The Korean War opened with the invasion of South Korea by the North Koreans in June 1950. This superbly illustrated book traces the fluctuating fortunes of war from both sides. The South Koreans were saved from defeat by the arrival of the American and UN forces under General MacArthur but the success of his offensive brought in the Chinese who undetected by the Allies, counter-attacked with over a quarter of a million men of the Peoples Volunteer Army. Once again the Allies fell back and a stalemate developed. No peace treaty was ever signed. The story is well told in photographs, captions and text. Many of the images portray the brutal nature of the war, where neither POWs nor civilians were safe. Korea was arguably the last major conflict fought outside the glare of the media and the photographs in this fine book give a unique insight into the conflict. ILLUSTRATIONS: 250 b/w
