Customer Reviews

Inside North Korea

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently reviewed Philippe Chancel's excellent photographic book North Korea and Mark Harris in his book has filled in more of the jigsaw. The Chancel book essentially covered the capitol Pyongyang and Harris contributes twenty general shots, too. Additional capitol coverage includes the amazing Arirang Mass Games, the Children's Palace, the Korean film studio and five shots of the USS Pueblo.

The strength of this book is the coverage outside of the capitol. No doubt under strict supervision Harris visited Kaesong, Geumgangsen, Sinuiju, Paektusan and the Tumen River along the northeast border region. The photos show the countryside and rather bleak looking cities and towns. Everywhere bikes seem the principal means of transport and everywhere there are the slogans of good cheer to inspire the masses. On page 135 there is photo of a hillside above the town of Sanbong with huge letters spelling out: 'Bravo Mr Kim who is the Greatest Sunshine of the 21st Century!' No doubt it keeps hillside typographers busy.

The last section covers the countryside along the Demilitarised Zone with its two and a half mile wide strip of land 151 miles long. The photos here are a mixture of military presence and agricultural folk existing (on either side) in this volatile flashpoint. One photo shows the world's tallest flagpole, 525 feet high, towering above the village of Kichong-dong (wouldn't such a structure make a super espionage something or other?).

I liked the book with its mixture of travel and politics (SS Pueblo, DMZ and Panmunjeom) presented in slightly raw, gutsy photos whereas Chancel's style is photographically softer and his book is the more elegant of the two. Both books are certainly worth a look if you want see a little bit of a forbidden country and you'll most likely see more of it than many of the people who live there.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

North Korea's always in the news and so a book like INSIDE NORTH KOREA is essential not just to college-level holdings with books on North Korea, but to general-interest collections as well. The public library will especially appreciate this book's format: an oversized photo exhibit which pairs well-researched essays and commentary by North Korea experts with images of North Korean peoples and places. Perfect for any collection seeking a solid introduction.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

When I purchased this book, I envisioned a narrative of life in North Korea, however, I quickly discovered this book WAS NOT what I had expected. Pleasantly surprised, I opened the book to see dozens of high-resolution photographs of North Korean cultural sites, monuments, Pyongyang, the DMZ, towns and farms, and Koreans. It shocked me to see these photographs, which were no-doubt screened before leaving the country, of a reclusive nation with a rich historical background.

The book is large, full of photographs, and sparse on narrative. The photographer teamed with noted American author and Korean Historian Bruce Cumings for the forward.

Photographs include: Mass Games, Pyongyang, The Monument to the Workers' Party, the Juche Tower, trolleys and subways, the Mansudae Grand Monument on Mansu Hill, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, Arch of Triumph, the Reunification Arch, the DMZ, murals, soldiers in uniform, children, farmers, and small towns.

The book came in excellent shape, I really enjoyed it and it was very informative.

A good overall book that left me yearning for more. The writings at the beginning of the chapters are short, well written and to the point. Considering that the photos were taken with approval by the North Korean monitors/chaperones, it's pretty good. Look for the book at the big chain bookstores in the bargain areas. You can save $25 or more.

North Korea is an odd, isolated, and dangerous nation, largely closed to the outside world for over 50 years. The book largely consists of photos taken during 2005 and 2006. The military is North Korea's predominant attribute, with over one million always in the military, out of 27 million total. There are over 15,000 underground military/civil defense structures. Citizens are told that the U.S. started the Korean War - not true, of course. Nights are mostly dark, except for the foreign section of Pyongyang - energy shortages. Patriotic music plays from loudspeakers each morning, and occasional air raid drills are conducted as a defense against potential American air raids.

Harris' collection of photographs covers N.K. as well as one can in such a strict regime with 'minders' to control outsiders' activities. He covers Pyongyang, the DMZ, the annual Mass Games, and several other cities. Everywhere there are statues and photos of the Great Leader and his successor son, Dear Leader. Imitating their positions, taking photos of just their feet, destroying their photos (eg. tossing a newspaper with a Kim photo, discarding an extra photo of one of the statues) is a serious offence. Quotations from Great/Dear Leader are also pervasive. Rooms where either has visited have plaques over the door showing the dates of those visits. Streets are mostly empty, due to fuel shortages and few privately owned cars. Advertising is also absent. Only 4-5 flights/week leave the Pyongyang airport. The city's subway carries 300,000/day; each station is immaculate and depicts various heroic situations.

Each year's mass gymnastic games involve 20-40,000 colored card performers in a 1.5 hour display, and up to 100,000 others that put on various gymnastic displays. Performers practice from 2-10 hours/day. The "Schoolchildren's Palace" in Pyongyang is a 690 room building with a 2,000 seat auditorium. The building is used by 12,000 students/day who excel in arts. Harris also shows the U.S.S. Pueblo. Among photos of Panmunjom are included stare-downs between North and South Korean guards, the "Bridge of No Return," guard posts, nearby villages.

Overall, a good inside look at North Korea.

I recently purchased two North Korean photo books, "Inside North Korea" (which is this one) and "North Korea" (North Korea). Both books are excellent but the two are actually quite different.

This book is the more comprehensive of the two books. While the other book ("North Korea") stays primarily within Pyongyang, this book covers various regions of the country. This book also has more detailed photo captions, including English translations for many of the propaganda posters that can be found everywhere.

This book is comparatively more verbose than "North Korea." The Foreword is by Bruce Cumings, and each chapter also begins with an introduction of usually a couple of pages. Some people may find this useful; I usually just go straight to the photos.

There are many photos of the yearly Arirang Festival presented here. It looks like they're trying to portray the panels flipping from one side to the other, which creates a larger, composite image of the Great Leader. About half of the Arirang photos may seem redundant (unless you've never seen video footage of this before).

If you want to learn more about the country and could only buy one photo book, this is the one I would buy. If you're looking for a more esthetically pleasing coffee table book, then I would recommend "North Korea" (North Korea), but keep in mind that book stays predominately within Pyongyang.

Five stars is for the book; that is, the text and photographs. North Korea is a brutal totalitarian regime led by a self-indulgent buffoon who would rather starve his own people than sacrifice an iota of power and personal luxury.

This having been said, the book is incredible. North Korea is more inaccessible than Antarctica for the average traveller, but Mark Edward Harris wangled permission to do a photo-documentary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Insanely extravagant performances with hundreds of players, statues of dead politicians towering over mere people, overwhelming buildings, deserted playgrounds and amusement parks all in the middle of strictly regimented life and incessant propaganda. What passes for art is non-stop hammerblows of the praise of the leader and fear and hatred of the outside world. The people of North Korea show fear and curiosity in equal parts. This is George Orwell's 1984 given life.

The photographs and text capture this and communicate it eloquently, and the photographer's skill is undeniable. Working under bizarre conditions, with little color save that in state managed propaganda art, he still finds compositions that make the humanity of the people he met visible despite the regime's efforts to stamp it out.

The five stars is a tribute to the artist behind this, even when the final work is beautiful in a morbidly facinating way.

E. M. Van Court