Tom's review
Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950
by Martin Russ
Tom's review
Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950 by Martin Russ
Tom's review
rating:
If Korea was the forgetten war, then the writer did a good job of finding soldiers who remembered every detail. For example, the Marine who found his feet unusually warm one morning, only to find a Chinese soldier sleeping at the bottom of his sleeping bag. There are many moments like that, when the enemy and the Americans find themselves in close contact. Sometimes it ends in death, sometimes they walk on, ignoring each other.
Another detail is that many of the North Koreans were Christian, and they brought out their bibles and had a service when the Marines arrived.
There is also the intriguing question of whether the Americans could have broken out by crossing the frozen Chosin reservoir, instead of fighting their way south through thousands of Chinese troops. We'll never know.
"I walk away," is a catch phrase for the GI's, based on a line from an American Indian in a popular movie of the day. At the end of the book, after much bloodshed and heavy battles...more
Another detail is that many of the North Koreans were Christian, and they brought out their bibles and had a service when the Marines arrived.
There is also the intriguing question of whether the Americans could have broken out by crossing the frozen Chosin reservoir, instead of fighting their way south through thousands of Chinese troops. We'll never know.
"I walk away," is a catch phrase for the GI's, based on a line from an American Indian in a popular movie of the day. At the end of the book, after much bloodshed and heavy battles...more
