Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

34 used & new from $9.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 (Paperback)

by Michael Varhola (Author) "On June 25, 1950, more than 90,000 soldiers of the North Korean People's Army swept into South Korea, overrunning its lightly armed forces and driving..." (more)
Key Phrases: patch bisected, second spring offensive, caliber machineguns, North Korean, South Korea, World War (more...)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)

List Price:	$17.00
Price:	$15.30 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$1.70 (10%)

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Wednesday, July 15? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

16 new from $12.76 16 used from $9.99 2 collectible from $17.09

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (Illustrated)			8 used & new from $34.99

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War

by David Halberstam

4.3 out of 5 stars (154) $14.00

This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History - Fiftieth Anniversary Edition

by T.R. Fehrenbach

4.4 out of 5 stars (41) $16.47

The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea

by James Brady

4.2 out of 5 stars (26) $10.85

The Korean War (Essential Histories)

by Carter Malkasian

4.5 out of 5 stars (2) $13.46

Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir

by Joseph R. Owen

4.7 out of 5 stars (39) $7.99

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
12 original maps 24 photos and illustrations 6 x 9

Michael Varhola's The Korean War covers every aspect of this overlooked conflict in an original and fast-paced style. Jammed with facts, myths, statistics and analysis, Varhola's study includes chapters on leading personalities on both sides, all of the major actions including the Inchon Landing and retreat from Chosin, and the roles of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Includes a Foreword by Col. John E. Jessup, a Korean War veteran and the author of a number of books, including An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Conflict and Conflict Resolution, 1945-1996.

Michael Varhola has written and edited several books, including Everyday Life During the Civil War. He has also founded or run several publications, including Living History and The Achiever magazines, and has been published in dozens of other publications.

About the Author

Michael J. Varhola earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland, and is a freelance editor and writer living in suburban Washington D.C. During Operation Desert Storn, he served with the 3rd Armored Division in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and thereafter helped found and run Living History magazine. Michael is the author or editor of numerous articles and books, including Everyday Life During the Civil War.

Product Details

Paperback: 317 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1882810449
ISBN-13: 978-1882810444
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,542 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#13 in Books > History > Military > Korean War
#14 in Books > History > Asia > Korea > South
#22 in Books > History > Asia > Korea > North

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
"On June 25, 1950, more than 90,000 soldiers of the North Korean People's Army swept into South Korea, overrunning its lightly armed forces and driving quickly toward the poorly defended capital city of Seoul." Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
patch bisected, second spring offensive, caliber machineguns, branch insignia, communist prisoners, three chevrons, armistice talks, phase offensive, military advisory group, infantry division, regimental combat team, communist forces

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
North Korean, South Korea, World War, United States, Marine Division, Cavalry Division, Field Artillery Battalion, Pusan Perimeter, Republic of Korea, Soviet Union, United Nations, New Zealand, Yalu River, Great Britain, Commonwealth Division, Chinese People's Volunteers, Airborne Ranger Infantry Company, Marine Regiment, Infantry Brigade, Chosin Reservoir, Task Force Smith, Provisional Marine Brigade, Cavalry Regiment, Syngman Rhee, Van Fleet

New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 37 books:

Korean War (Turning Points in American History) by Carter Smith on 7 pages
The Korean War (Seminar Studies in History Series) by Steven Hugh Lee on 6 pages
The Korean War by Dean Acheson on 4 pages
The Korean War (U.S. Wars) by Jeff C. Young on 4 pages
Korean War (Flashpoint) by Richard Edwards on page 258, page 259, and Back Matter

See all 37 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Korean War by Max Hastings

Discusses:

U.S. Army Uniforms of the Korean War by Shelby Stanton

Discusses:

This Kind of War by T.R. Fehrenbach

Discusses:

Vietnam Order of Battle by Shelby L. Stanton

Discusses:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	49% buy the item featured on this page: Fire and Ice : The Korean War, 1950-1953 4.8 out of 5 stars (34) $15.30
	24% buy The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War 4.3 out of 5 stars (154) $14.00
	11% buy This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History - Fiftieth Anniversary Edition 4.4 out of 5 stars (41) $16.47
	9% buy The Korean War 3.9 out of 5 stars (30) $12.48

Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

korean war(6)

marines(2)

military history(2)

1st mar div(1)

1st mardiv(1)

1st marine division(1)

china(1)

chosin(1)

chosin reservoir(1)

expeditionary warfare(1)

korea(1)

See all 27 tags...

