In this series, we present you the top 6 books on Korean War and Korean History.
The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies
by Michael Breen
The rise of South Korea is one of the most unexpected and inspirational developments of the latter part of our century. A few decades ago, the Koreans were an impoverished, agricultural people. In one generation they came out of the fields and into Silicon Valley. In 1997, this powerhouse of a nation reeled and almost collapsed as a result of a weak financial system and heavily indebted conglomerates. The world is now watching to see whether the Koreans will be able to reform and continue their stunning growth.
Although Korea has only recently found itself a part of the global stage, it is a country with a rich and complex past. Early history shows that Koreans had a huge influence on ancient Japan, and their historic achievements include being the first culture to use metal movable type for printing books. However, much of their history is less positive; it is marred with political violence, poverty, and war-aspects that would sooner be forgotten by the Koreans, who are trying to focus on their promising future.
The fact that Korean history has eluded much of the world is unfortunate, but as Korea becomes more of a global player, understanding and appreciation for this unique nation has become indispensable.
In The Koreans, Michael Breen provides an in-depth portrait of the country and its people. an early overview of the nature and values of the Korean people provides the background for a more detailed examination of the complex history of the country, in particular its division into the Communist north and pro-Western south.
In this absorbing and enlightening account of the Koreans, Michael Breen provides compelling insight into the history and character of this fascinating nation.
Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History
by Bruce Cumings
“Passionate, cantankerous, and fascinating. Rather like Korea itself.”–Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times Book Review
Korea has endured a “fractured, shattered twentieth century,” and this updated edition brings Bruce Cumings’s leading history of the modern era into the present. The small country, overshadowed in the imperial era, crammed against great powers during the Cold War, and divided and decimated by the Korean War, has recently seen the first real hints of reunification. But positive movements forward are tempered by frustrating steps backward.
In the late 1990s South Korea survived its most severe economic crisis since the Korean War, forcing a successful restructuring of its political economy. Suffering through floods, droughts, and a famine that cost the lives of millions of people, North Korea has been labeled part of an “axis of evil” by the George W. Bush administration and has renewed its nuclear threats. On both sides Korea seems poised to continue its fractured existence on into the new century, with potential ramifications for the rest of the world.
The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History
by Don Oberdorfer
Don Oberdorfer’s “The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History” is the perfect first book for anyone interested in the history and trauma in Korea over the last 50 years. This text was required reading in a graduate-level course on the Government and Security in Korea.
Oberdorfer knows Korea. From his first visit in 1953 as an Army Lieutenant through his interviews of the presidential candidates before the 1987 election, and his visit to Pyongyang in 1991, Oberdorfer continually followed Korean politics – mostly from the seat of a press member for the Washington Post. As he recounts in the text, Oberdorfer was sitting in the National Theater in Seoul on August 15th, 1974 when the shots rang out at ROK President Park Chung Hee, killing the ROK First Lady, the president survived. This personal touch of first hand accounts, compiled with interviews of major actors in Korean politics (both U.S., North Korean, and South Korean), is seamlessly rolled together in a readable narrative that draws the reader into this contemporary history.
The text covers the inside stories and under-the-table events which occurred between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from mostly first hand sources in the form of interviews with the participants.
Highly recommended for anyone studying Korea, Asian politics, or the military situation on the Korean peninsula.
A Short History of the Korean War
by James L. Stokesbury
As pungent and concise as his short histories of both world wars, Stokesbury’s survey of “the half war” takes a broad view and seems to leave nothing out but the details. The first third covers the North Korean invasion of June 1950, the Pusan perimeter crisis, MacArthur’s master stroke at Inchon and the intervention by Chinese forces that November. At this point, other popular histories of the war reach the three-quarter mark, ending often with a cursory summary of the comparatively undramatic three-and-a-half years required to bring the war to its ambiguous conclusion on July 27, 1953. Stokesbury renders the latter period as interesting as the operational fireworks of the first six months: the Truman-MacArthur controversy; the political limitations on U.S. air power; the need for the Americans to fight the war as cheaply as possible, due to NATO commitments; the prolonged negotiations at Panmunjom over the prisoner-exchange issue; and the effect of the war on the home front. Whether the United States could have/should have stayed out of the war in the first place comes under discussion: “no” on both counts, according to the author.
Korea Old and New: A History
by Carter J. Eckert, Ki-Baik Lee, Young Ick Lew, Michael Robinson, Edward W. Wagner
This presentation of the general history of Korea not only provides a detailed treatment of the post-1945 period, but describes the traditional historical-cultural milieu from which modern Korea has developed. The 20th century has witnessed a multiplicity of both domestic and external factors that have resulted either in tendentious history or in emphasis badly skewed toward such dramatic events as the Korean War or South Korea’s economic successes.
“Korea Old and New” aims to present a more balanced survey. Its coverage of traditional Korea emphasizes cultural developments not merely as isolated expressions of the creative spirit of the people but as integrally related to Korea’s political, social and economic history. The book’s preponderant concern is with the tumultuous modern era, and six academic specialists provide a wide-angle view of each distinct period. The authors elucidate the past while providing new understanding of the vast changes that have taken place in this ancient nation.
Everlasting Flower: A History of Korea
by Keith Pratt
The defiant dictatorship of North Korea and the thriving democracy of South Korea may appear starkly different, but they share a complex and often misunderstood history that is ably recounted in Everlasting Flower.
Keith Pratt traverses the ancient landscapes of the Koreas, from the kingdoms of Old Choson and Wiman Choson to the present-day 38th Parallel division. The book’s engaging narrative details the wars, ruling dynasties, Chinese and Japanese imperialism, and controversial historical events such as the abuses of the Japanese occupation.
Everlasting Flower applies an equally careful eye to religious practices, dress, and food, and augments the narrative with richly illustrated pictorial essays. As the Korean peninsula assumes a prominent role in world affairs, Everlasting Flower offers an invaluable survey of Korean history and culture.
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