The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War

MacMillan, 2007. New book, 719 pages. Up until now, Korea has been the black hole of modern American history. This book changes that. Halbertam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures - Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgeway. At the same time, Halberstam provides us with his trademark highly evocative narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order. At the heart of the book are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgements and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes.. Soft Cover. As New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.