Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A positive review of Marines at War - Korea, 1950, April 27, 1999
By A Customer
Breakout: The Chosin reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950 - Fromm InternationalIf you read only one book this year about men at war, let it be this oneYou will read of the men of the 1st Marine Division and their fight out of the trap set for them by 7 divisions of Chinese whose sole mission was the extermination of the Marines.You will read of the men of the 1st Marine Division and a small commando of British RoyalMarines fighting in incredibly difficult terrainand in flesh-killing cold, cold so deep and bitterthat weapons froze and exposed flesh turnedleper-white with frostbite.You will read how the Division fought, regiment by regiment, battalion by battalion, company by company, platoon by platoon and, finally, in smallgroups of 3 and 4 to repulse and win through attack after attack by a sea of tough, seasoned Chinese troops.You will read of individual acts of simple but great heroism and fidelity, for the men who fought in those frozen wastes remained faithful to one-another and their unit and their Corps.And throughout it all you will hear the voices of the men Russ interviewed and set down in their personal narratives, which he seamlessly wove together with his superb exposition. And always they speak simply of the extraordinary events in which they took part when they were young and slim and quick, events which remain fresh and immediate after almost 50 years. And they speak in the rhythms and accents of Americans from every region - from the barrios of Los Angeles to the privileged precincts of Westchester County.And, at the end, you will feel joy and pride as they stride out of the trap in step, marching and singing a paean of triumph, having destroyed 7 Chinese divisions and bringing out all their wounded and most of their dead. And you will weep for the dead. And you will weep for the survivors, not in pity but, perhaps, in envy for men who have lived out a personal fidelity to something larger than themselves, men who, in a paraphrase of Norman MacLean¹s words, went through, and not around the experience of combat. And you will thank Martin Russ for his craft and art in creating this superb book. - Reviewed by R.A. Clark -
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Well-Written Tale of True Heroism!, June 7, 2000
Seldom does a reader get the opportunity to read a true account of modern battle that is so gripping, so detailed, and so unforgettable as is this story of the attempt by 12,000 American Marines to fight their way out of an encirclement by seven divisions of Chinese and Korean troops at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. Written by an ex-Marine who was himself a wounded veteran in Korea, its lines wring of the accuracy and poignancy only eyewitnesses could tell about the plight of the men caught in the snow, wind, and sub-zero cold to fight off the vastly superior number of Chinese and Koreans and escape from the trap that had been set for them. This is a riveting story well told. The situation was bleak; it was mid-winter, and the Marines were cut off from supply lines and exposed to the extremes of weather, surrounded by seven divisions of better equipped and better situated Chinese and Korean troops who were most fanatical in their pursuit of them, ready to move in and annihilate the whole Marine force. The Marines, meanwhile, had little or no air support due to the terrible weather conditions, were relatively low on ammunition and other supplies, and the terrain was so formidable that they were quite effectively cut off and isolated and on their own. There could be little or no help from outside to save them. Yet through all these obstacles and with the numbers so much against them, the Marines slowly but methodically fought their way out, hill by hill, bluff by bluff, regiment to regiment, battalion to battalion, company to company, whatever it took to inflict such terrible casualties on the Chinese and Koreans as they went, as they fought, from Division level all the way down to small groups of 3 or 4 men fighting with unvarnished tenacity to kick ............... out of the opposing force through sheer guts, grit, and courage. This is a tale that will long be told in beer halls and at all Marine functions with pride and enthusiasm, for it is truly one of the finest moments for the Marines in modern combat, detailed here with such verve in the words and recollections of many who fought there. The reader feels like a member of the force as he reads through stirring accounts of men who just would not surrender, retreat, or desert their friends and buddies, who instead fought back with sustained vitality and surprising tenacity under the worst conditions imaginable. This was a fighting force that single-handedly destroyed seven opposing Divisions of enemy forces to walk out of the Chosin Reservoir under their own power, through the crucible of combat, and out the other side to a victory so memorable it will love forever wherever Marines gather. Read it and understand. Enjoy!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Biased Review on how the Marines Won the War Alone., October 8, 1999
Let me start out by saying that I have nothing but the highest respect for the United States Marine Corps. Not only for what they accomplished during the retreat from Chosin in particular, but for all the Corps has accomplished during its long and honorable history. However, if one were to take Russ's book at face value, the Marines did it all alone with no help whatsoever. This is just not the case, as any real military historian of the capaign will attest. His anti-Army rhetoric detracts from the main story he is trying to tell, that of the Marine exploits during the retreat. Had he stuck to just the story of the Corps, the whole book would be somewhat more credible. As it is, his comments about the conduct of the army troops at the reservoir and in other areas show an appalling lack of research. His list of sources, ironically, lists books that directly contradict the anti-Army stories he likes to tell. I can only assume that Russ needed the list to try to impress his readers that he did some form of research. Let's face it, the definitive work on the Campaign is THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR CAMPAIGN, Vol. 3 of U.S. Marine Operations in Korea. Even here, Russ distorts what positive information that was presented on Army operations. He sure used all the positive information on the Marines, however. The one glaring example of the many distortions on the Army relates to Company D, 10th Combat Engineers (Third Infantry Division) which was the largest single Army unit in the battle for East Hill. It comprised a total of 77 GI's and 90 ROK troops. Russ states that a Marine Major came upon Company D's encampment and found only one guard outside the tents, a Private Franklin Kestner. FACT. Franklin states that the whole Company was outside preparing for a work detail. Russ further states that the Marine Major was disgusted as the Engineers had not a single radio nor even one machine gun. FACT. Every account (MARINE OPERATIONS IN KOREA, CHOSIN, COMBAT SUPPORT IN KOREA and others) show that Company D had four 50 and five 30 caliber machine guns. As stated by Lt. Rosen and Private Kestner the unit had its full compliment of radios. Russ states that during the battle GI's broke and were fleeing for their lives down the slopes. FACT. The only trops that seemed to disapear were the ROK troops. The Engineer troops fell back 250 yards and held fast under the inspired command of both Captain Kulbes and Lt. Rosen. In the morning, there were some 400 dead enemy troops in front of the Engineer position. Captain Kulbes and Lt. Rosen were awarded Silver Stars for their leadership and COmpany D was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation from the Department of the Navy for their part in the action on East Hill. What is so ironic is that Kulbes, Rosen, and Kestner were all available for interviews should Russ really have wanted to be objective. But then they were Army. Even the books Russ lists as references refute his commentary on Company D. Again, obviously he did little or no reserach on any information presented on the Army units. His distortion of the facts is an insult to the ten brave infantrymen of Company D who gave their lives that night. There is no need to comment on Russ's unjustified and ill-informed accusations on the conduct of Task Force Faith and General Walker and the 8th Army. Suffice it to say that Russ and his myhopic view of the mission of the 10th Corps shows again his lack of objectivity and research. it is the considered opinion of most military experts that had not the Chinese 80th Division been diverted to attack the Army's 31st RCT, the Marines might not have been able to hold Hagaru-ri. This could have doomed the 1st Marine Division. In conclusion, Russ tells a nice folksy story about the Marine retreat. He did not, however, have to spend useless time vilifying the Army. I was very proud to have served in Combat during the Korea Conflict as a member of the Army. We fought just as hard and bled just as freely and died just as bravely as any Marine.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
