Troubled Tiger: Businessmen, Bureaucrats and Generals in South Korea (East Gate Book) [Paperback]

Mark L. Clifford (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Drawing on his journalistic experiences in the region, Clifford addresses the business climate of South Korea. This well-written book presents Korea's commercial history since 1961, building on historical, social, cultural, and economic factors. The work probes the tensions between and among business, government, and the military. The 24 specific-topic chapters explore, among other things, Korea's history, economic growth, specific industries such as steel, the assassination of President Park in 1979, political and business reforms and scandals, chaebol (the giant conglomerates), and the anticipated economic future. While this timely book is recommended primarily for practicing executives and government officials, scholars and advanced students of business and the social sciences should also find it useful.
Joseph W. Leonard, Miami Univ., Oxford, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: M E Sharpe Inc; Revised edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765601419
• ISBN-13: 978-0765601414
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,939,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-focused but don't look for much on Korean life here, June 7, 2001

By 

Mark E. Patton "Mark" (Seoul, Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Troubled Tiger: Businessmen, Bureaucrats and Generals in South Korea (East Gate Book) (Paperback)

Clifford's book is a well-written and well-organized chronicle of the rise and fall (as of the Kim Young Sam administration) of the Korean economy. The book reads as an economic history, moving rapidly from event to event and personality to personality in the chain of events connecting postwar reconstruction to the beginnings of the 1997 financial crisis. It is definitely an outsider's perspective, however, with little feel for the impact of these events on the average Korean citizen or even the foreign resident in Korea. Caught up in the retelling of the Park Chung Hee regime, the casual reader can easily overlook the fact that the "Businessmen, Bureaucrats and Generals" rode to power on the backs of millions of average, hardworking citizens, and that the intrigues, scandals, frauds and corruption had and continue to have direct effects on the lives of unnamed thousands, many of whom have lost their jobs, homes, and even lives because of the corruption rampant in the ruling class. A sequel, or revision, that chronicles the administration of Kim Dae Jung (1997-2001) would be very welcome from this author because of his attention to detail and forceful writing style, but if you're looking for insight into everyday life in Korea, or the more mundane facets of Korean culture, this is not the book for you.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Troubled Tiger - Accurate, Readable, and Interesting, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Troubled Tiger: Businessmen, Bureaucrats and Generals in South Korea (East Gate Book) (Paperback)

For anyone doing business in South Korea or thinking about it -- this is a must read. Or even if you are contemplating living there for whatever reason. Mark Clifford writes, in an easy to read style, a very accurate and interesting depiction of the development of South Korea's economy from one of the world's poorest in the 1950's to a fairly advanced successful one in 2000. No other country has achieved the remarkable success of South Korea in such a short time. Clifford writes about who, what and and how they did it -- a tight combination of government, businessmen, and the military -- highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a highly readable account of South Korea's economy, November 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Troubled Tiger: Businessmen, Bureaucrats and Generals in South Korea (East Gate Book) (Paperback)

Mark Clifford is a journalist and "Troubled Tiger" is a highly readable account of South Korea's economy through the 1980s. It is not a particularly analytical nor is it deep in an academic sense, but some of the anecdotal material is simply stunning. The revised edition has an epilogue that in tries to bring the story "up-to-date" but it has a tacked on feel.