Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 [Paperback]

Michael Varhola (Author)

Book Description

Series: History at a Glance | Publication Date: June 2000

This handy "At A Glance" volume contains an exceptional amount of material on the Korean Conflict, with much information that will be new to virtually all readers, such as dissension between the U.S. and South Korea, the differing treatment of prisoners by the Chinese and North Koreans, the widespread service of Korean nationals in American units, and the important contribution made by Turkey, the British Commonwealth and other nations to the U.N. effort.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael J. Varhola earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland, and is a freelance editor and writer living in suburban Washington D.C. During Operation Desert Storn, he served with the 3rd Armored Division in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and thereafter helped found and run Living History magazine. Michael is the author or editor of numerous articles and books, including Everyday Life During the Civil War.

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st edition (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882810449
• ISBN-13: 978-1882810444
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #523,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fully Detailed, But Not Fun to Read, November 21, 2004

By 

David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 (Paperback)

I realize I'm not in agreement with all the other reviews here, but I just wanted to throw my $0.02 in. The impression I got from reading the other reviews was that this book would read something like Churchill's "Second World War" series: sort of a narrative or story covering the war. Instead, for the most part, this book is a reference book. It's got tons of information in it, but it's organized into battles within time periods. It's hard to explain. I was looking for something that said we did x because of y which resulted in these battles. Then, we did x' which led to some other battles. Instead it said something like in year x we fought battles a, b, and c. In year y, we fought battles d, e, and f. All the information is there, but the "story" part of the "history" feels lacking.

If you're studying the Korean War, I do agree that this is an excellent book. But, for a more "entertaining" study, I'd try something else (what that would be, I don't know).

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine Korean War resource, easy to read, July 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 (Paperback)

Whether you're simply curious about the Korean War, knowledgeable on the subject but looking for new details, or desperately researching a paper due in two days, FIRE AND ICE has what you need. Don't let the scholarly foreword by Col. Jessup scare you away, author Michael Varhola's style is extremely easy and free-flowing.

Varhola presents, in orderly fashion, clear descriptions of war on the ground, in the air, and at sea; battlefields; details of the military forces in the conflict; and weapons, vehicles, uniforms, insignia, and various equipment. All of the above includes black & white photographs, maps, and diagrams. A chapter on "Warlords and Statesmen" gives miniature biographies and actions of the leaders involved. Chronologies of the war are given in both the chapter "Armistice Negotiations" and in an appendix covering the war as a whole. The grim chapter on POWs deals not only with the atrocities of the time but also follows the continuing governmental conflicts over war crimes to the present day. A final chapter covers the Korean War as presented in books, on film, and online. An appendix explains military terms and acronyms, and for those who like their information boiled down into bite-sized pieces, there is a facts and figures appendix, plus the previously mentioned chronology.

If you want or need to know about the Korean War, this book is a splendid gateway.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Easy Read, December 17, 2001

By 

Ed Miller Jr (Annandale, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 (Hardcover)

Fire and Ice is one of those books that just flows. It doesn't seem like you have read the book so quickly. It is a fine introduction to the Korean War. However, it has enough interesting and unusual facts contained that the Korean War expert will still pick up new things.