Korea

A ground-breaking history of this global conflict including the errors and miscalculations made on both sides. Korea: War Without End examines the stand-off between East and West in Korea that ultimately defined the second half of the 20th century. It provides a critical analysis of the lack of preparation by the West for war; the results of the North Korean invasion in June 1950; the counter-stroke by MacArthur in September and then the strategic overreach which led to communist China's involvement on the North Korean side, and the rapid escalation to consideration of the use of nuclear weapons. Through meticulous analysis of all the source material, this book details the chaos of political decision-making at the war's outset and as it progressed. The Korean War was not planned as a Communist offensive against the West. In turn, the East did not understand the principle at the core of the Western response to Kim Il-sung's aggression, namely a refusal to appease an aggressor, the key mistake the West considered to be at the heart of the rise of Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan in the 1930s. Korea: War Without End also considers the effect of the fighting on civilians. While the war was a proxy one between East and West, the people of Korea suffered immensely, with approximately 3 million war fatalities and a larger proportional civilian death toll than World War II. This is the definitive history of the conflict that is long overdue.

General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL is one of the UK's most respected military commentators, frequently appearing on television and radio and in newsprint, most recently on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its implications for the West.
As Chief of the General Staff he was given overall command of the British Army at a time when fighting was fiercest in Afghanistan. From his first day in the job, he proved himself a courageous leader and a forceful advocate for his men, never shying from controversy to tell the truth as he found it.
More than any military leader of recent times, Richard Dannatt used his position to get a better deal for the British soldier - the right equipment, the right conditions, the right reward - to do the job the country asks of them. His leadership and example were critical in shaping the debate about the role of the professional army in modern warfare. He entered the House of Lords as a Crossbencher in 2011. He lives in in Norfolk.

Notes to the Reader
List of Illustrations and Maps
Chronology
Introduction
PART 1: THE FIRST WAR FOR KOREA
Prologue - Sergeant Collins' Baptism of Fire at Pyeongtaek
1. Who Started It, and Why?
2. From a Clear Blue Sky
3. Blitzkrieg, In Mun Gun Style
4. The Pusan Perimeter
5. The Masterstroke at Inchon

PART 2: THE SECOND WAR FOR KOREA
Prologue - Captain Muñoz and the Ambush of the 2nd Division Below Kunu-ri
6. To the Yalu, or Bust
7. Cataclysm
8. The End of the Proconsul
PART 3: RETURN TO THE STATUS QUO ANTE BELLUM
Prologue - The Imjin River Adventures of a National Service Subaltern
9. The Imjin River: The 'Korean Kohima'
10. How to End a War
Reflections
Order of Battle, US Eighth Army
Acknowledgements
Bibliography
Index