Nucleue Showdown North Korea Takes On The World

by Gordon G. Chang

Nuclear Showdown published by Asia expert, Gordon Chang, was of the first books to exploire the full extent of the North Korean nuclear threat, its origins, international implications, and solutions.The United States is the mightiest nation in history, yet for six decades one of the world's weakest states has challenged the superpower and kept it at bay. Today, that country also threatens to change the course of human events with an act of unimaginable devastation. Nuclear Showdown analyses the failed society that has become the gravest threat to America and international North Korea. Chang's insightful book reveals the full horror of the crisis threatening to turn Asia into the world's next battleground.How can North Korea be stopped? No one seems to have an answer. For more than half a century, policymakers have failed when it comes to subjugating Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il. Nuclear Showdown proposes a solution that can defuse the standoff once and for all.

Paperback

First published January 10, 2006

About the author

Gordon Guthrie Chang is an American journalist, lawyer, political commentator, and writer. He is the author of The Coming Collapse of China in which he attempted to predict the collapse of China and claimed that it would collapse by 2011. In December 2011, he changed the timing of the year of the predicted collapse to 2012.

In 1976, Chang graduated from the Cornell Law School. He then lived in mainland China and in Hong Kong for close to two decades, where he worked as Partner and Counsel at the US international law firms Baker & McKenzie and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

Chang has given briefings at the National Intelligence Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the US State Department, and the US Department of Defense, and he has testified before the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The New Yorker has characterized him as a "longtime überhawk on China".

Reviews

[Owlseyes]

"Negotiations, sponsored by China, have yet to produce an enduring solution"
-Will they?
Just to remind: "Denuclearization on the Korean peninsula" means different things to the North Koreans and to the West.
Maybe the "denuclearization" rethoric is aiming also at the US, to denuclearize....*



*http://www.oananews.org/content/news/...

[Michael Connolly]

After World War II ended, Korea was split into two countries, and the communists took control of the north Their leader, Kim Il Sung, deified himself, glorified Korea, and miseducated his people. Children were taught that Korea deserved most of the credit for defeating Japan, and the role of the United States was left out. He also prevented his citizens from learning that people in the capitalistic West had a much higher standard of living. Kim Il Sung died in 1994 and was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il. The North Korean economy suffered during the 1990s, due to the withdrawal of support from the Soviet Union, which abandoned communism. The suffering was aggravated by the refusal of the leaders to make cuts in spending for its bloated military. The country suffered a famine where hundreds of thousands of people died. Much of the food aid received from foreign nations went to the military, rather than to the starving civilians. Things improved after China pressured North Korea to make economic reforms. The people themselves also helped the situation by stealing land from the agricultural collectives to create private farms.

[Paul Kelly]

An interesting overview, but the author quite evidently has an axe to grind.

[Serge Boucher]

This book, written during the Bush administration, now feels a bit dated, but still provides a ton of info on the North Korean nublear programme and why it matters.

[Ellen]

Very good book. However, it is from 2006 and needs to be read with that in mind. Lots has happened. I learned a lot.

[Elizabeth Sulzby]

This is a very important book but it needed developmental editing: editing of the structure as the work was being written. The author often repeats ideas he has just written about with no reason for the repetition and the chapter by chapter ordering often seems arbitrary. This makes the book a slow read as well as not as memorable as such a topic calls for.

[Ken Hamner]

Very insightful and informative book, not only about the history of the region, but the strategic dilemma today.

[Rachel Hale]

I give this book 4 stars because it was more of a textbook read then a novel. Plus the book actually stops at 225. But the pages from 226 to 325 is actually just citations and the index. It has a lot of "food for thought" topics about nuclear warfare and the denuclearization of DPRK.

[Sue]

Would have done 3.5 - interesting perspective, a bit dated now but lots was still relevant, given today's continuing saga...

[Ietrio]

Cheap fear mongering: rally behind the Beloved Leader and die for the Cause. Never mind the pain and suffering caused.

[Mpho Makola]

It was a very interesting and easy read. I enjoyed Chang's perspective on the North Korean Nuclear weapons saga.

[Bettie]

‘Nuclear Showdown’ author: We should be talking about dismantlement with North Korea