It's been more than 70 years since the controversial Korean War began. It's sometimes called America’s “Forgotten War,” as it occurred between WWII and Vietnam, and is often overshadowed by those conflicts. The Korean War was short and bloody, resulting in the deaths of 5 million people, more than half civilians. Approximately 40,000 American troops were killed, and 100,000 were wounded.
Yet, the Korean War has never inspired the vast body of literature created in the wake WWI, WWII, or even Vietnam. For those who are curious to know more about America’s “Forgotten War,” here are five outstanding histories that will give you insights into devastating battles, heroes, and political implications that are anything but forgettable.
This Kind of War
For those interested in a straightforward military account of one of the most controversial conflicts in American History, This Kind of War is a stoic, comprehensive volume that chronicles the action on the ground in Korea through detailed information on strategy, ammunition, soldiers, and equipment from officer T.R. Fehrenbach—who was there on the ground and experienced the war firsthand. Fehrenbach tracks the political manipulations and ramifications before, during, and after the conflict, making This Kind of War an essential read for anyone interested in modern warfare.
Marine!
Experience the Korean War through the eyes of the most decorated Marine in military history.
As the only man to be awarded the Navy Cross a whopping five times, Chesty Puller joined up for military service in World War I and went on to serve in World War II and Korea. In this biography, Burke Davis reveals the particular brutalities of the winter campaign of the Korean War, including the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, during which Puller famously said, “We’ve been looking for the enemy for some time now. We’ve finally found him. We’re surrounded. That simplifies things.”
Marine Corps Tank Battles in Korea
Very few people realize that tank warfare was an important part of the strategy in Korea that helped the United States to prevail in a number of bloody engagements at Pusan, the Chosin Reservoir, and all throughout the Jamestown Line. Expert Oscar E. Gilbert argues that the availability of the military supplies and WWII veterans who were familiar with tank warfare helped the Marine Corps to survive.
Related: 10 Unforgettable Vietnam War Books
The Hidden History of the Korean War
Journalist I.F. Stone takes history to task in this controversial book about the origins and lasting effects of the Korean War—from questionable motives on both sides and the implications on American foreign policy. Published in 1952 while the war was still going on, this hidden history was revisited in a revised edition published during Vietnam, when the skeletons in the closet of the past were coming back to haunt U.S. policy in a major way.
On Hallowed Ground
While negotiations to end the Korean War dragged on, the fighting continued at the last line of the defense, the 7th infantry’s outpost on the peninsula, best known by its nickname “Pork Chop Hill.” Though U.S. Forces had hoped that word of an agreement would reach them any day, on July 6th, 1953, Chinese forces attacked during a monsoon, leading to one of the fiercest battles of the entire war. With eyewitness accounts from the men who were there and survived, Bill McWilliams paints a harrowing portrait of the Korean War’s most devastating battles.
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