Customer Reviews

Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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).

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.

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.

Having never studied the Korean War I found this book to be an excellent place to start. Covering a period of time before, during and after the war, the book gives a very complete coverage of the events that occured. Discussing not only the military actions, but adding some of the political and economic environment durring the war helps get a better feel for what was going on. Overall it was an excellent book if you are interested in finding out about the Korean War.

"Fire & Ice - The Korean War, 1950-1953" is a well written and meticulously researched publication. What were the major battles of the war? Which country members supported the United Nations efforts -- and to what extent? Who were the key battlefield leaders for the United Nations? the Chinese forces? the North and South Korean forces? Michael Varhola provides all the answers - and more - in this outstanding reference work.

Nearly 50 years ago as a U.S. Marine, I was medically evacuated from the small airstrip at Hagaru-ri in North Korea. The C-47 cargo plane that carried me out had Greek markings and a Greek air crew. I have always wondered about that plane and despite the numerous books that I have read on the Korean War, I have never seen a reference pertaining to Greece's air contribution to the war -- only their contribution of ground forces.But, on page 138 of "Fire & Ice," I learned that Greece provided an air transport squadron comprised of eight C-47 cargo planes. Obviously the plane that evacuated me was one of these eight. This bit of information is but one example of the many facts contained therein.

There are many books written about the Korean War - each with many statistics and facts. However, Mr. Vahola is the first writer to put it all in one book. Whether the reader is a Korean War buff, a serious military history researcher, a student with an interest in the Korean War, a casual reader, or like myself, a Korean veteran, this book is too good to be dismissed. "Fire & Ice" is reference material at its best.

This book is great for getting a little more than a "once over lightly" on the Korean War. While it does not go into excessive details, neither does it miss any important facts. Indeed it covers some subjects, such as allied participation in the war, better than many indepth histories.

I found the format of the book similar to man of James Dunnigan's Dirty Little Secrets Book, so it easy to read either cover to cover, or to look up a specific topic.

I would recommend this book to a high school teacher as a reference for teaching the history of the Korean War. I would also recommend this book as first for anyone starting to study the Korean War. If your appetite is whetted, then I would next read "This Kind of War" by Fehrenbach, followed by "The Forgotten War" by Clay Blair.

I gave this book only 4 stars because it is not very detailed, but it certainly does not miss anything important.

Fire & Ice is, indubitably, one of the best books ever written about the 1950-53 conflict in Korea and definitely the best of the last 10 years. As a non-U.S. reader, I am often amused/annoyed at the wholly American slant given to what are, in actuality, international events. Although written by an American, this comprehensive overview of the war avoids this pitfall and contains information on the Commonwealth forces and their role in the war (along with information about the South Korean and other Allied contingents that fought in the conflict). A worthwhile read for anyone interested in the Korean war. Bully!

'Fire & Ice' presents the intensity and horror of the Korean conflict, while capturing the courage and spirit of the warring armies in an easy to read and reference format. As a military officer, I found 'Fire & Ice' to be a wonderful research guide offering a detailed overview of the timelines, campaigns, battles and personalities spanning the war. It's now the first book I reach for whenever I have a question related to the Korean War.

"Fire @ Ice" is an interesting collection of facts about the Korean War. I found it to be of great assistance while watching movies and reading other books about the Korean War. It does an excellent job explaining the weapons systems used, and the various stages of the Korean Conflict. It is the first book I have seen with somewhat detailed descriptions of non-US forces which served with the UN. While it doesn't really tell a story or elaborate on the personalities involved, it fills in a lot of the little details many books about this early Cold War conflict overlook or neglect. Now whenever I see a Korean War movie listed on cable somewhere I consult with "Fire& Ice" to establish which phase of the war the movie takes place in, and to see if the forces portrayed are acurately depicted.

Having been to Korea and having read a great deal on the subject of this nearly forgotten conflict, I didn't expect much from Fire and Ice. Boy, was I ever wrong! The book is crisp, fast reading and chock full of content. Provides a great read for the expert or the the novice. Lot's of hard to find information makes this a must reference book on the subject. It's all here: on air, land and sea. Units, weapons and tactics of both sides and our UN Allies. Then there is the fun stuff like the review of Korean War flicks. This is the best book I have found on Amazon! Enjoy...