Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Korean War, 1950-1953    5. Military - Aviation    6. Military - General    7. Military - Korean War    8. Military - Veterans    9. Prisoners and prisons, North K    10. Prisoners and prisons, North Korean    11. Prisoners of war    12. Thornton, John W.,    13. United States    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Biography: general    16. Korea    17. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (7)

Great book about what it means to be a chaplain
As a new fire chaplain, I have been reading as wide as I can about what a chaplain does. Chaplain Kapaun is a real model for all of us who follow Christ and serve others as a chaplain.

I'd give this book 10 stars!!!
This is an excellent story and so breathtaking, I had to stop reading in several parts, just to get through the chapter!What an amazing man Father Kapaun was and he showed how great the power of the human spirit is that once you start reading, you can't put it down.Then, when you're finished reading it, you want everyone to know about this wonderful human being!I, for one, will never feel needy for anything else in my life.Mr. Maher did an excellent job of interviewing friends and family of the Chaplain to make you feel that you knew him as well.Such a sad, sad story but one that makes you proud to be a Christian and proud to be an American.This has to be made in to a movie!

Service Before Self
This book is a story of a man who becomes a priest and dies serving his fellow man.He is praised by the men of diffrent faiths (Christian, Jew and Muslim)who were POWs with him in North Korea.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. History    3. History: American    4. Military    5. Military - Korean War    6. Religious   

Reviews (8)

Korea Revisited
Mr. Cheek returned me in time to 1952 and 1953 parts of which
A Truly Amazing Story That Keeps You Moving
On the promise that he won't see combat, John Lefter enlists for a 3 year hitch in the Army Security Agency. I guess, since we are talking about the Army, you know what happens. He ends up in Korea. It doesn't take long until Lefter is in a bunker real close to the front lines. A lot of things happen then and most of them were not good. Read it while on vacation in Mexico
I took the book STAY SAFE, BUDDY with me on our 2-week vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and sat up late one night to read it. It was so interesting that I couldn't stop reading until I finished the entire book. Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Military    5. Military - Korean War    6. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    7. Korea    8. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Military    4. Military - Korean War    5. Military History - Korea Conflict    6. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    7. Korea    8. War & defence operations    9. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (1)

Superlative Tale of the "War Before the War"
Your opinion on how the Korean war began and how the U.S. became involved will be forever changed after reading this comprehensive and scholarly account focusing on the creation of the two Koreas during the period 1945 - 1950.For example, the first American soldier to die in combat in Korea was killed in 1948 by South Korean guerillas opposed to Syngman Rhee taking power - not by North Korean Peoples Army (NKPA) soldiers in June 1950. On the other side of the coin, you will also be amazed to discover that the South Korean Army captured Soviet advisors to the North Korean Border troops during the large scale "border skirmishes" that took place in late 1949 and early 1950.For the first time the complete story of the U.S. Korean Military Assistance Group (KMAG) is found here, as well as an in-depth discourse on the creation of the Republic of Korea Army as South Korean security forces transitioned successively from a police force to a constabulary to an army as the political and military situation evolved.The narrative dealing with the trials and tribulations of the American Military Government in Korea is as instructive as it is compelling.Many thanks to Dr. Allan Millett for shedding much needed light on a period of Korean history that has previously been solely neglected. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-1955    2. 20th century    3. Asia - Korea    4. Causes    5. Communism    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. History: World    9. Korea    10. Korean War, 1950-1953    11. Military - Korean War    12. Military - Strategy    13. World politics    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. War & defence operations    16. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (2)

Excellence from Vol.I continued
Even though Donald Knox died before completion of this volume, Alfred Coppel did an excellent job in ever way of finishing it. In spite of the fact that the war became fairly static by the spring of 1951, it remains ascompelling as the first 6 months of the conflict. If you read Vol.I youwill want to read Vol.II.

Once More, with feeling...
This book, as its name implies, continues the groundpounding saga of the Korean War that started a year earlier. Many of the original cast of characters are back...Norman Allen's caustic letters to his mom, oldsoldiers from the Inchon landings and Pusan Perimeter in new terrain andwith new regiments or companies...and the story line remains the same, too:climb hills, get killed, get pushed off, get killed, get hills back. Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Korea    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - General    6. Military - Korean War    7. ASIA    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    9. Korea    10. War & defence operations    11. World history   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. Korean War, 1950-1953    4. Military    5. Military - General    6. Military - Korean War    7. Military - Veterans    8. Personal narratives    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. Korea    11. Warfare & Defence   

Subjects:  1. Flores, Nick A    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. Korean War, 1950-1953    5. Military    6. Military - Korean War    7. Military - Veterans    8. Prisoners and prisons, North K    9. Prisoners and prisons, North Korean    10. Prisoners of war    11. United States   

Reviews (1)

