Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin (Paperback)

~ (Author) "He stands five foot two in stocking feet..." (more)
Key Phrases: intercept tunnel, rolling coup, military demarcation line, North Korea, South Korea, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gordon Cucullu is a straightforward tough former soldier who knows Korea and writes with clarity and conviction."--James Lilley, former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea

"This book is indispensable to understanding how North Korea became one of the world's worst human rights violators and weapons proliferators--and how we should deal with this rogue, before it's too late."--Monica Crowley, PhD, Fox News Channel, WABC Radio

"Written with solid research from a soldier-scholar's perspective and sensitive feel for history, this book is very readable and replete with insights on Korean and Japanese culture . . . It is a must read for all military, diplomatic, and commercial people posted to the Far East."--General John Wickham, USA (retired) former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army and CINC in Korea

Product Description

A must-read exploration of this volatile member of the "Axis of Evil."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592287816
• ISBN-13: 978-1592287819
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,849,749 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The One Book to Read re the NORK Crisis, February 13, 2005

By	Kent A. Davy "Sperwer" (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin (Hardcover)

I picked up a copy of "Separated at Birth" this morning and finished it this evening. I've lived in Seoul since November 1994 and, as a foreign investor in Korea, have followed events here and the commentary thereon closely. This is simply the most succinctly accurate account of, and the most compelling prescription for dealing with, the challenge posed by NK, that I've read in ten years.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book of grave importance to our future., November 25, 2004

By	Laszlo Szechenyi (Nokomis, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin (Hardcover)

This work by Gordon Cucullu is sure to be very valuable to those of us who follow the world situation with serious thought and, let's face it, worry!

It's a very enlightening summary of the development and present-day status of one of the world's most secretive and most disastrous areas. Such insight can only be presented by one who spent many years living and working in close proximity of the people and the events which engulfed an innocent nation in almost unimaginable calamity.

I learned a great deal from Cucullu's keen observations regarding the history, development and extensive suffering of the Korean people. It touched me very closely, because I find their fate similar in many ways to that of my native Hungary. Maybe that is another reason why I felt so sympathetic to their terrible struggle and awful situation with the communist North.

This analysis of the geopolitical importance of the North Korean threat is not only excellent, but it brings home the extremely serious nature of that threat. The danger of a maniac such as Kim Yong Il doing something totally devastating is not only very real, but even likely, if he feels threatened to the point of no return.

Cucullu's suggestions on how to deal with the threat are very serious and can have not only far-reaching, but life saving effects on the Free World. It also contains a fascinating analysis of the South Korean role in all this which, I'm sure, is very little understood by those who aren't close to the situation. I can only hope that our present leadership will take the necessary steps in proving our country's strength, endurance, will-power and courage to face the threat posed by North Korea.

This book is a must-read for those of us who are seriously concerned with the security of our nation and the Free World.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars North Korea's 20th century history is explored in full, December 8, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin (Hardcover)

With North Korea rising to become the new 'evil' in the world in its pursuit of nuclear weaponry, a book such as Gordon Cucullu's Separated At Birth becomes even more essential, providing a history of North and South Korea with a new emphasis on just how North Korean became the 'evil twin' of the two. North Korea's 20th century history is explored in full in Separated At Birth: from its initial separation from the south and changing relationships with China, Japan and the U.S. to its growing role as a nuclear force. The focus on Kim Jong-Il, ruler of North Korea, provides many condemning visions of the dictator and his approaches, but most importantly, Separated At Birth analyzes world concerns, options, and realities in working with the 'rogue' nation. Cucullu is a former Special Forces Green Beret colonel, serving over 20 years in the military in Asia: his analysis is personal - and astute.