Editorial Reviews
"A frank and detailed account by one of the most prestigious officers in the Korean War. It is not only accurate but fascinating because of General Paik's outspoken revelations of his personal relations with President Rhee and Generals Walker, Ridgway, and Van Fleet. For any history buff yearning for the inside story . . . . Paik's book is must reading." -- John Toland, author of In Mortal Combat: Korea, 1950-1953
"This is the first major South Korean interpretation of the conflict to be translated into English, and thus fills a void in the literature."--Publishers Weekly (starred review
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5.0 out of 5 stars While there I was able to move about and ended up with a very good impression of the people of Korea
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2015
Paik Sun Yup's book was for me often hard to read. At times I literally shook with emotion. I was 18 when my regiment was assigned to temporary duty in Korea as support troops. I was stationed in Pusan. While there I was able to move about and ended up with a very good impression of the people of Korea. I heard both good and bad about the ROK army. From Matthew Ridgway's book The Korean War that the bad reputation came from an unfortunate source. President Syngman Rhee offered Ridgway troops that unknown to him were not trained. They were sent to the front with rifles. When they saw the enemy not knowing what to do they dropped their weapons and ran. This happened for than once. Thus people got a bad view of the ROC army. These men were willing to fight for their country but without training they could not. Ridgway did give credit to the trained units of the ROC army. I was impressed with General Paik Sun Yup. He wrote not only of the things he did right but also things he did wrong. Only an honest man does that. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Korean War.
3 people found this helpful
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Flying Photographer
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting view of the war from the South Korean side
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
General Paik had an incredible career, from being an officer of the Manchukuo Imperial Army, engaged in Anti-Japanese resistance in Manchuria, then joining the Japanese campaign on northern China, returning to Pyongyang only to flee south since rising communists threatened his safety, then being commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Constabulary, the predecessor of the ROK Army, and then rising quickly to Lieutenant Coronel at the beginning of the Korean War heading a Division, again rising to 4-star General within 3 years and becoming Chief of Staff of the ROK Army. I don't think there are many other examples of such an incredibly fast rise in the ranks of an Army, probably possible only during such exceptional circumstances as encountered in the Korean peninsula during and after WWII and the Korean War.
This book presents his view on the Korean War, the events leading to the surprise attack by North Korean forces on June 25, 1950, the campaigns during the war and a quick look at his years after the War. Due to his position in the Army during the War (Division Commander, Corps Commander, Field Army Chief, Chief of the Staff), the book reflects the war from this rather high perspective. You will not find tales from trenches in the book, the closest you get to the foot soldier is at Regimental level! Having said that, General Paik comes over as a "leader from the front", trying to keep a close contact with the Operational Commanders under his responsibility, keeping his HQ as close as possible to the front. He also succeeds in presenting the sometimes breathtaking speed of the movements of Regiments, Divisions and Corps in a clear and concise language, so that even considering the too few and sparse maps it is possible to follow the course of the war without any mayor problems (I found myself most of the time skimming pages back to find the last map). This kind of book needs many maps, particularly with the many movements and (for the first year of the War) ever changing frontline. The reader is allowed a look into an otherwise little know world of field commanders in war, coordinating between many different units and nationalities (many years before the first Gulf War coalition), as well as seeing (for the first time) from the ROK perspective their contribution to the War effort, both positive and negative.
The book was originally written in Korean, and I suspect mostly aimed at a Korean audience. Therefore, sometimes the translation gets a little too literal and the sense of the sentences is lost or not correctly conveyed, but overall it does not really detract too much.
The unique Korean perspective of this War makes this book and absolute must for anyone interested in this War, but you need to know that the book is centered on the larger scale of units, written by a General - recommended.
One person found this helpful
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Jerri Garofalo
5.0 out of 5 stars Korean War, South Korean Army and the Korean War, ROK during the Korean War, Gen Paik Sin Yup,
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2015
I LOVE this book. Gen Paik's amazing story is a must read! From very impoverished beginnings, Paik became at a young age South Koreas first high ranking general. So greatly appreciated and reveared by both Gen Ridgway and Gen Van Fleet, together they wrote a spectacular introduction to this book. Paik is able to give us a great deal more information behind the South Korean ROK Army, which for too long has gotten a very poor and unjust rap. Let Paik help you have a clearer view of what things were going on in their sector and the reasons behind unfortunate problems as the massive in waves attacked them and United Nation Forces also in their sector.
