On Desperate Ground: The Epic Story of Chosin Reservoir--the Greatest Battle of the Korean War

A couple of years ago, I read Sides's "Hellhound on His Tale," an account of the intersecting paths of James Earl Ray and Martin Luther King. It's one of the best books I've ever read. So, I was expecting good things from this book and I wasn't disappointed. I knew only the bare outlines of the story of the First Marine Division's ambush by Chinese Communist forces in area around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Sides provides a gripping and detailed account of what was one of the more harrowing battles ever fought by U.S. forces. This is one of those books that propels you through it at a breakneck pace. So, I liked the book and learned a lot from it, but I have a few caveats. First, although I haven't read any of them, there have been multiple earlier accounts of this campaign, some written by participants. Whether anyone who has read one or more of those accounts will profit from reading Sides's book, I can't say. He doesn't make clear what new information he may be bringing to the story. He has interviewed some of the survivors, but I would guess that earlier authors did as well. I was on the fence between giving the book four stars or five. It probably merits four and a half. Although I think it's a great read, I also think that, like too many books these days, it needed one more draft. Like many authors writing the history of a single battle or segment of a campaign, Sides faced the question of how much of the story of the Korean War to tell. Overall he did a decent job, but there are some gaps. For instance, he sketches out what was happening on the western side of the Korean peninsula as UN forces swept all the way to the border with China at the Yalu River. We could really have used a map of that part of the campaign. (The only maps are in the books endpapers and the only detail given is for the area in and around the reservoir.) We're never told the fate of these forces. Presumably they were also attacked by Chinese troops and retreated south, but it would have been nice to at least have a couple of pages informing us of what happened. Similarly, early in the book he discusses McArthur and Truman during the period leading up to the Marines marching north and includes an account of their face-to-face meeting. But once the battle at the reservoir begins, they pretty much drop out of the story. In particular, I was wondering why no effort was made to land additional troops to break through to the Marines trapped around Chosin. Were there no other available troops in the theater? Was there insufficient time to bring them into the action? He should have provided some explanation, as well as an account of the options MacArthur and Truman considered. There are also some gaps in the details of the story. He discusses at length the fate of the Army Task Force Faith that is surrounded on the east side of the reservoir. But how they extricated themselves is not well explained. The trapped troops were told to abandon their vehicles and travel overland until they reached the frozen reservoir, and then proceed on to link up with the Marines at the southern end of the reservoir. Sides describes the Army troops as having devolving into an undisciplined mob as they scrambled to safety. That description made me wonder how 2,000 of the 3,000 men managed to escape. If the Chinese troops had them surrounded, couldn't they have killed or captured them before they made it overland to the reservoir? Particularly since, according to Sides, many of the soldiers had thrown away their rifles. Similarly, he leaves the impression that General Smith and the forces at Hagaru-ri were cut off from the Marines down the road at Koto-ri. Yet no real description is given of how Smith's forces end up making it to Koto-ri. I assume they fought their way out, but some description would have been nice. The book ends with a brief account of the remainder of the Korean War. Given we had been given descriptions of the thinking of MacArthur and Truman about invading North Korea, I think Sides should have provided some account of why they (or maybe just the Truman Administration) decided after the X Corps had successfully retreated to the coast, not to resume an offensive into North Korean territory the following spring. Overall, then, an excellent book, particularly if you have not read one of the other accounts of this campaign, but it has its flaws.

Between this book and “Give Me Tomorrow” both books on Korean War you will attain a Masters degree of knowledge. Hampton Sides is one of the best history writers out there. He makes it enjoyable to read history as he present the facts surrounding events like a novel or campfire story.

What an epic tale of warfare, survival, grief and despair. You will not put this book down and you will cry at the end, it is that good. The plots and subplots, expertly woven together in Hampton Sides’ inimitable style of clarity and color—the man’s vocabulary is simply epic—paint an indelible picture of the governments and ideologies that defined this terrible moment of the Cold War. The bravery in this battle that the author recounts in vivid, scorching detail is heart-rending, and the action unstoppable. I’ve read many, many of the great works on the Civil War, WWII, and Vietnam, and this hidden gem about the Frozen Chosin is the best.

This is my second Hampton Sides book and both were outstanding. The other book was The Wide, Wide Sea (about Captain Cook’s adventures). In this book (Desperate Ground), the author masterfully blends the orders (sometimes faulty) from General MacArthur’s top brass….with the battle plans of his field commanders…. and the realities of the common soldiers on the front lines. The end product is a well rounded history of the Korean War (particularly the war stories of US Marines involved in the horrific battle at Chosin Reservoir). General MacArthur (one of the greatest military leaders in American history) was the Allied Commander in the Pacific when Korea broke-out. His initial Korean War strategy (Inchon Landing) was brilliant and cut the North Korean Army in half and ensured victory in the South. But then he totally miscalculated and underestimated the Chinese communists (when he turned his army North towards their border). They (the Chinese) cut the Marines off at Chosin and then threw so many bodies at them…. it would have been a total US massacre if it weren’t for some ingenious American engineering that enabled a retreat from that slaughterhouse. General MacArthur would ultimately be fired by President Truman for his incomprehensible bad decision to turn North. During my Navy service, I worked alongside many US Marines. I always viewed them as a very elite fighting force, ‘head and shoulders’ above the average sailor or soldier. They always seemed physically fit, totally devoted to their unit and very brave. After reading this book, I came away with a whole new appreciation for them. I don’t know how anyone could have endured as they did at Chosin. Hope there’s still heroes around (like those Marines) the next time we have to face such an enemy. Great book!

Who’s remember the Korea war’s, have you ever heard of Marines action other than Iwo Jima, Peleliu, Okinawa, in tropical islands, where the heat is a fierce enemy along the japs. Here the more lethal enemy is the cold, plus a myriad of Chinese’s in tennis shoes, they are, invisible during the day and everywhere when the night fall. This is the mesmerizing story of the first Marine Division, trapped in the mountain of Chosin reservoir in the middle of North Korea. The bridge of the only supply road blown by the Chinese, stop all reinforcement, supply and medical evacuation. Not only they will have to survive but find a way to restore the way back to the sea. A precisely documented book on a long-forgotten page of history.

Before reading, it was a war I knew little about, thanks to this book I learned a lot

This is the most easily readable account of a war I have ever come across. The narration flows so easily that I had no trouble following the story. I look forward to more books from this author. But, a suggestion to would-be readers about this book. You should watch a documentary on the Korean War before reading this. It will be easier to relate the geopolitical context which is mentioned in this book.

I wouldn’t normally take the time to write reviews for books, but I felt I had to for this one. I like history books in general, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one as easy to read as this. It starts off by setting the scene about the Korean War from a broad perspective but then focuses in detail on the Choisin Reservoir. It interweaves personal stories, battle details and the high level political impacts expertly, and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. The pages just flew by. Read this if you have an interest in military history, the Korean War, or just want a really engaging non fiction book to get involved in. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the read.

Excellent read. A page turner. I hadn't read much about the Korean War and only knew about it on a general level. This book lays out what a grueling, hard fought war it was. The conditions were terrible. I didn't realize how close we came to World War 3 when the Chinese government sent their troops in to attack the UN forces. It was interesting to read that the Chinese army was training to invade Taiwan when the decision was made to attack the UN troops in Korea instead. If you want to learn more about this "Forgotten war" then this is a book you should get.