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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 951.904240973
EAN num: 9781401300524
ISBN number: 1401300529
Label: Hyperion
Manufacturer: Hyperion
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 736
Printing Date: September 25, 2007
Publishing house: Hyperion
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 4700
Studio: Hyperion
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Product Description:
David Halberstam's magisterial and thrilling The Best and the Brightest was the defining book for the Vietnam War. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivalled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another dark corner in our history: the Korean War. The Coldest Winter is a successor to The Best and the Brightest, even though in historical terms it precedes it.Halberstam considered The Coldest Winter the best book he ever wrote, the culmination of forty-five years of writing about America's postwar foreign policy.Up until now, the Korean War has been the grey hole of modern American history.The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures -- Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway. At the same time, Halberstam provides us with his trademark highly evocative narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order.At the heart of the book are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden.The Coldest Winter is contemporary history in its most literary and luminescent form, and provides crucial perspective on the Vietnam War and the events of today. It was a book that Halberstam very first decided to write more than thirty years ago and that took him nearly ten years to write. It stands as a lasting testament to one of the greatest journalists and historians of our time, and to the fighting men whose heroism it chronicles.Includes an Afterword by Russell BakerTributes to David HalberstamDavid Halberstam died at the age of 73 in a car accident in California on April 23, 2007, just after completing The Coldest Winter. Legendary for his work ethic, his kindness to young writers, and his unbending moral spine, Halberstam had friends and admirers throughout journalism, many of whom spoke at his memorial service and at readings across the country for the release of The Coldest Winter. We have included testimonials given at his memorial service by two writers who made their reputations at the same newspaper where he won a Pulitzer Prize for his Vietnam War reporting, The New York Times: Anna Quindlen ...David occupied a lot of space on the planet. Perhaps he felt the price he must pay for that big voice, that big reach, that big reputation, was that his generosity had to be just as large. Most of us, when we take to the road and meet admiring strangers, vow afterward to answer the note pressed into our hands or to pass along the speech we promised to the person whose daughter couldn't be there to hear it. But with the best will in the world we arrive home to deadlines, bills, kids, friends, all the demands of a busy life. We mean to be our best selves, but often we forget. David did it. He always did it. The note, the call, the book, the advice. When I mentioned this once he dug his hands deep intothe pockets of his grey flannels, set his mouth at the corners, looked down and rumbled, 'Well, but it's so easy.' That's nonsense. It's not easy. But it is important, and why he has been remembered with enormous affection by ordinary readers all over this country, and why each of us who live some sort of public life would do well, with all due respect to Jesus, to ask ourselves about those small encounters: what would David do? ... Read her full tributeDexter Filkins .
Amazon.com Review:
David Halberstam's magisterial and thrilling The Best and the Brightest was the defining book for the Vietnam War. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivalled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another dark corner in our history: the Korean War. The Coldest Winter is a successor to The Best and the Brightest, even though in historical terms it precedes it. Halberstam considered The Coldest Winter the best book he ever wrote, the culmination of forty-five years of writing about America's postwar foreign policy.
Up until now, the Korean War has been the grey hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures -- Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway. At the same time, Halberstam provides us with his trademark highly evocative narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order.
At the heart of the book are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden.
The Coldest Winter is contemporary history in its most literary and luminescent form, and provides crucial perspective on the Vietnam War and the events of today. It was a book that Halberstam very first decided to write more than thirty years ago and that took him nearly ten years to write. It stands as a lasting testament to one of the greatest journalists and historians of our time, and to the fighting men whose heroism it chronicles.