2 people found this helpful
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Cleveland L. Witt
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
Gen Paik's story is very informative and fills in a great number of Korean War blanks. Gen Paik is a Soldier/Statesman the Republic of Korea should hold in the highest esteem. He served his country in its greatest hour of need with upmost honor and professionalism. His contributions are without doubt unparalleled in Korean history. This book, a first of its kind, gives insight from the Korean soldiers perspective of the terrible sacrifices required of them and their struggle to recover from the early reversals due mainly from the USG neglect to properly train and equip an adequate force to repel the NKPA. Thank you Gen Paik for helping to set the record straight.
2 people found this helpful
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Uncle Don
5.0 out of 5 stars Much overdue
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2011
Gen. Paik's book is much overdue and I feel that it gives much overdue credit to the ROK Army that history seems to have passed by or omited. I served in Korea in 1957-58 with a helicopter company. Not to long after I joined the company we recieved about 50 KATUSA (Korean Augmintation To the US Army). This group was commanded by a Captain who had several NCOs and the rest were raw troops. Our job was to include them into our company by teaching various jobs such as refueling aircraft. While most of them had never been around vehicles let alone helicopters they learned fast and became a very important part of the company. Based on what Gen. Paik says I now understand how this came about.
I know that the ROK Army at the start of the Korean war was on the short end of a very long stick militarly. This book opened my eyes on how this force progressed to the point that when ROK troops were sent to Vietnam they performed outstanding service. In Vietnam I again had the a chance to work with ROK troops and they were great.
I think that one important point needs to be made in comparing the South Vietnames Army with that of ROK. We tried to do much the same thing in Vietnam as we did in Korea, develop, train and fight a army during combat that for the most part had to start from scratch, we made it in Korea but not in Vietnam. The fact that when he was Chief of Staff Gen. Paik seems to have kept an open mind on how to improve his Army, I am not so sure that was always the case in Vietnam.
As a old soldier myself, Gen. Paik come across not only as a good commander but as one hell of a soldier.
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7 people found this helpful
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Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition
An immensely important contribution to Korean War discussions, From Pusan to Panmujom chronicles the Korean War from instigation to armistice from the viewpoint of arguably the most influential and well-respected ROK Army officer ever, former General Paik Sun Yup. His involvement permeated virtually every major battle and decision that occurred on the battlefield and thus, innately qualifies him to narrate the vastly overlooked Korean perspective of the war. From frantically forming a counterattack to repel the invading North Korean forces, holding the line at the Pusan Perimeter, re-establishing tactical dominance back near the 38th parallel and beyond to capture Pyongyang, to domestic objectives such as quelling the communist guerrilla force near Mt. Jiri and representing the armed forces at the armistice talks, General Paik was the quintessential key player in every major event during the Korean War. His story is begging to be heard.
As Paik concedes, just prior to the war The ROK Army was an overwhelmingly under-equipped militia at best. It was only army in name. None of the heavy armor, long-range firepower, or logistical support existed yet and thus, was reduced to being compared to the U.S. Army as nothing more than a ragtag group of underpaid and undertrained volunteers and forced draftees. While this might be partially correct, the later joint U.S. Army's contribution of heavy armor and superior howitzers combined with the ROK's infantry proved to be an effective fighting force despite relatively little previous experience. Paik maintains that his men's determination to unify the country and staunch anti-communism stance steeled them into hardened soldiers willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the country. Paik proudly writes highly of his men; so much so that it's difficult to imagine how he must have dealt with the loses inflicted by the numerous Chinese human wave offenses that inundated his forces.
Not only was Paik the first Korean to reach the prestigious rank of Four-Star General, he was also amazingly young; few other 33-year-olds could claim his level of success. Yet, Paik comes off as a humble working-man's soldier; a man devoted to the service of his country but who could also see the internationally unfolding big picture. Even as he pens this memoir decades later, he attributes successes to those around him and claims responsibility for failures. Men of Paik's caliber are indeed rare.