Touching Story about his life during & after the Korean War
Donald Chung's account of the Korean War in his eyes was extremely touching because it showed his struggle to understand the war. He also showed how difficult it was for the Korean people who were forced to liveand thrive with the line that others drew for them, which caused the peopleto be separated from their family. Then to see his life as he tries toregain contact with his family in North Korea during the Iron Curtain erawas sad and extremely endearing to see his struggle. I used many tissues toget through this book. I definitely recommend it for the great story butalso the history behind it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Chung, Donald K    3. History - Military / War    4. Korean War, 1950-1953    5. Military - Korean War    6. Personal narratives, Korean   

Reviews (1)

A good synthesis of battlefield action and command decisions
This is the larger story that contains in part East of Chosin, also by the author. The book talks about the roles of Marine and Army ground units, as well as Naval air support in the entire reservoir area and the MSR to evacuation at Hungnam. Despite the disaster east of the reservoir, the final evacuation to Hungnam occurred in a most professional mannner and in no way resembled a Dunkirk, despite US news media hysteria cooed on by their communist sympathizers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Korea    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Military - Korean War    6. Military - Other   

Reviews (2)

A critique of one of the giants of American history
Douglas MacArthur was a giant in American history.Many people who knew him described him as the brightest man they ever met.FDR is said to have repeatedly described him to his friends as "the most dangerous man" in America, and preferred him fighting in the Pacific rather than answering for his various astounding lapses of judgement in the United States and then mulling a campaign for the presidency.
Review of Literature
This Book did not grab me, but it did not bore me to death either. I found some parts in the book unnecessary while I found some parts were left out. I read this book for a school project and we had to anwser some specific questions about our"biography person" and this book did not anwser most of them. For example, one question was " What were some of Douglas's major contributions to society?" I read the book over twice- maybe even three times- and still could not find an anwser to my question. This predicament left me very dissatisfied and displeased. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Campaigns    3. History - General History    4. Korean War, 1950-1953    5. Military - World War II    6. Military History (General)    7. Pacific Ocean    8. United States    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. 20th century    11. American history: from c 1900 -    12. Biography: historical    13. History, American    14. MacArthur, Douglas    15. USA    16. Warfare & Defence    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations    2. Aerial operations, American    3. History - General History    4. Korean War, 1950-1953    5. Military    6. Military - Aviation    7. Military - United States    8. Military - World War II    9. Personal narratives, American    10. World War, 1939-1945    11. Air forces & warfare    12. Aircraft: general interest    13. Biography: general    14. East Asia, Far East    15. Europe    16. European history: Second World War    17. History of engineering & technology    18. Korea    19. North Africa    20. Pacific Ocean    21. USA   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Military - Korean War    5. Military History - Korea Conflict    6. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Korea    9. USA    10. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. 1945-1953    2. Diplomatic history    3. Foreign relations    4. History - Military / War    5. Korean War, 1950-1953    6. Military - Korean War    7. U.S. Foreign Relations    8. United States    9. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history    11. China    12. International relations    13. Korea    14. USA    15. War & defence operations    16. c 1945 to c 1960   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Korea - History    5. Military - General    6. Military - Korean War    7. United States - 20th Century    8. American history: from c 1900 -    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    11. Korea    12. USA    13. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: World    4. Military - Aviation    5. Military - Korean War    6. Air forces & warfare    7. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Korea    9. The Americas   

Reviews (2)

Please, truth in advertising
"Refighting the Last War" is an interesting title, because itconjures up all the things that soldiers never want to be guilty of,looking back and doing things the "old way."I picked up thisbook expecting a lively criticism of how we may have missed the boat in theCold War's first hot spot.My disappointment was compounded by my naivite. It is immediately apparent to the reader that the author is not attemptinga fresh interpretation, but rather a recap of what has already beendiscussed, debated, and decided (sometimes erroneously as will be pointedout later). Evaluation of the People and Command Decisions of the War
This is a good text that highlights the (5)critical players and (6) command decisions that were part of the war. Read more

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. Decision making    3. History - Military / War    4. History: World    5. Korean War, 1950-1953    6. Military - Korean War    7. Military History - Korea Conflict    8. Military Tactics And Strategy    9. Military art and science    10. United States    11. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. China    14. History / General    15. Korea    16. USA    17. War & defence operations    18. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (2)

Book's Strength and Weakness Is in Its Details
Roy Appleman started working on this book when he was a combat historian in the US Army during the Korean War and continued into the 80s.By examining military records and interviewing many of the participants at all levels, he brings a great deal of detail to bear on a narrow focus:the experiences of the United States Eighth Army (with attached Turkish, British, and South Korean units) in the Korean War from November 24th, 1950 to December 26th,1950. Brings clarity to the chaotic retreat of the Eighth Army fro
The Eighth Army's retreat from Northwest Korea after the invasion of theChinese Army in 1950 is a difficult event to understand because of thesimultaneous occurrence of many interconnected battles.Appleman'streatment of these events brings clarity to the overall picture, and bringsinto sharp relief the command failures and inconsistencies whichexacerbated the defeat of U.S. forces.Unanswered in Appleman's detailedtreatment, however, is the question of why the Eighth Army failed to carryout its declared intention to establish a defensive line north ofPyongyang.Instead, the Army seemed to lose all coherence and fall back ina panicked rush until it was well below the 38th parallel, long after ithad lost contact with the advancing Chinese.Appleman's harsh evaluationof Col. Paul Freeman's decision to withdraw his regiment by the coast roadis also somewhat controversial, although I must say that after readingAppleman's account of the sequence of events it is hard to disagree withhis conclusion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. China    3. China.    4. History - Military / War    5. History, Military    6. Korea - History    7. Korean War, 1950-1953    8. Military - Korean War    9. Zhongguo ren min zhi yuan jun    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history    11. Korea   

