Former White House official Victor Cha has written the definitive volume on North Korea, arguably the world’s most menacing and mysterious nation. In The Impossible State, Cha, a singular expert on the region, exposes North Korea’s veiled past; sheds light on its culture, economy, and foreign policy; and explores the possibilities of its uncertain future in the post-Kim Jong-il era. A timely and engaging insider’s look at a volatile, and isolationist Asian juggernaut, The Impossible State will carry readers far deeper into this frighteningly adversarial country than they’ve ever traveled before.
The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future
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“An up-close, insightful portrait. . . . The Impossible State is a clearheaded, bold examination of North Korea and its future.” (Washington Post)
“Essential reading for all North Korea watchers. . . . An informative and enjoyable read.” (Library Journal (starred review))
“Cha demonstrates an intimate familiarity with the regime’s contradictions. . . . The thesis is clear: the world’s most closed-off state needs to open up to survive, but breaking its hermetic seal may well precipitate its demise.” (The New Yorker)
“An eye-opening view of the closed, repressive dictatorship of North Korea. . . . A useful, pertinent work for understanding the human story behind the headlines.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“A meaty, fast-paced portrait of North Korean society, economy, politics, and foreign policy by an expert who has studied the regime as a scholar and interacted with its officials.” (Foreign Affairs)
“Ask those who deal with national security what worries them most and at the top of the list or near it you’ll always find North Korea, a place about which we know little to nothing. That’s why Victor Cha’s book is so valuable.” (Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent)
“The Impossible State is provocative, frightening, and never more relevant than today as an untested new leader takes charge of the world’s most unpredictable nuclear power.” (Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent)
“Essential reading for all North Korea watchers. . . . An informative and enjoyable read.” (Library Journal (starred review))
“Cha demonstrates an intimate familiarity with the regime’s contradictions. . . . The thesis is clear: the world’s most closed-off state needs to open up to survive, but breaking its hermetic seal may well precipitate its demise.” (The New Yorker)
“An eye-opening view of the closed, repressive dictatorship of North Korea. . . . A useful, pertinent work for understanding the human story behind the headlines.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“A meaty, fast-paced portrait of North Korean society, economy, politics, and foreign policy by an expert who has studied the regime as a scholar and interacted with its officials.” (Foreign Affairs)
“Ask those who deal with national security what worries them most and at the top of the list or near it you’ll always find North Korea, a place about which we know little to nothing. That’s why Victor Cha’s book is so valuable.” (Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent)
“The Impossible State is provocative, frightening, and never more relevant than today as an untested new leader takes charge of the world’s most unpredictable nuclear power.” (Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent)
From the Back Cover
The definitive account of North Korea, its veiled past and uncertain future, from the former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council
Though it is much discussed and often maligned, precious little is known or understood about North Korea, the world's most controversial and isolated country. In The Impossible State, seasoned international-policy expert and lauded scholar Victor Cha pulls back the curtain, providing the best look yet at North Korea's history, the rise of the Kim family dynasty, and the obsessive personality cult that empowers them. He illuminates the repressive regime's complex economy and culture, its appalling record of human-rights abuses, and its belligerent relationship with the United States, and analyzes the regime's major security issues—from the seemingly endless war with its southern neighbor to its frightening nuclear ambitions—all in light of the destabilizing effects of Kim Jong-il's recent death.
How this enigmatic nation-state—one that regularly violates its own citizens' inalienable rights and has suffered famine, global economic sanctions, a collapsed economy, and near total isolation from the rest of the world—has continued to survive has long been a question that preoccupies the West. Cha reveals a land of contradictions, one facing a pivotal and disquieting transition of power from tyrannical father to inexperienced son, and delves into the ideology that leads an oppressed, starving populace to cling so fiercely to its failed leadership.
With rare personal anecdotes from the author's time in Pyongyang and his tenure as an adviser in the White House, this engagingly written, authoritative, and highly accessible history offers much-needed answers to the most pressing questions about North Korea and ultimately warns of a regime that might be closer to its end than many might think—a political collapse for which America and its allies may be woefully unprepared.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. Jones
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Timely and important book. If you are interested in North Korea, or want to know more about North Korea, buy and read this book today. Victor Cha writes well, and the prose is lean and sparkling, and free of academic jargon. Cha, an academic who teaches at Georgetown, joined the Bush administration and worked at the NSC during the Bush Administration. Cha gives concise historial background necessary to understand what is going on today. Sprinkled throughout are Cha's reflection of his own experience of working on North Korean affairs at the NSC, as well as his visits to North and South Korea (There are some surprising insights offered re President Bush). Cha's tone is measured. This book is suitable for the general reader who know nothing about Korea (other than CNN news bulletins), as well as those who have been following North Korea, but want to know more. This book is far superior to anything on North Korea written by Bruce Cumings. Time required to finish the book: 25 hours or 6 reading sessions.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By happygeezer
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have been interested in North Korea for some time now and have read several books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the country. Other books approach the topic from various angles and levels of detail. Frankly, some books are so thick with detail they are impregnable for the general reader. I just wanted a book that would give me a readable, succinct insight into the society in toto, not a minute-by-minute examination of its history. The Impossible State achieves this goal by giving a readable overview of the country without getting hopelessly bogged down in minutia. I highly recommend this book to those of us with curiosity about how this dysfunctional nation operates in this modern world.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book clearly details how the Kim family propagates an insane approach to governing in order to maintain its murderous regime. In order to remain in power the family's megalomania has made the entire population their slaves while starving their population. Well done, Professor Cha.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Clouded by the Bush
The book is very interesting and the author has great insights into this land of the unknown based upon his prior role in the President W Bush administration. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Bill Frazier
3.0 out of 5 stars
Biased? Yes. Helpful and informative nonetheless? Yes.
Decent and generally accessible primer on North Korea---the how/why/when/who of NK's present incarnation. Read more
Published 10 days ago by Colonel Kurtz
5.0 out of 5 stars
This country and situation is truly scary
In this book you see laid out in great detail just how bad the situation is in North Korea. It is also made clear that without a collapse of the governing elite there is little... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Kay Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kim Family Saga
Must reading for anyone baffled and/or bemused by the now age-old phenomenon of North Korea. Once the envy of post WW II Asia, including its neighbor below the 38th parallel, the... Read more
Published 10 days ago by George Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impposible State
Well written and very informative. In this book Dr. Cha has provides some very significant information that is missing from the general media discussion of the situation on the... Read more
Published 11 days ago by ERIC PLICKERT
1.0 out of 5 stars
Lopsided analysis
Victor Cha offers insightful analysis of the Russian, Chinese, and Japanese positions and attitudes to DPRK, but does not apply his obvious analytical skills to examining the US... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Peter Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolute must read to understand what is happening in NK
One of the best books I've read in a long time concerning what is happening in the DPRK. I would consider it mandatory reading for anyone wanting to understand what is happening in... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Bunycraft
4.0 out of 5 stars
The belligerent naughty child that is the Democratic People's Republic...
I have read many books about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea yet The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future by Victor Cha does the best at explaining why the... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Craig Rowland
5.0 out of 5 stars
A journey inside a sealed state...
"The Impossible State" is author, academic, and former National Security Council official Victor Cha's extended analysis of North Korea, both its past and its possible future. Read more
Published 22 days ago by D. S. Thurlow
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Explains Everything
Mr. Cha's deep insights clearly explain why the North Korean and Chinese regimes act - or fail to act - the way they do. The book lays bare every country's Catch 22 situation.
Published 23 days ago by Dale B
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