At War in Korea, by George Forty

At War in Korea, by George Forty
Bonanza Books, 1982
An oversize book, with b&w photoo(s) illustrating every page.
158 pages plus bibliography, no index

Description
To the majority of the world, the end of World War II meant the end of six years of conflict-a time for rebuilding and healing the scars of war. But the immediate postwar years were destined not to be the peaceful era people might have anticipated-the Cold War had arrived, with the Allies of World War II polarizing into Eastern and Western blocs.

At War in Korea takes a candid look at this three-year confrontation between North and South Korea. Author George Forty served as a young subaltern durung the Korean WAr. Here he gives a graphic impression of the reality behind the camera through a blend of personal reminiscences and photographs. This unique collection of more than 220 b&w photos provides the reader with an in-depth look at life in the trenches, the weaponry used for combat, and the soldiers on both sides of the 38th parallel.

Korea was to be the place that the Cold War got hot. A rugged, impoverished and divided country, Korea became the scene of another world war as the United Nations forces struggled to maintain the freedom of South Korea. In 1948, the communist North Koreans invaded the south and rapidly pushed the defending forces back to a small perimeter in the southeast section of the peninsula. In the course of the war that followed-the breakout from the Pusan perimetr, the landings at Inchon, the advent of the Chinese into battle and the long negotiations for peace-contingents from many nations fought a protracted struggle that returned to the public eye via the highly successful television program, M*A*S*H.

At War in Korea attemts to present the reader with both a historical and personal account of the conflict. The book includes maps illustrating the specific battles and other attack offensives mounted by the two combating forces. President Harry Truman's decision to replace General Douglas MacArthur as head of the American armed forces is discussed, as is the use of the helicopter as the latest and most successful method for casualty evacuation.

The author leads the reader through the three-year battle up to signing of the armistice on July 27, 1953. THe cease fire ended 37 months of hostilities in the course of which, it has been estimated, some 72,500 UN forces were killed and more than 250,000 wounded. THe NOrth Koreans and Chinese suffered the loss of approximately 1,350,000 dead and wounded soldiers.

As a forerunner of the longer, more recent conflict in Vietnam, the Korean War is of great significance to modern military enthusiasts and historians, and At War in Korea pays fitting tribute to the men of all nations who fought in it.

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The land and the people
2. How it all began
3. Brief description of the Korean War
4. The opposing armies
5. Withdrawal action
6. Defense of the Pusan Perimeter
7. To the Yalu!
8. Helicopters in Korea
9. The Chinese attack
10. Presidential citations
11. The Chinese spring offensive
12. Stabilizing the front
13. The static war
-propaganda
-Life in the line
-Patrolling
MASH
-The PX and the NAAFI
-R&R and living in Korea
-The Bloody Hook
14. Prisoners of war
15. The armistice signed
Bibliography




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