Reviews (34)

Great book!!
I'm in the US Navy and certainly wasn't looking at books on Brits when searching for a book on early maneuver warfare. But in a bibliography on maneuver I came across Hayward's book, which was both highly recommended and had an entire chapter on Nelson and maneuver warfare. It was exactly what I wanted: evidence that the ideas imbedded within our current doctrine go way back. I ended up actually reading the entire book and to my surprise found out that John Paul Jones wasn't the father of modern naval warfare; Nelson was. The book is full of insight into the nature of war at sea. I think it would benefit sailors in every navy. Rob Wheble.
a fascinating personality and genius
Although there are many fine biographies of Nelson, I recommend this lesser-known work, for it provides a number of key points about Nelson as a human being and as a military leader.
A different approach to the life ofLord Nelson
This book on Nelson takes a different tack than most biographies.It has a non-traditional approach and it does not cast Nelson as a divine being.Instead Hayward uses a thematic essay approach to get at who Nelson was and to make him relevant to our age.As a result, I found Hayward's methodology to be highly original and interesting.
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Subjects:  1. 1758-1805    2. 18th century    3. 19th century    4. Admirals    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Great Britain    8. History    9. Military    10. Military - Korean War    11. Military - Napoleonic Wars    12. Military - Naval    13. Military leadership    14. Naval art and science    15. Naval tactics    16. Nelson, Horatio Nelson,    17. Viscount,    18. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    19. Korea    20. Nelson, Horatio Nelson    21. War & defence operations    22. Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815    23. Royal Navy   

Reviews (3)

Outstanding Aviation History
Outstanding military aviation history of the desperate aerial battles fought over North Korea in the Korean War.The first person accounts and color photos are superb. Highly recommended for those interested in reading about a small group of fighter pilots who were often outnumbered but rarely outfought in the freezing skies over MiG Alley.
Brave men who make me Proud to be an American
This is a book that every American should read. The first hand accounts of the pilots who flew the F86 in combat against the MIG is so impressive. This is history told by those men who made it and should be recognized as a documentary that will live long after all of these men are gone. I have met many of the men who have written their stories and you can be sure they have told their story in a very humble way, only using fact and not embellishing it in any way.The photographs is the book are great also.Read this book. You will not be able to put it down.

Sabres Vs MiGs-Aviation History at its Best!
This is the best aviation war fighting book this reviewer has ever read. It grabs the reader's interest from the flyleaf and doesn't let go until the last word. Authors have put together a comprehensive history of the F-86 Sabre jet and its pilots and ground crews through the words and photographs of the men who flew and maintained this great jet throughout the Korean War. This uniquely crafted history is made up of individual short stories, primarily by the pilots, which describe every aspect of fighting against the mysterious and capable MiG-15. The book essentially follows the chronology of the war, focusing on the evolution of the Sabre, the refinement of tactics against the MiG-15 and the molding of the airmen into effective teams to overcome the significant advantages of the MiG-15 in certain flight regimes. The personal, honest and exciting stories the pilots tell of combats, both successful and sometimes not, are so compelling the reader feels as if they are witnessing the event.There is humor, heroism and tragedy in these stories, many gleaned from these Sabre drivers in recent interviews, yet clear and compelling despite the passage of fifty years. These memories are related by not only the "aces," but also by many of the younger pilots who earned the everlasting affection of their Element and Flight Leads by "covering their six" and allowing them to engage the MiGs without fear of being shot down in turn. The book is rich with color photographs, many published for the first time, of Sabres, airfields, ground crews and aviators which give the book a vibrancy which perfectly compliments its text. Appendixes show the ultimate disposition of every Sabre that served in Korea; list the case of every Sabre loss during the war; list every confirmed F-86 kill; and name all of the U. S. aces during the war. These appendixes add a very nice compendium for those who wish greater detail. This is a wonderfully written, professionally composed and thoroughly enjoyable book which is a MUST READ for anyone interested in combat aviation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aerial operations, American    2. Fighter pilots    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Korean War, 1950-1953    6. Military    7. Military - Aviation    8. Military - Korean War    9. Sabre (Jet fighter planes)    10. United States    11. Air forces & warfare    12. Aircraft: general interest    13. History / Military / Aviation