Includes an Afterword by Russell Baker Tributes to David Halberstam
David Halberstam died at the age of 73 in a car accident in California on April 23, 2007, just after completing The Coldest Winter. Legendary for his work ethic, his kindness to young writers, and his unbending moral spine, Halberstam had friends and admirers throughout journalism, many of whom spoke at his memorial service and at readings across the country for the release of The Coldest Winter. We have included testimonials given at his memorial service by two writers who made their reputations at the same newspaper where he won a Pulitzer Prize for his Vietnam War reporting, The New York Times:
Anna Quindlen
...David occupied a lot of space on the planet. Perhaps he felt the price he must pay for that big voice, that big reach, that big reputation, was that his generosity had to be just as large. Most of us, when we take to the road and meet admiring strangers, vow afterward to answer the note pressed into our hands or to pass along the speech we promised to the person whose daughter couldn't be there to hear it. But with the best will in the world we arrive home to deadlines, bills, kids, friends, all the demands of a busy life. We mean to be our best selves, but often we forget.
David did it. He always did it. The note, the call, the book, the advice. When I mentioned this once he dug his hands deep into the pockets of his grey flannels, set his mouth at the corners, looked down and rumbled, 'Well, but it's so easy.' That's nonsense. It's not easy. But it is important, and why he has been remembered with enormous affection by ordinary readers all over this country, and why each of us who live some sort of public life would do well, with all due respect to Jesus, to ask ourselves about those small encounters: what would David do? ... Read her full tribute
Dexter Filkins
...If I could use a sports metaphor--and I think David would have appreciated that--David was the pulling guard, as in a football game. The pulling guard who sweeps wide and clears the hole for the running back who runs through behind him. We reporters in Iraq were the running backs. David went first--a long time ago--and cleared the way.
In Iraq, when the official version didn't match what we were seeing on the streets of Baghdad, all we had to do--and we did it a lot--was ask ourselves: what would Halberstam have done? And then the way was clear.... Read his full tribute
A Timeline of the Korean War
| | How It Began | | January 1950 | | Secretary of State Dean Acheson leaves Korea out of America's Far East Defense Perimeter. | | June 25, 1950 | | The North Korean Army crosses the 38th parallel with a force of about 135,000 troops. The Republic of Korea is taken completely by surprise by the invasion and their forces are soon in full retreat. | | July 7, 1950 | | General Douglas MacArthur is officially put in command of the forces set to defend the Republic of Korea. | | August 1950 | | Relentlessly focused attacks by the North Koreans drive the ill-prepared defense forces into the country's southeast corner. The Pusan Perimeter is established as the last best hope of maintaining a toehold on the peninsula. | | August-Sept. 1950 | | The North Koreans launch assault after assault against the Pusan Perimeter, with particularly brutal fighting taking place along the Naktong River. U.S. soldiers are in constant danger of being overrun. | | | |
| September 15, 1950 | | MacArthur delivers his masterstroke with the amphibious landings at Inchon. The invasion blindsides the North Korean defenders and relieves pressure on the Pusan Perimeter. UN forces are able to drive north from Pusan and east from Inchon. By the end of September the North Korean forces are routed on all fronts, Seoul has been recaptured, and MacArthur receives permission to cross the 38th parallel. | | | The Debacle | | November 1950 | | U.S. soldiers march deep into North Korean territory, eventually reaching the Yalu River border with China. But the very first warning of a conflict with the Chinese takes place at Unsan, where the Eighth Cavalry is mauled by a surprise engagement. By the end of November Chinese Communist forces mount a major offensive at Kunuri and the Chosin Reservoir. | | December 1950 | | Overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers, UN forces are battered to positions below the 38th parallel. General Walker is killed in an accident, and General Ridgway takes over his command. General MacArthur lobbies relentlessly for attacks into China, an action that would draw China, and likely the USSR, into a full-scale war. Tensions between Truman and MacArthur escalate. | | January-February 1951 | | The Chinese reach the high-water mark of their assault. General Ridgway aggressively combats the Chinese in the fight for the central corridor, with major battles fought at Wonju, Twin Tunnels, and Chipyongni. | | April 11, 1951 | | Truman relieves General MacArthur of his duties. Raucous public outcry in support of the celebrated general further erodes Truman's popularity. | | | The End | | July 27, 1953 | | After years of bloody stalemate, a cease-fire is signed between North Korea and the UN. The border established is very close to the original line at the 38th parallel. It is estimated that the war cost 33,000 American, 415,000 South Korean, and up to 1.5 million Chinese and North Korean lives. In the arena of U.S. foreign policy, the lessons of Korea still largely remain unlearned. | | |  | | The drive to Seoul, September 16-28, 1950 | |
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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In a word, a terrible read - long on partisan prejudice and short on scholarship (especially since this is a recent book and the declassification of information prior to its publishing should have at a minimum tempered much of the author's writing). But then again on should not be surprised by someone who others claimed covered the Viet Nam war from his desk in Saigon; and who likewise have said he created articles to coincide with his pessimistic view of the conflict. That said, one can skip the very first 300 pages (which basically deal with MacArthur being a narcissist and Truman as the victim of circumstances - neither of which is fully true) if one wishes to read real life accounts of the brave men who were caught up in a deadly conflict. Likewise, one can skip the last 75 pages of this epic snooze fest as they deal with the aftermath of Korea in terms that are self-serving to the author's point of view.
