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

by 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: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,334,393 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 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 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!

15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding book., October 18, 2002

By A Customer

It is my pleasure to emphatically claim
that Mr Cummings have done an outstanding
research job regarding what really
happened before the Korean War. This
monumental work sheds light into a covered
part of history that many people are
unaware of. Having read this book,
I'm really doubtfull about all the conservative
claims that N. Korea was the sole
culprit of the War.

No Korean history is complete without this book.

22 of 32 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

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