Questions About The Korean War

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Korean War, please sign up.

Answered Questions (1)

I want to buy this for my fifteen year old sister. Any recommendation whether this is appropriate for her?

Christopher It depends on the reading level of your sister - but I would assume any 15 year old who is actively interested in reading about the Korean War is not …moreIt depends on the reading level of your sister - but I would assume any 15 year old who is actively interested in reading about the Korean War is not an average 15 year old.

While I wouldn't describe this as an academic text, it is far more in-depth than 'pop' histories. Mr Hastings attempts to place the war in context of the immediate post WW2 and there is equal emphasis placed on the tactical and strategic elements of the warfare along with considerable discussions of the situations in Japan (MacArthur's HQ) and Washington DC and less so of the sitches/reactions in the UN, London, Moscow and Beijing - in other words, if you're looking for a pure battlefield narrative, this isn't for you.

In terms of appropriate aka are there elements that might disturb a 15 year old, the answer is a resounding yes. There are a great many first hand accounts of the fighting and the men and they include descriptions of what would appear to be heartless violence (it is war) and virulent ... perhaps not racism but lack of respect for other cultures. There are also additional graphic descriptions of the brutal treatment of POWs and refugees.

To sum it up - personally, I certainly wouldn't ban a 15 year old from reading it - I'd in fact encourage people who want to have their 'eyes opened' to read it - but I'd warn you - the book plays rough.

Hope that was informative.(less)

flag

Unanswered Questions

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more