to the civil rights marchers of the ’60s and the fallen firefighters of 9/11. A magisterial and compellingly readable history of the Korean War from the acclaimed author of The Best and the Brightest, the defining account of the Vietnam War. If you are Chinese, you will be angry that your man-God Mao was so eager to sacrifice 1.5 MM casualties to stop the Americans in Korea. During this time soldiers fought and died over ridgelines and hilltops. Firsthand testimony of this kind gives David Halberstam’s book. The U.S. troops in occupied Japan were poorly trained and equipped with worn out, out of date weapons from WWII. It doesn't make for dramatic history, but it is part of the Korean War and to give a chapter or two to that phase isn't right. The Coldest Winter is contemporary history in its most literary and luminescent form, providing crucial perspective on every war America has been involved in since. Remember to clear the cache and close the browser window. The book starts as a mess: Halberstam drops the reader right into combat with no idea what is happening. It synthesizes much of what you would read in a whole bookshelf of political history. They “had shared those dangers, and that set them apart from almost everyone else for the rest of their lives,” Halberstam reports. Although giving an overview of the Korean War 0f 1950-53, most of the text concerns the first months of the war, the violent back-and-forth between communist and U.N. forces. Making such a statement is obvious, and when I hear of any of these courageous human beings getting killed I am saddened, but I understand that the profession they chose, or in the time of war was chosen for them, I take some comfort in the fact that possibly getting killed was something much more likely to happen, and they understood that. I did not know enough about the Korean War and was engrossed by the futility of that conflict. Rental copies must be returned at the end of the designated period, and may involve a deposit. Arrives. An almost great book about America's forgotten war: The Korean War. “They did not need words to bind them together; their deeds were the requisite bond.” McGee felt that “he was glad he had gone and fought there. It was the very first in a long, s. For some time, “The Coldest Winter” sat cold on my shelf... winter after winter after winter. I had higher expectations for this book and it only met about half of them. Wider economic and social trends are referred to but very much in terms of setting the stage for the various heroes, bad guys and collateral dameage to strut on through. Smith who saved the first Marine Division and maybe all of X Corp from total destruction in the Chosin Reservoir. In this epic piece, David Halberstam offers a thorough analysis of the Korean War and its effects on America. The Coldest Winter America and the Korean War (Book) : Halberstam, David : Pulitzer-winning historian Halberstam first decided to write this book more than thirty years ago and it took him nearly ten years. Finally by default, I was goaded into reading it. Preparing. After October 1951 the war of movement was over.. This book reminds me why: it often reads like an extraordinarily drawn-out journalistic “lead” (730 pages! David Halberstam discovered his calling in Vietnam, watching men die for a strategic lie. Combining his typically prodigious research with more than a hundred interviews, Halberstam has graphically (if sometimes tediously) recreated the trench warfare up and down that frozen peninsula, juxtaposing accounts of the petty backstabbing and vainglorious posturing at the Tokyo headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the catastrophic miscalculations by Truman, Stalin, Mao and Kim Il Sung of North Korea. The Coldest Winter America and the Korean War (Book) : Halberstam, David : Pulitzer-winning historian Halberstam first decided to write this book more than thirty years ago and it took him nearly ten years. For some time, “The Coldest Winter” sat cold on my shelf... winter after winter after winter. The book is okay for what it is, but it doesn't deliver fully in the end. Meanwhile, the Army units were sacrificed. Then again, not much happened after that to really warrant Halberstam's, or the reader's, serious attention as the war ground ever on. Directed by James Lester. Because of that, commanders were first and foremost in the fear suppression business.”, “Gen. First, how could the US give so much money and support to China’s Chiang Ki Shek and get so little in return when it was obvious he was an incompetent thief? He very nearly succeeded. Just when I think I know everything about a subject, a book comes along and sweeps the rug right out from under my feet. David Halberstam will be missed in the future; he pulled together the essentials of whatever he was writing about whether it was Rock n'Roll or War. I love Halberstam's books and this is no exception. Until his untimely death in 2007, he was a Pulitzer Prize winning writer extraordinaire on politics, sports and history. Furthermore, Halberstam explains that the Democrats, who had a lock on the presidency for several years finally lost it due to political fallout from losing China to communism and the Korean War. In the foreground are a number of very detailed accounts of particularly representative battles substantially based on interviews with surviving American combatants. 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