On 25 June, 1950, the invasion of South Korea by the Communist North
launched one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last century. The
seemingly limitless power of the Chinese-backed North was thrown against
the ferocious firepower of the UN-backed South in a war that can be seen
today as the stark prelude to Vietnam.
Max Hastings drew on first-hand accounts of those who fought on both
sides to produce this vivid and incisive reassessment of the Korean War,
bringing the military and human dimensions into sharp focus. Critically
acclaimed on publication, The Korean War remains the best narrative
history of this conflict.