Paik's memoir affects me on a few personal levels. As a former enlisted member of the U.S. armed forces, I can understand the clear reasons why he was quickly promoted; Paik appears to have been an outstanding commanding officer at a time when they were likely few and far between. The history nerd in me appreciates Paik's ability to give grand scheme analyses when deconstructing individual battles; he appropriately expounds on certain contextual details to help color the circumstances that he and his men faced. His politically sensitive language, too, is foretelling of his second career in diplomacy. Furthermore, he often goes beyond dryly stating who did what; Paik briefs the reader of the men around him who would later rise to future successes inside and outside of the military. For all of Paik's militaristic achievements, he also maintains a certain degree of literary professionalism that hovers around frankness and cordiality. For such a heavy topic, it's really a great read.
This is a well-constructed memoir, no doubt about it. I have very few reservations about recommending it. If only the reader does a short brush-up on basic military hierarchy and unit strength comparison (corps, battalion, company, etc) the book then becomes highly appreciable by non-military and former military alike. Like many others who have read this book, I come away feeling not only more informed and also grateful to Paik for writing down his astonishing experiences. If you're interested in Korea or the Korean War, you will surely appreciate this organically Korean side of the story. (less)
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Jim
Jul 10, 2008Jim rated it really liked it
Most books about war suffer from one of two problems. The are either at such a high level that they are completely impersonal, and it is therefore hard for the reader to care that this unit went here and that unit went there, or they are so personal and low level that they don't give you a good picture of the whole conflict.
This book is an exception, in that it is the deeply personal story of an individual, but that individual played such a pivotal role in the Korean war that his story gives you an excellent view of the whole conflict.
General Paik tells his story fully and unflinchingly, including not just the military side of things, but the personal. He describes telling his wife and child to flee from Seoul during the north's first surprise attack, as he headed into battle, and of himself fighting on the front lines for months, not knowing where they were or if they were safe. He tells of the moment when he gave in to despair and his staff had to physically carry him out of a command post that was being overrun by the enemy, saving him from certain death.
Despite the very personal nature of this tale, the author was instrumental and involved in the entire conflict, and in the loop on high level leadership decisions. He trained and led South Korean troops, communicated and cooperated with the U.S. leadership, and ultimately was involved in the negotiations that ended the conflict.
This gives us a glimpse into the South Korean experience of the war, which is not often explored. Most books about Korea focus on the U.S. side of the story.
I found this to be well-written, compelling, and moving. And I came away from it with a much better understanding of the war.
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James Wharton
Jan 03, 2016James Wharton rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: history, military
Prior to the start of the Korean War, the South Korean army was little more than a militia. The United States did not want them capable of fighting a war on their own. As a result, their navy had just a few coastal vessels, their air force was non-existent, and their army was ill-equipped. For the 40 years prior to the end of World War II South Korea did not have a military because they were a nation occupied and controlled by the Japanese.
General Paik Sun-Yup was commander of the ROK 1st Infantry Division at the time of the North Korean invasion of the South. This book is his first hand account of the Korean War from its beginning to its end. As such, it is a valuable addition to the literature covering this war. (less)
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Bill Lenoir
Aug 23, 2015Bill Lenoir rated it really liked it
I'm not normally a fan of memoirs as they tend to be all about self justification. I'm not saying this isn't the case with General Paik, but his writing style is entertaining and he provides a look at the Korean War from a perspective all too rare in published accounts; that is to say, the Korean perspective.
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Chris
Jul 15, 2012Chris rated it really liked it
Shelves: biography
Very interesting book which is, basically, the war time memoirs of Gen. Paik, Sun Yup. Interestingly, the founder of Taekwon-Do, Gen. Choi, Hong Hi makes a cameo appearance as he served under Gen. Paik at one point during the Korean War.
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Dan Orozco
Aug 28, 2014Dan Orozco rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Great book telling the stories of the Korean war from the viewpoint of Korea's first four-star general, Paik Sun Yup (백선엽). Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in the history of North-South Korean relations.
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Adam Ziel
Jul 16, 2015Adam Ziel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I thought it was a great book. It offers a different but really good insight into the Korean War. I have only read one other books about the Korean War and this one is worth a read.
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Chris
Apr 20, 2009Chris rated it it was amazing
Shelves: history-korea
Superb book about the war from the Korean perspective. Written by a man who rose through the ranks and even commanded American troops and is today an iconic figure in Korea.
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