The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War (Abridged Nonfiction)
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- $27.99
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- $27.99
Publisher Description
David Halberstam's magisterial and thrilling The Best and the Brightest was the defining book for the Vietnam War. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivalled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another dark corner in our history: the Korean War. The Coldest Winter is a successor to The Best and the Brightest, even though, in historical terms, it precedes it. Halberstam considered The Coldest Winter the best book he ever wrote, the culmination of 45 years of writing about America's postwar foreign policy.
Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam 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 Ridgway. 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 this audiobook are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden.
Customer Reviews
Great Book
Halberstam is a true historian, you can smell the blood and cordite in his writing. The biggest shock of the book is David getting killed in an auto accident a week after turning in his final draft.
Surprising disappointment
I was looking forward to immersing myself in this book. I love history, carefully researched and objectively presented. This book is neither. The tone is mean-spirited. The presentation is highly subjective. If you like to think for yourself, you'll be disappointed. If you enjoy listening to political indoctrination masquerading as serious historical journalism, you'll love it.
great book on the forgotten war.
loved it. If you are wanting to learn more about this tragic and forgotten war...buy it now.