As this is a long book (i.e. 661 pages), I thought eventually I would get into an interesting read. Needless to say the subject matter is compelling. Unfortunately, after reading The Coldest Winter I feel like I was snookered. All in all, if one values their time they should avoid this book.
Rated by buyers 
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I have read numerous books on the Korean War including Martin Russ's "The Last Parallel" and " Breakout:The Chosin Reservior Campaign,Korea 1950 which I found to be excellent. David Halberstam has written I think the very best book of all the books I've read on this subject. The research on the politics,President Truman (the happenstance President), General MacArthur (the megalomaniac) and all of the other Generals who did his bidding (the Bataan "gang")is the tip of the spear. You will not find a more knowledgeable,interesting book to the point of not being able to put it down. To say I've enjoyed reading "The Coldest Winter" wouldn't be true.....I didn't want it to end.
Rated by buyers 
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I've been an admirer of Halberstam's for a long time, but I'm no fan of this book. Halberstam gets so carried away by his own prose, that he often commits errors of fact and/or context. In some cases, he produces some notable (and easily checked) whoppers. For example, in one chapter mostly focusing on Douglas MacArthur, he notes that in 1946, Mac was a four star general. Nope. Was awarded five stars in 1944. Worse, Halberstam claims that in the late 1940s, in spite of a growing conservative middle class, the "New Deal line" held. In fact, the New Deal line was crumbling, as evidenced by the Democrats losing control of Congress in 1946.
Granted, Halberstam is very good at quickly drawing a portrait of a character, of delineating the essence, say, of MacArthur's character (or lack of same). But the errors, the misstatements, and some serious misreadings (notably, of Truman) are very worrisome.
One historian I contacted echoed my concerns: "No, you're not wrong about Halberstam. He has a bad rep among serious "revisionist" historians of the Vietnam war; there's a blistering attack on his long record of sloppy, inaccurate, and biased reporting in Mark Moyar's "Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965" (Cambridge University Press, 2006). I think the Fourth Estate canonized Halberstam because he told his colleagues exactly what they wanted to hear, and helped set the stage for one of the most depressing episodes in the history of American Journalism, the "covering" of the Tet Offensive in 1968 (see Peter Braestrup's "Big Story" (Westview, 1977)."
Rated by buyers -
This fine work on the Korean War sets the bar at a new level.
Simply Outstanding.
Rated by buyers 
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I thought that this book would've earned 5 stars but I was disappointed. The research was outstanding, but little was done to help readers make their way through the text. Often times battles and territory were described without maps; other times, the maps seemed inadequate. The editor of this book should do better subsequent time. Imagine your reader getting through the text for the very first time....think, what might help him grasp this better? Also, there was no explanation of the difference between US troops and UN troops. Finally, photos would have enriched the text, but I would guess they were left out because of the bottom line.
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