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

34 Reviews

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fully Detailed, But Not Fun to Read, November 21, 2004

By	David A. Lessnau (Niceville, FL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

I realize I'm not in agreement with all the other reviews here, but I just wanted to throw my $0.02 in. The impression I got from reading the other reviews was that this book would read something like Churchill's "Second World War" series: sort of a narrative or story covering the war. Instead, for the most part, this book is a reference book. It's got tons of information in it, but it's organized into battles within time periods. It's hard to explain. I was looking for something that said we did x because of y which resulted in these battles. Then, we did x' which led to some other battles. Instead it said something like in year x we fought battles a, b, and c. In year y, we fought battles d, e, and f. All the information is there, but the "story" part of the "history" feels lacking.

If you're studying the Korean War, I do agree that this is an excellent book. But, for a more "entertaining" study, I'd try something else (what that would be, I don't know).

Comment Comments (2) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine Korean War resource, easy to read, July 17, 2000

By A Customer

Whether you're simply curious about the Korean War, knowledgeable on the subject but looking for new details, or desperately researching a paper due in two days, FIRE AND ICE has what you need. Don't let the scholarly foreword by Col. Jessup scare you away, author Michael Varhola's style is extremely easy and free-flowing.

Varhola presents, in orderly fashion, clear descriptions of war on the ground, in the air, and at sea; battlefields; details of the military forces in the conflict; and weapons, vehicles, uniforms, insignia, and various equipment. All of the above includes black & white photographs, maps, and diagrams. A chapter on "Warlords and Statesmen" gives miniature biographies and actions of the leaders involved. Chronologies of the war are given in both the chapter "Armistice Negotiations" and in an appendix covering the war as a whole. The grim chapter on POWs deals not only with the atrocities of the time but also follows the continuing governmental conflicts over war crimes to the present day. A final chapter covers the Korean War as presented in books, on film, and online. An appendix explains military terms and acronyms, and for those who like their information boiled down into bite-sized pieces, there is a facts and figures appendix, plus the previously mentioned chronology.

If you want or need to know about the Korean War, this book is a splendid gateway.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent primer for further study on the Korean War, June 14, 2001

By	"jpfrmks" (Augusta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is great for getting a little more than a "once over lightly" on the Korean War. While it does not go into excessive details, neither does it miss any important facts. Indeed it covers some subjects, such as allied participation in the war, better than many indepth histories.

I found the format of the book similar to man of James Dunnigan's Dirty Little Secrets Book, so it easy to read either cover to cover, or to look up a specific topic.

I would recommend this book to a high school teacher as a reference for teaching the history of the Korean War. I would also recommend this book as first for anyone starting to study the Korean War. If your appetite is whetted, then I would next read "This Kind of War" by Fehrenbach, followed by "The Forgotten War" by Clay Blair.

I gave this book only 4 stars because it is not very detailed, but it certainly does not miss anything important.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 34 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This is an unimaginative handbook of facts about the Korean War. It is not a history of the war.

Published 9 months ago by Alan Brinton

4.0 out of 5 stars My review
This book is full of facts of the Korean War. It would be a good first book for someone interested in the Korean War. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Edward M. Elkins

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
I really enjoyed this book. Well researched.

Published on January 1, 2006 by Matthew Valentine

5.0 out of 5 stars Varhola Does It Again
Being familiar with some of the author's other works, I tracked this one down as well. As expected, the level of detail and obvious meticulous research were as I expected. Read more

Published on October 10, 2002 by R. Fernandez

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Interesting, and Easy
Fire and Ice is one of the best books I've found concerning the Korean War. As a high school student, I found it both interesting and easy to read. Read more

Published on July 31, 2002 by wafey

5.0 out of 5 stars An Easy Read
Fire and Ice is one of those books that just flows. It doesn't seem like you have read the book so quickly. It is a fine introduction to the Korean War. Read more

Published on December 17, 2001 by Ed Miller Jr

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction on the Korean War
Having never studied the Korean War I found this book to be an excellent place to start. Covering a period of time before, during and after the war, the book gives a very complete... Read more

Published on August 10, 2001 by David Thomas

4.0 out of 5 stars The essential guide to the Korean War
Fire & Ice is a most interesting and authoritative account of the Korean conflict. Conveys the full sweep of the war from confrontation.. bitter struggle.. Read more

Published on June 12, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast, snappy read.
Michael J. Varhola has written about a complicated subject with clarity without sacrificing on details. Read more

Published on April 20, 2001 by Maria Sanminiatelli

5.0 out of 5 stars An unmatched Korean War reference
This excellent book covers the entire Korean conflict, with coverage of the major campaigns, profiles of the key people whose decisions shaped the war, and rich detail on the... Read more

Published on April 18, 2001

› See all 34 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
history Why does Holocaust Denial Exist?	5263	1 hour ago
history Islam is positive: Yes or No?	101	2 hours ago
history Was Hitler allies with Muslims during WWII?	164	4 hours ago
history Guerrilla warfare history	53	6 hours ago
military history The Real Superiority of the P-51	16	6 days ago
military history Who's the greatest general--ever?	15	10 days ago
marines Is it really difficult	0	11 days ago