Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for On Desperate Ground:
Fine, fine. Marines are good at stuff. I’ll admit it for once.
Quick synopsis:
The battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
Mao Zedong believed orgasms directly halted the aging process. He’s dead now so I guess not.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
When Chinese troops were sent against the Americans, they were barely equipped in any significant way. Many of the Americans recall seeing Chinese soldiers seemingly just running straight at them with no weapons.
My Take for On Desperate Ground:
I could make this entire review a rant about the idiocy of one of the most egomaniacal human beings to ever exist, Douglas MacArthur, but I will spare you.
This book is about how the aforementioned narcissist had the brilliant idea of trying to take over all of Northern Korea when every reasonable person said not to force China’s hand. China responded in kind and overextended Marines and soldiers were left to fend off…. well, a lot of Chinese soldiers. I say soldiers but the state in which they were sent off to war seemed more like a pure suicide mission.
On a small scale, this is a perfect example of how war can be very fluid and the victors on one day can be caught in a vise the next day. Hampton Sides always knows who to focus on during stories like this and this book is no exception.
Verdict:
A great book for anyone, especially if you know nothing about the Korean War (guilty!). Buy it here!
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