Origins of the Korean War, Vol. 1: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947 (Studies of the East Asian Institute) [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

Bruce Cumings (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; Limited edition edition (June 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691101132
• ISBN-13: 978-0691101132
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #639,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly, the greatest education about Korea you can get., January 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Origins of the Korean War, Vol. 1: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947 (Studies of the East Asian Institute) (Paperback)

This is simply the quintessential text on Korea in the 20th century. Both Volume I and Volume II are necessary additions to ANY university library. It is THE book to read for any and all people whose personal or professional lives deal with Korea or Koreans. Reading both volumes is a task, but there is something for everyone in this work, even if you just skip around. It is supported by heavy use of primary documentation and the sources are well cited. There are simply no sources on Korean history, society and politcs that do better (and more) than this work. Highly recommended!

26 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great book :it taught me hidden history of my country, December 22, 1999

By 

Cho (Seoul,Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origins of the Korean War, Vol. 1: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947 (Studies of the East Asian Institute) (Paperback)

I'm a 25 years old Korean man and had grown under absolute anti-communism eduaction under dictatorship of Chun,doowhan. We all hated North Koreans mainly because they began Korean war and -we believed-they were soviet agent. We were taught that America is good-democratic country which aided democratic Korea,and Soviet and China are invaders. But under Chun-U.S.A dictator regime,University students studied our hidden modern history with books like cumings',and new view about Korea had spread out. So I could study hidden part of history with translated books of cumings' Cumings,who is an American historian, pointed out hidden and twisted history of my country better than any historian of Korea I have ever read. His research was so shocking that Korean Government had opressed all students who insists opinion like cumings' And Korean right wings frequntly attacks intellectuals who insist like cumings

But this is a good-formated book and is pull with believable reference. His main references are records made by U.S. military in Korea,1945~1948

With his book, I could recognize that Korean communist movement was internal powerful movement its' influence was originated from left wing's Anti-Japanese struggle,and by removing that movement in South Korea by force with feudal land owners and pro-Japanese bureaucrats, U.S.A spreaded seed of Civil war.

Still, these opinions are threatened by powerful right wing Journalism Like Chosun ilbo (which admires Korean dictator presidents)

But I am confident that future historians of Korea will write our history correctly and Cumings' book will always be a necessary reference for them

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well done for its time, but out of date, March 2, 2010

By 

Mike D! (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Origins of the Korean War, Vol. 1: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, 1945-1947 (Studies of the East Asian Institute) (Paperback)

Mr. Cumings book, and the one after it, are painstaking attempts at scholarship. In a sense, everything written in them is true, but also given Cuming's softness for left-wing governments and his strong emotional attachment to Koreans he misinterprets quite a bit. Adding to that is the fact that large amounts of research that is available now that wasn't available when the book was written - since the Soviet Archives have been opened. While this book does challenge the conservative establishment (and that establishment should be challenged as well), maby admirers of Cumings don't challenge his scholarship either. If you only had one book to read about North Korea in 1945-1950, it would be The North Korean Revolution by Charles K. Armstrong. If you have time to read two books, I would suggest throwing in the first few chapters of "Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader" - which, although amazingly good (and strangely addictive), relies heavily on secondary and English only sources. For the broadest perspective, read Origins of the Korean War, then Under the Loving Care, then The North Korean Revolution. Since The North Korean Revolution is the most up to date book with the best scholarship, it deserves to be read last, so it can clear up any mistakes that Cumings has done.

All in all, like most of Cumings books: an ok book, but nothing special. This one gets 2.5 stars. He can write a lot and quote tons of material, but he manages to miss obvious source material and too easily gets emotionally involved.