I’m reviewing two history books…because Pastors also need a break!
Hampton Sides. On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle. New York, NY: Doubleday, October 2, 2018. 368 pp.
4 out of 5
Purchase: Amazon
If you ever heard the hymn for the US Marines there’s a line that says “we will fight in every climb and place” but where’s a place that’s cold that the Marines have fought in? This book covers the legendary First Marine Division and their campaign in the Korean War. Readers will learn about the epic and horrible battle of Chosin Reservoir that took place in frostbiting cold of North Korea. There’s other battles covered but this was the climatic part of the book.
The book is divided into five parts. “Book One” cover the first Marine Division Campaign up to Seoul (capital of South Korea). Book two then goes over the Marines campaign driving into North Korea followed by book three that cover the Reservior campaign when the Chinese attacked back and surrounded the First Marine Division. Book four continues this campaign with bloodly details of survivors and atrocities and book five is the final march of the Division back to the Sea (and eventual safety).
I thought the author did a good job of capturing multiple facets of the Korean War. This include the command level of Generals to Marine grunts and also native Koreans. Most insightful to me is the author’s assessment of General Douglas MacArthur of how he and his immediate staff didn’t understand truly what was going on in the beginning of the fight and they went against what intelligence and battle field commanders were telling them about the threat of Chinese soldiers entering the conflict and the forces being split thinned. This made me appreciate the Marines of that era even more with the odds they have to overcome along with bad leadership from the Army at the Corps level and up. I also appreciate more General Smith who was the Marine general that lead the First Marine Division. Also interesting to me was the book’s discussion about how the Marines integrated Marines of all ethnicities rather early on among the various branches and the account of the first Asian Marine officer Lt. Lee was fascinating.
There’s so much in the book more than I can go over such as how General MacArthur lying about the situation in Korea and the experience of a North Korean that fled and caught up in the war. Worth reading.
The Chosin Few. That reservoir was a horrendous episode in history!
It was horrendous! The terrain, the weather, the enemy! If you know any other books on the Korean war, do share and let me know!
I’ll get a list together if you like.
That would be a delight; if you have it as a post I can link it here in this review to your site
I’ll get on it!
Here’s a link to locate some of the books. I thought this would be the best list I could give you…
https://www.thriftbooks.com/browse/?b.search=chosin%20reservoir#b.s=mostPopular-desc&b.p=1&b.pp=30&b.oos&b.tile
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Sounds like a good book, enlightening us about a war my generation seems to know little about. (Other than what we learned from “M.A.S.H.” 😉 )
The “forgotten war.” How many seasons of MASH was there? Did you watch them when the series were still ongoing or just the reruns? I saw some reruns as a kid in the 90s. I thought it was the Vietnam War until I got older and interested in military history and realized it was about Korea. From time to time I hear someone from my generation assume MASH was about Vietnam too. Think it’s the forgotten with my generation. I’m glad I read this book though! Much respect to the Marines that came before my time…much respect!!!
Thanks for the review! I would enjoy this book. We didn’t learn much about the Korean War in school, being that it was a stalemate rather than a U.S. victory. We did learn about Truman’s recall of the defiant MacArthur. In grammar school the general was presented as a hero but by the time I was in high school many of the hippie radicals were purchasing Mao’s little red book!
Such a dramatic change! I wonder how Korean War Marine vet felt seeing the change from say 1954 to 1968; that is 14 years and as a parallel Iraq was for me 18 years ago. I read this book since Korea is seen as the forgotten book war. Appreciate your comment. How is your shift going so far today??
RE: shift
Thanks! Fridays are always rough, but things might quiet down by Sunday noon.
How’s your Friday going?
Old Corps Marine Corps
So strange that until recently, it seemed that you had to really dig to find any real information on both the Korean and Vietnam wars. I wonder why that is?
I imagine some portion of the population don’t agree with both wars. Strangely the amount of books on WW2 is so much more. I’m kind of embarrassed to realized I don’t remember the last book on the Korea war I read, though I remember my first was a really old book called The New Breed and that was as a high school kid. How goes your work of art today???
Much of my knowledge of the Korean War comes from the TV show MASH. Sorry, no useful comment… 😉
Fascinating review! I know you’re an economics guy, amazing how people not only forget the war but the financial “boost” it gave the us economy. Thanks for this review!!!!
Ah you know and remember I love economics 🙂. Thanks for reading this! I hope your Friday went well! Was a bit busy for me with Friday!!
Was yesterday marriage?
I have read facts and watched documentaries about this legendary fight by these Marines. Against all odds, they did the Corps proud.
Salute to the Marines of the Korean conflict