The behind-the-scenes story of the rise and reign of the world's strangest and most elusive tyrant, Kim Jong Un, by the journalist with the best connections and insights into the bizarrely dangerous world of North Korea.
The Great Successor is an irreverent yet insightful quest to understand the life of Kim Jong Un, one of the world's most secretive dictators. Kim's life is swathed in myth and propaganda, from the plainly silly - he supposedly ate so much Swiss cheese that his ankles gave way - to the grimly bloody stories of the ways his enemies and rival family members have perished at his command.
One of the most knowledgeable journalists on modern Korea, Anna Fifield has exclusive access to Kim's aunt and uncle who posed as his parents while he was growing up in Switzerland, members of the entourage that accompanied Dennis Rodman on his quasi-ambassadorial visits with Kim, and the Japanese sushi chef whom Kim befriended and who was the first outsider to identify him as the inevitable successor to his father as supreme ruler.
She has been able to create a captivating portrait of the oddest and most isolated political regime in the world, one that is broken yet able to summon a US president for peace talks, bankrupt yet in possession of nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un: ridiculous but deadly, and a man of our times.
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Review
"A vivid portrait of an ambitious, paranoid young dictator."--AXIOS
"A compelling mix of biography, cultural history, and political intrigue."--Kirkus, Starred Review
"More than a biography; The Great Successor is also an important portrait of a nation that will present enormous challenges to the world."--Nicholas Kristof, New York Times
"There is, quite simply, no journalist in any language who has done more to unearth and tell the astounding story of Kim Jong Un than Anna Fifield. The Great Successor slashes through myths to yield the first essential and vivid biography of the man and his era."--Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
"Anna Fifield owns the North Korea story today in a way that few other journalists, myself included, have ever been able to claim mastery over this most elusive subject."--Barbara Demick, author of the bestselling Nothing to Envy
"Intelligent, insightful, sometimes comic, and also worrying: Anna Fifield has written a vivid, compelling, and, above all, illuminating portrait of a rogue family's rule over the world's most reclusive nation."--General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), director of the CIA when Kim Jong Un became leader
"With a journalist's eye for detail and with the gift of a storyteller, Anna Fifield has written the quintessential bible on Kim Jong Un. No one working to solve the North Korean puzzle should let The Great Successor sit on a bookshelf; it's a must-read."--Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, former undersecretary of state for political affairs and author of Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence
"An important, riveting, and detailed account of the rise of Kim Jong Un. Anna Fifield, who is an intrepid reporter and a lively writer, breaks important new ground in The Great Successor. Drawing on a broad array of sources, including remarkable defector accounts, she paints a disturbing portrait of a country fueled by heady delusions of military strength; a potent, bizarre ideology; an unflinching devotion to nuclear weapons; and a disturbing addiction to crystal methamphetamine. Spoiler alert: be prepared for a lot of gore."--Evans J.R. Revere, senior advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group and former senior state department official with 50 years of experience working on Korea
"I loved reading Anna Fifield when she had the Korea beat for the Post, and now she has outdone herself with the first English language biography of the most opaque and mysterious leader in the world. Carefully crafted from her reporting with additional research, field work, and exclusive interviews with those close to and in the Kim family, The Great Successor peels back the layers to reveal Kim Jong Un's psyche and the ominous future of the country over which he presides. A must read for the general and expert reader!"--Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for International and Strategic Studies and author of The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future
"The Great Successor shows how a pudgy young heir to tyranny-using fratricide, nuclear terror, crony capitalism, and strategic flattery of a vain American president-has become a sure-footed Machiavelli for the twenty-first century. In this devastating portrait of the latest dictator named Kim, Anna Fifield expertly dissects North Korea's first family of despotism."--Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
"A compelling mix of biography, cultural history, and political intrigue."--Kirkus, Starred Review
"More than a biography; The Great Successor is also an important portrait of a nation that will present enormous challenges to the world."--Nicholas Kristof, New York Times
