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Syngman Rhee, The Man Behind the Mythby Robert T. Oliver
Publication date 1960Publisher Dodd Mead and Company, New York
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Top reviews from the United States
Frogman
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016
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good book
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated Founding Father of The Republic of Korea
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2023
I did my own research regarding President Rhee. Rhee is a controversial figure in SK. However, I found out many Korean Left historians claimed accusations about him were lies or lack of valid facts. He did a lot of amazing things and reforms for the people of the ROK. Also, he visioned the ROK become a major regional power and lead the Christian value of liberalism movement in Asia. Sadly, the US establishment did not like him. Rhee pushed for the industrialization of the ROK, hardcore anti communist (close relationship with General MacArthur), self-determination, and nationalism too much later.
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Matt
2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting at times, but lacking as an historical work
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2013
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The auther of this book, Robert Oliver, offers an interesting look at Korean life in the late 19th and early 20th century. One does get a feel for the tumultuous period, at least during the first half of the book. However, that cannot be said for the second half.
If one were to believe everything Oliver wrote, it would be easy to think that Syngman Rhee is as beloved in South Korea as George Washignton is in the United States. In reality, Syngman Rhee was a corrupt dictator who was thrown out in an uprising in 1960 by his own people, the author claimed loved Rhee for his supposed defense of democracy.
In all fairness, the book was written in 1954 and Oliver of course would not have known about the events that took place in 1960. Regardless, Oliver, a friend of Rhee, is an unabashed apologist for Rhee in this book. Oliver does not deal with historical questions and issues that still exist on the Korean Peninsula today.
Even the Korean War is passed over relatively quickly, and when the war is discussed, it's only to praise Rhee as a wonderful leader. Annoyingly, the contradictions and hypocrisies in Rhee's policies are completely ignored. Rhee took every opportunity in his life to subjugate the interests of his people to the interests of an upper class, whether it was to the Korean king early in his life or the American government later in his life (even when the Americans wanted nothing to do with him). Overall, the book is worth reading, but should not be taken seriously as a genuine work of historical value.
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