In Mortal Combat: Korea, 1950-1953

“In Mortal Combat: Korea, 1950-1953” is an altogether magnificent account of the Korean War. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, biographer, and journalist John Toland, this book tells the story of how the Korean War was fought with great detail and in a wonderfully fast-paced and engaging writing style. Toland covers all aspects of the war very thoroughly. From the overall political and strategic goals of world leaders on all sides of the conflict, to many of the individual battles themselves, “In Mortal Combat” describes events in a manner that will keep readers turning pages. Once I started reading “In Mortal Combat,” I found it very difficult to put down. I’ve read several books about the Korean War, and “In Mortal Combat: Korea,1950-1953” stands as the best one I have yet read. The book is long enough (approximately 650 pages) to treat its subject in sufficient detail, but not so long as to become boring or bog the reader down. It comes complete with an excellent photo gallery near the end of the Kindle edition, and several very well-drawn in-text maps to assist readers in understanding various battles. An excellent read in every way. Highly recommended.

John Toland's books are always interesting and well-researched, and this one is no exception. Even if you've read a lot on the Korean War, the personal stories and anecdotes will likely still interest you. The book, though, is sadly lacking in maps, which makes following the developments difficult (knowing where action is taking place, etc.). Otherwise, a very good book for those interested in learning more about the Forgotten War.

Great copy for a great price. Everything it said it was in the description on Amazon came earlier than expected I can’t wait to start reading it.

The book, which was listed in "very good" condition, was not all very good. The book itself was in very good condition. The dust cover was not, however. It was beaten up and had tears. I think to be totally honest say the book is in very good condition the book cover is in "fair" condition. That is true. Take it or leave it, I guess.

The Korean War is often called “the forgotten war”, but for me, it was an “unknown war” trivialized by the movie and TV series M*A*S*H. IN MORTAL COMBAT: KOREA, 1950-1953 by John Toland is an eye opening account of the military and political events that plunged the US, China, Korea, Russia, and the UN to the brink of World War 3 with atomic bombs. There were so many mistakes, but Toland points out that the US strategic failures of the war were primarily the creation of Douglas MacArthur and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There are numerous books about the Korean War, but most focus only on one branch of the service, one military unit, one battle (e.g., Chosin Reservoir), one individual (e.g., General Douglas MacArthur). IN MORTAL COMBAT: KOREA, 1950-1953 is a more comprehensive account, but what makes this book unique is that John Toland gives account of individual soldiers and marines. The book is not one-sided. He gives accounts of individual ROK, North Korean, Chinese, UN soldiers and politicians. These individual stories makes the readers realize that the Korean War was “a war of cruelty, stupidity, error, misjudgment, racism, prejudice, and atrocities on both sides committed by people in high, middle, and low ranks.” The one thing that I found astonishing was how poorly prepared ROK and US forces were during the initial invasion and again when the Communist Chinese entered the war. Mike Lynch, a WW2 veteran, described it as “the Battle of the Bulge revisited. Nobody knows what’s going on, rumors are rampant. Guys are panicking for no reason and people are saying the enemy is all over.” The fact that the US Marines at the Chosin Reservoir were nearly annihilated by Chinese forces is stunning. One marine veteran of WW2 thought it was worse than Iwo Jima. Another marine described the Chosin Reservoir as a battle that could have destroyed the Corp. Mike Lynch, who later became a US Army General, summarized everything that went wrong in the Korean War - “we made the worst mistake in warfare. We began by underestimating enemy capabilities and overestimating our own. . . . then we overestimated the enemy’s capabilities and underestimated ours, thus forcing us to accept compromises that were not necessary.” If you’re unfamiliar with Korea, I highly recommend having a map (a topographic map would be great) for reference. The book has small area maps, but to get a clear understanding of the distance and terrain, you need to look at a full map. For example, the distance that needed to be covered in one of the longest retreat in US military history is better understood and appreciated when looking at a map.

This is a “no holds barred” critique of the Korean War. From the ground war to the performance and biases of the various generals involved this book is an eye opener.

One of the very best books on every aspect of the war in Korea. The author brings out aspects of the fighting that you will not find else where. Highly recommended.

Very well written and informative with stories from all sides of the conflict. It gave me a much better understanding of the politics, fundamental mistake of dividing Korea at the end of WWII, missed opportunities by the USA to end the conflict early, the dangers of superstar military commanders, and the ineffectiveness of nuclear deterrence against China or NK. The suffering of our troops, the unheralded heroism of French, AUS, ROK and UK units is well portrayed as is the experiences of POW's and Chinese "Volunteer" troops. This war seems to be a forgotten chapter of our history by most Americans but is worth reviewing, if only to provide insight to Cold War era events and how they have shaped current events.

Although I have read a couple of books on the subject, this one was most educating.

What a whacky war.Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat,defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and snatched back again.Huge gambles on risky bets and huger egos.Constant fear,loathing,suspense and a cast of millions.Literally the fate of the world hanging in the balance and the atomic bomb looming over everything.Yikes!

Toland has written a detailed account of the war, confirming MacArthur,s hubris and vindicating Walker’s leadership in a very difficult and complicated combat situation.

Best I have ever read on the Korean comflict.