The subtitle of Hampton Sides' latest non-fiction book On Desperate Ground (#794) tells it all: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle. I had read a book some time ago about the engagement at the Choisin Reservoir in what is now North Korea and was left wondering how any Americans managed to come out alive.
This book provides more background on the events leading up to America's involvement in Korea after World War II as well as the battle itself, but what makes this account so powerful is the human face Mr. Sides has put on it. Not only are the particulars of the campaign outlined here, but we know some of the men (and women) who were there as well, and their experiences in the brutal combat. In other words, Hampton Sides gives us a reason to care about the outcome here, and what happened to those soldiers afterwards.
I never knew until reading On Desperate Ground how close the United States came to World War III when the Chinese under Mao flooded North Korea with troops in the early fifties. You know if you read the news today how unsettled the matter still is in North Korea. This book provides insight into why the "Forgotten War" was so vital to American interests, and the price many Americans (and Koreans and Chinese) paid. It's a riveting read.
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