The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War | David Halberstam

The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War | David Halberstam | A disappointing conclusion, but a good, informative read

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The Coldest Winter...

	The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War David Halberstam Hyperion, 2007 - 736 pages average customer review:based on 133 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Halberstam's masterpiece

In his incredibly productive life, David Halberstam wrote brilliantly on a myriad of topics _ from Bill Belichick to this, an opus that sheds light not only on the mostly ignored Korean War but on the failures of world diplomacy and American politicians after World War II. Sadly, it continues into the 21st century.

Others, including a number of Korean War veterans, have written eloquently on Halberstam's portrayal of that sad epic _ or rather the first year-and-a-half of it, and the failure of leadership in both Washington and Tokyo. What struck me, someone who has read a lot of military history, was the portrait of what has to be one of the worst generals ever to hold high command in the U.S. Army _ Ned Almond, a racist of incredible hubris and equal incompetence who was allowed to keep his post as X Corps commander even when Ridgway took over the 8th Army command. Even the worst of the union commanders in the Civil War were more fit than he was.

But what really struck me was the insight into Soviet, Chinese, and American politics that has led to a series of unnecessary wars, right up to Iraq. I've always sensed it with one part of my brain, but never thought consistenly about how U.S. domestic policy drives foreign policy, right up to the use of 9/11 to justify the disastrous Iraq invasion. Halberstam clearly catches the mood of American politics during Korea _ the dominance of the China Lobby. But he also catches in the last 20 pages the way the Democratic party has been paralyzed since by the effects of that war _ that the sense of being "soft,'' first on Communism and then on terrorism, led to Vietnam and the early lack of dissent on Iraq.

Maybe this book will contribute to a new reality in American politics.

Given the history Halberstam portrays, probably not.

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A disappointing conclusion, but a good, informative read

As other reviewers have noted, this is not a comprehensive history of the Korean War. However as in most good historical works, the author is highly selective in the material he chooses to present. That material supports the author's main theme: the political failures that lead to the war, the personal failures that resulted in the creation of a debacle, and the failure to learn any lessons from the war that resulted in a repetition of the failures, even to this day.

The book draws to a rather abrupt, and for me disappointing, conclusion immediately after the events of Chipyongni with about 2 years left to go in the war. But on reflection I think the unsatisfying conclusion to the book simply mirrors the unsatisfying conclusion to the war itself.

The nugget of gold in this book is found at the end in the section called "The Consequences", and in the epilogue. A lot of food for thought there. And some interesting conclusions as to the consequences of the war for the rest of the century and beyond.

I came away with a much better understanding of this war, its causes and consequences. And it was an excellent read by a good author.

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The Coldest Winter

After his early work on Vietnam 'The Best and the Brightest', this is another masterpiece from Halberstam. His mixture of battle narrative and character analysis is irresistible; one really cannot put it down after Chapter 1 on the Yalu River and China's entry into the Korean War. It is also provocative and convincing about the errors of the late 1940s and early 1950s that led to so much grief for the USA, indeed up to the recent bogdown in Iraq. Much of Halberstam reads like Titus Livius, especially the Roman historian's account of the war with Hannibal.

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What a revelation

Shows the darker side of Douglas McArthur and some of his underlings. Makes you proud of the Marine general who stood up to McArthur's staff and saved the day. I recommend this book to any student of history. After Inchon it was all downhill from there with McArthur and some of his self serving actions.

Uncertain about getting this book

I have been reading these reviews prior to getting this book. Many people seem to be disappointed in the coverage of the Korean War by this author as well as certain inacurracies, e.g. the rebuilding of the highway bridge by army engineers as the Marines fought their way south in their retreat from the Choisin Reservoir. You might be interested to read "BREAKOUT: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950." The author is Martin Russ who also wrote "The Last Paralell." This is a riveting account of the incredible battles by the Marines to survive an onslaught by thousands of Chinese soldiers and then to fight their way south from the Chosin Reservoir. As in "The Coldest Winter", General MacArthur does not come off well at all in terms of his judgment and decision-making.

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