Korean War: A Captivating Guide to Korean War History

by Captivating History

Explore how the Korean War Started, the Aftermath and the Events in Between Free History BONUS Inside! The narrative of the Korean War in the West, and particularly in the United States, tells the tale of a conflict between two global superpowers and competing ideologies in a far-flung corner of the globe. The reality is that the wheels of motion that drove the country to war in 1950 began turning long before American boots set foot on Korean soil. The heart of the conflict was a civil war between a population arbitrarily divided by colonization and the global geopolitics at the end of the Second World War. Challenging the widely perpetuated Western narrative and getting to the core of the Korean conflict is no easy feat. From assumptions that the outbreak of war was a deliberate act of communist aggression, to the notion that Eisenhower and Truman’s constant threats of atomic annihilation broke the Chinese and North Korean spirit and led to the signing of the armistice, everything needs to be dissected and reviewed on its own factual merit to fully understand the nature of the war. This guide seeks to pull this narrative curtain and peek behind at the truth of the matter, tracing the history of the war back to the Japanese occupation and uncovering the root of Korean nationalism that stirred the nation into the frenzy of civil war in 1950. It is about an often-forgotten war, fighting for its place in history between the two behemoths of the Second World War and the Vietnam War, which was no less significant, no less destructive, and had no less impact on the global politics of the twentieth century. Some of the topics covered in this book The Japanese 1910-1945A Korea The US Occupation of the SouthThe Forging of the North Korean StateFirst The Outbreak of WarStrike Hard and Strike The US RetreatBittersweet American Revival and China’s Decision to Cross the YaluHow Do You Solve a Problem Like China?The Bloody Ceasefire and Looming BombThe Legacy of the Korean WarAnd a Great Deal More that You don't Want to Miss out on!Scroll to the top and download the book for instant access!

Genres: History

89 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2017

Reviews

[Don Gerstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I had been fairly warned by this statement on the copyright page: “This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.” When I first read it, I did not understand it could mean that the author’s version of history might be different than what happened.

At first, it appeared that Captivating History had put together a decent book documenting the different reasons the Korean War came to pass. There were numerous countries besides Korea that were jockeying for position behind the scenes, and the author described what laid the foundations of a war that began in earnest in 1950.

The “Haeju seizure” theory has been preserved by some and debunked by others. It makes sense that any country would have defensive measures in place in case a neighboring country attacked, and North Korea was definitely rattling the sabers. Attacking the strategically-situated Haeju was triggered because of offensive troop movements by the North and not a preemptive strike by South Korea as the author attempts to claim. Although the author concedes in the last paragraph of the chapter that it was the North Korean Army that began the war, he adds “…it could just have easily occurred from an invasion of Haeju by South Korean forces.” Bottom line is that history says it did not happen that way.

Intimating the war was the fault of U.S. President Truman is also a stretch, or at the very least, glossing over the Soviet Union’s expansionist desires conflicting with the United States and their policy of containment of Communism. While I am not justifying either foreign policy decision, it is important from a historical viewpoint to fairly present all the facts.

Another item I questioned were the total US casualties in December of 1950. While the author states 335,000 in that small period of time, most sources quote approximately 130,000 killed or injured in the entire war (although Chinese and Korean sources estimate 390,000 US killed or injured). Perhaps the author was determining his numbers from the Chinese and Korean sources.

About halfway through the book I read that General MacArthur “…ordered the complete aerial destruction of North Korea from the Manchurian border southwards in retaliation” (italics are mine). These types of opinion-loaded statements combined with my constantly feeling I had to question every other paragraph in the book caused me to stop reading. In a history book, the reader must trust the author, that the story will have facts as its basis and if it is to be an opinion piece, that it will state that up front. Then again, maybe that is what the author was trying to do with his statement in the Copyright section. Some might find this book interesting. I found too many questions to find it enjoyable. Two stars.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited, {read this last month but just now up on goodreads to review} this is M*A*S*H*, without the laugh track type thing going on. It wasn't a show about how war was funny, it was a show about how war is inhuman but even involved in it it's all about humanity. This book shows the stark reality. Think about the U.S. and North Korea today, with nuclear weapons added in to the mix.

Explore how the Korean War Started, the Aftermath and the Events in Between - Free History BONUS Inside!
The narrative of the Korean War in the West, and particularly in the United States, tells the tale of a conflict between two global superpowers and competing ideologies in a far-flung corner of the globe. The reality is that the wheels of motion that drove the country to war in 1950 began turning long before American boots set foot on Korean soil. The heart of the conflict was a civil war between a population arbitrarily divided by colonization and the global geopolitics at the end of the Second World War. Challenging the widely perpetuated Western narrative and getting to the core of the Korean conflict is no easy feat. From assumptions that the outbreak of war was a deliberate act of communist aggression, to the notion that Eisenhower and Truman’s constant threats of atomic annihilation broke the Chinese and North Korean spirit and led to the signing of the armistice, everything needs to be dissected and reviewed on its own factual merit to fully understand the nature of the war. This guide seeks to pull this narrative curtain and peek behind at the truth of the matter, tracing the history of the war back to the Japanese occupation and uncovering the root of Korean nationalism that stirred the nation into the frenzy of civil war in 1950.

It is about an often-forgotten war, fighting for its place in history between the two behemoths of the Second World War and the Vietnam War, which was no less significant, no less destructive, and had no less impact on the global politics of the twentieth century. Some of the topics covered in this book include: The Japanese Ascendency: 1910-1945 A Korea Divided: The US Occupation of the South The Forging of the North Korean State First Blood: The Outbreak of War Strike Hard and Strike Fast: The US Retreat Bittersweet Victories: American Revival and China’s Decision to Cross the Yalu How Do You Solve a Problem Like China? The Bloody Ceasefire and Looming Bomb The Legacy of the Korean War





World History: Captivating Stories of Events That Shaped Our Planet (Forgotten History, History of the World, History Books)
Winston Churchill: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Winston S. Churchill
Franklin Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
Churchill and Roosevelt: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Franklin and Winston
Adolf Hitler: A Captivating Guide to the Life of the Führer of Nazi Germany
World War 2: A Captivating Guide from Beginning to End (The Second World War and D Day Book 1)
D Day: A Captivating Guide to the Battle for Normandy (The Second World War and D Day Book 2)
Korean War: A Captivating Guide to the Korean War History
Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Nikola Tesla: A Captivating Guide to the Life of a Genius Inventor
Haitian Revolution: A Captivating Guide to the Abolition of Slavery


Celtic Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs
Maya Civilization: A Captivating Guide to Maya History and Maya Mythology (Mayan Civilization, Aztecs and Incas Book 1)
Norse Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 1)
Egyptian Mythology: Captivating Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 2)
Greek Mythology: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, and Monsters (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 3)
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Norse Mythology (Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology - Greek Mythology Book 4
Greek Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Ancient Greek Religion with Its Gods, Goddesses, Monsters and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 1)
Norse Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Sagas, Gods, Heroes, and Beliefs of the Vikings (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 2)
Egyptian Mythology: A Fascinating Guide to Understanding the Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, and Mortals (Greek Mythology - Norse Mythology - Egyptian Mythology Book 3

[James BELL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and Comprehensive

This is a short but very informative history of the Korean War. It is very comprehensive and gives you a good understanding from both sides of the conflict. It also covers the cost and futility of war. This also shows when the military industrial complex really started taking over.

[Ankit Karnany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short read, packed with tons of information about what shaped the Korea we know. Cleared tons of things about the roles of various world leaders. Interesting to see how a small chain of events leads to such long-lasting effects.

[Ryan Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory book to start reading more about Korean War in depth.