"There is, quite simply, no journalist in any language who has done more to unearth and tell the astounding story of Kim Jong Un than Anna Fifield. The Great Successor slashes through myths to yield the first essential and vivid biography of the man and his era."--Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
"Anna Fifield owns the North Korea story today in a way that few other journalists, myself included, have ever been able to claim mastery over this most elusive subject."--Barbara Demick, author of the bestselling Nothing to Envy
"Intelligent, insightful, sometimes comic, and also worrying: Anna Fifield has written a vivid, compelling, and, above all, illuminating portrait of a rogue family's rule over the world's most reclusive nation."--General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), director of the CIA when Kim Jong Un became leader
"With a journalist's eye for detail and with the gift of a storyteller, Anna Fifield has written the quintessential bible on Kim Jong Un. No one working to solve the North Korean puzzle should let The Great Successor sit on a bookshelf; it's a must-read."--Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman, former undersecretary of state for political affairs and author of Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence
"An important, riveting, and detailed account of the rise of Kim Jong Un. Anna Fifield, who is an intrepid reporter and a lively writer, breaks important new ground in The Great Successor. Drawing on a broad array of sources, including remarkable defector accounts, she paints a disturbing portrait of a country fueled by heady delusions of military strength; a potent, bizarre ideology; an unflinching devotion to nuclear weapons; and a disturbing addiction to crystal methamphetamine. Spoiler alert: be prepared for a lot of gore."--Evans J.R. Revere, senior advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group and former senior state department official with 50 years of experience working on Korea
"I loved reading Anna Fifield when she had the Korea beat for the Post, and now she has outdone herself with the first English language biography of the most opaque and mysterious leader in the world. Carefully crafted from her reporting with additional research, field work, and exclusive interviews with those close to and in the Kim family, The Great Successor peels back the layers to reveal Kim Jong Un's psyche and the ominous future of the country over which he presides. A must read for the general and expert reader!"--Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for International and Strategic Studies and author of The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future
"The Great Successor shows how a pudgy young heir to tyranny-using fratricide, nuclear terror, crony capitalism, and strategic flattery of a vain American president-has become a sure-footed Machiavelli for the twenty-first century. In this devastating portrait of the latest dictator named Kim, Anna Fifield expertly dissects North Korea's first family of despotism."--Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
About the Author
Anna Fifield is the Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post. She previously covered Japan and the Koreas for the Post, and was the Seoul correspondent for the Financial Times. She has reported from more than 20 countries and has visited North Korea a dozen times, becoming one of the most authoritative journalists on this impenetrable country. She was a Nieman journalism fellow at Harvard University, studying how change happens in closed societies. In 2018, she received the Shorenstein Journalism Award from Stanford University for her outstanding reporting on Asia.
Top international reviews
S. Warfield
Excellent new biography of Kim Jong Un
Reviewed in the United States on 18 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Of all the books that I've read about North Korea and the Kim regime, this is the best biography of the current leader, Kim Jong Un. Author Anna Fifield has made many trips to North Korea, and her research for this book took her to relatives and old friends of Kim's. People were very skeptical about such a young man, still in his 20's, taking on the leadership with no prior government or military experience. However, he has lived up to the demands of the job and continues the ruthless regime handed down to him.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book is the information about Kim Jong Un 's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. Although young, polite and petite, she has a lot of power behind the scenes. When the author asked if she might be Kim Jong Un 's successor it was made clear that she is female and cannot be the leader.
Fifield's writing is detailed but easy to read . Her research is in-depth and the book gives insight into Kim Jong Un 's reign and the conditions of North Korea's people today.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book is the information about Kim Jong Un 's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. Although young, polite and petite, she has a lot of power behind the scenes. When the author asked if she might be Kim Jong Un 's successor it was made clear that she is female and cannot be the leader.
Fifield's writing is detailed but easy to read . Her research is in-depth and the book gives insight into Kim Jong Un 's reign and the conditions of North Korea's people today.
