A brilliant history of the Korean War based on the real experiences of soldiers from both sides Pulitzer Prize–winning author John Toland reports on the Korean War in a revolutionary way in this thoroughly researched and riveting book. Toland pored over military archives and was the first person to gain access to previously undisclosed Chinese records, which allowed him to investigate Chairman Mao's direct involvement in the conflict. Toland supplements his captivating history with in-depth interviews with more than two hundred American soldiers, as well as North Korean, South Korean, and Chinese combatants, plus dozens of poignant photographs, bringing those who fought to vivid life and honoring the memory of those lost. In Mortal Combat is comprehensive in it discussion of events deemed controversial, such as American brutality against Korean civilians and allegations of American use of biological warfare. Toland tells the dramatic account of the Korean War from start to finish, from the appalling experience of its POWs to Mao's prediction of MacArthur's Inchon invasion. Toland's account of the "forgotten war" is a must-read for any history aficionado.
"Toland's writing conveys the tensions, terror and confusion of a long, bloody struggle."
The Washington Post
"One of the master storytellers of modern war."
The Wall Street Journal
"Panoramic, gripping and, to a remarkable degree, original in its insights . . . In Mortal Combat again demonstrates Mr. Toland's skill in presenting the soldier's-eye view of the war."
