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Korea

War Without End

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Korea

By: Richard Dannatt, Robert Lyman
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
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About this listen

 Bloomsbury presents Korea: War Without End by Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman, read by Mark Elstob

A ground-breaking history of this global conflict including the errors and miscalculations made on both sides.

Korea: War Without End examines the stand-off between East and West in Korea that ultimately defined the second half of the 20th century. It provides a critical analysis of the lack of preparation by the West for war; the results of the North Korean invasion in June 1950; the counter-stroke by MacArthur in September and then the strategic overreach which led to communist China’s involvement on the North Korean side, and the rapid escalation to consideration of the use of nuclear weapons.

Through meticulous analysis of all the source material, this book details the chaos of political decision-making at the war’s outset and as it progressed. The Korean War was not planned as a Communist offensive against the West. In turn, the East did not understand the principle at the core of the Western response to Kim Il-sung’s aggression, namely a refusal to appease an aggressor, the key mistake the West considered to be at the heart of the rise of Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan in the 1930s.

Korea: War Without End also considers the effect of the fighting on civilians. While the war was a proxy one between East and West, the people of Korea suffered immensely, with approximately 3 million war fatalities and a larger proportional civilian death toll than World War II. This is the definitive history of the conflict that is long overdue.©2025 Richard Dannatt, Robert Lyman (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 20th Century Military Modern War Korean War Imperial Japan China
All stars
Most relevant
It’s relevance to us today - the causational hand of Russia, the countering hand of the US (plus Europe, tagging along, reluctant and ever fearful of being left alone), and a ever-so-patient China with clear aims, willing to intervene when required.

So relevant to today - insightful.

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This book goes heavy on battle descriptions and light on just about everything else. It's probably impossible to avoid a 'goodies vs baddies' vibe when Chairman Mao and Kim Jong-un's grandad are involved, but the writers really do present North Koreans and Chinese as a bunch of faceless Commies. There's also vanishingly little detail about who was leading South Korea and less still about what the local and other UN forces did. You'd think the US and UK fought this war by themselves.

Gives a very narrow Western view of the conflict.

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