TjZ
Best book on North Korea I’ve come across
Reviewed in the United States on 4 July 2019
Verified Purchase
I’ve always been very curious about North Korea, and this book is by far the best written most insightful book I’ve read. The author is writing is accessible, the great deal of charm and irony interspersed with the sometimes bloodcurdling brutality and depravity of the North Korean regime. I highly recommend This book to any individual curious about North Korea, Kim Jong Un and his family, and life in the hermit kingdom
Carl Deskins,III
Review of a well-defined book about North Korean dictator that presents a defined and doesn't draw judgements about the main character!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on 20 June 2019
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I chose to rate this book as well-researched which is open and allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions!!!!!! I would recommend this book to anyone regardless of field of study!!!!!!!!!
P. Gunn
I now know more about Kim Jong Un than his own people!
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2019
Verified Purchase
I now know more about Kim Jong Un than all of his country's people, unless they have read the book. (I am sure it'll be promptly banned there, if not already.) I couldn't put it down. Well-written, well-researched, THOROUGH, and entertaining. Sharing in detail Un's life story and the plight of the NK people, the book documents example after example of the spoiled tyrant we thought he was. She wrote the book before Trump's impromptu meeting with Un a couple of months ago, when he stepped foot on NK soil, and now I better understand the dynamics of that meeting. I appreciated the objective view of Trump's evolving NK policy. Basically, the old diplomatic models of both countries didn't work well, and the unscripted, lack of political experience shared by both leaders is forging a new model. I have a working idea on where US-NK relations will be going in the near future. I cannot imagine the amount of time Ms. Fifield spent on this book and I wish her all best in future endeavours.
Josh
An insight into North Korea not available anywhere else on the internet.
Reviewed in the United States on 6 August 2019
Verified Purchase
All in all, a pretty good book. The author's insight into Kim family connections that nobody else has is super interesting. I will concur with a few other reviewers and say that there are several grammatical and spelling issues throughout, but no deal breaking flaws. don't agree in the slightest that it feels like it was written by a high schooler.
If you're into reading about the Kim regime at all, this book will hook you in. It scratches deep into the Kim family and you begin to understand the family's motivations for holding onto power.
If you're into reading about the Kim regime at all, this book will hook you in. It scratches deep into the Kim family and you begin to understand the family's motivations for holding onto power.
Jimmy Z
Excellent....
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2019
Verified Purchase
Will Saetren
A Must for Korea Watchers
Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Meral K.
Great insights into the mind set of Kim Jong Un.
Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Ray
A must for every American...
Reviewed in the United States on 4 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Drwo
Best Book About North Korea
Reviewed in the United States on 25 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Andy Laub
A Thoughtful In-Depth Mesmerizing Look Behind the Curtain
Reviewed in the United States on 18 June 2019
Verified Purchase
Schuyler T Wallace
AN AUTHORITIVE LOOK AT A DEPOTIC WORLD LEADER
Reviewed in the United States on 5 August 2019
Verified Purchase
Katbou
Interesting but not well written.
Reviewed in the United States on 18 June 2019
Verified Purchase
whoelse
Wow
Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2019
Verified Purchase
S. Warfield
Excellent new biography of Kim Jong Un
Reviewed in the United States on 18 July 2019
Verified Purchase
TjZ
Best book on North Korea I’ve come across
Reviewed in the United States on 4 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Carl Deskins,III
Review of a well-defined book about North Korean dictator that presents a defined and doesn't draw judgements about the main character!!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on 20 June 2019
Verified Purchase
P. Gunn
I now know more about Kim Jong Un than his own people!
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2019
Verified Purchase
Josh
An insight into North Korea not available anywhere else on the internet.
Reviewed in the United States on 6 August 2019
Verified Purchase
Jimmy Z
Excellent....
Reviewed in the United States on 6 September 2019
Verified Purchase
Will Saetren
A Must for Korea Watchers
Reviewed in the United States on 9 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Meral K.
Great insights into the mind set of Kim Jong Un.
Reviewed in the United States on 7 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Ray
A must for every American...
Reviewed in the United States on 4 July 2019
Verified Purchase
Drwo
Best Book About North Korea
Reviewed in the United States on 25 July 2019
Verified Purchase
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