Top positive review
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5.0 out of 5 starsIn-Depth Historical Analysis of North Korea
ByJason L. Mcdonaldon February 5, 2014
I am fascinated by the Koreas - both North and South. A divided country, with a South Korea now a mini superpower in the economics of the world, and a North Korea a rogue state with nuclear weapons. How did this happen? What brought the Koreas and the world to this strange juncture?
History, of course, history. Armstrong is an academic, and yet this is a very readable, engaging book that is at once both a history of North Korea and a conceptual framework of how a "weak" state has been able to "wag the dogs," namely the United States, the Soviet Union, and China (and to some extent South Korea).
Unfortunately, because of Armstrong's historical analysis, "everything makes sense." By reading this book you'll understand that there is a "method" to the "madness" of North Korea, and that as a tyranny it "makes sense" for the regime to starve its own people, arm itself with nuclear weapons, and fuse Stalinist totalitarianism with the Korean respect for family.
A great read and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to understand North Korea.
PS - I purchased the physical book, so I can't speak to the technical issues of the Kindle. I don't think one should give a book a "one star" review because of technical problems that are clearly beyond the control of the author.
