Synopses & Reviews
The fiftieth anniversary of the Korean War makes this an appropriate time to revisit
This Kind of War, the monumental study of the conflict that began in June 1950. Successive generations of U.S. military officers have considered this book an indispensable part of their education.
T. R. Fehrenbach's narrative brings to life the harrowing and bloody battles that were fought up and down the Korean Peninsula. Partly drawn from official records, operations journals, and histories, it is based largely on the compelling personal narratives of the small-unit commanders and their troops. Unlike any other work on the Korean War, it provides a clear panoramic view, sharp insight into the successes and failures of U.S. forces, and a riveting account of fierce clashes between U.N. troops and the North Korean and Chinese communist invaders.
The lessons that Colonel Fehrenbach identifies still resonate. Severe peacetime budget cuts after World War II left the U.S. military a shadow of its former self. The terrible lesson of Korea was that to send into action troops trained for nothing but "serving a hitch" in some quiet billet was an almost criminal act. Throwing these ill-trained and poorly equipped troops into the heat of battle resulted in the war's early routs. The United States was simply unprepared for war. As we enter a new century with Americans and North Koreans continuing to face each other across the 38th parallel, we would do well to remember the price we paid during the Korean War.
Review
"A comprehensive and impressively written history of the Korean War." ---The Washington Post
Synopsis
The authoritative, highly acclaimed classic history of the Korean War, This Kind of War is a dramatic and hard-hitting account of the conflict written from the perspective of those who fought it.
About the Author
Colonel T. R. Fehrenbach (Ret.) commanded U.S. Army units in Korea at the platoon, company, and battalion levels. He is the author of Comanches: The Destruction of a People; Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans; and Seven Keys to Texas. He has also been a contributor to many publications, including Esquire, the Atlantic, the Saturday Evening Post, and the New Republic. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Lillian. Kevin Foley has over thirty years' experience in radio and television broadcasting, commercial voice-overs, and audiobook narration. He has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including Storm Rising by Gary Naiman, 100 Ways to Bring Out Your Best by Roger Fritz, The Last Witness by Joel Goldman, and River Thunder by Gary McCarthy, for which he earned a Spur Award for Best Audiobook from the Western Writers of America. He has also won an Earphones Award from AudioFile magazine for his narration of Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky.