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on February 26, 2016
Hazel Smith has tons of experience; however, she sees things quite differently from most analysts of North Korea - but that is part of her appeal. If books like Felix Abt's "A Capitalist in North Korea" and Bruce Cumings "North Korea: Another Country" impress you as being more accurate and thus better than mainstream reporting on North Korea, then this book is one you will likely enjoy. For myself, however, the constant turning of accepted facts into different - even contrarian - points of view got tiresome. Sometimes, as Freud said, a cigar is just a cigar and one doesn't need to analyze the heck out of facts that do a good job of speaking for themselves. This book was difficult to get through because of Smith's desire to be different - but it seems that is what sells books these days.
on May 20, 2015
The author presents a comprehensive history of North Korea based on verifiable and well-researched facts, and provides a glimpse at how the country changed after the famine of the 1990s. The book does not shy away from criticizing the Kim family dictatorship, but it warns against the simplistic view of North Korean citizens as being unified, brainwashed automatons. The reality is more subtle and more interesting. Recommended.
on March 3, 2016
Very detailed description of what is known today. A good update of the outside world's knowledge built on extensive collection of the scattered pieces of information that is allowed to trickle out of North Korea. It illustrates that in spite of the reime's effort to stop it more information is flowing out of the country than ever before.
on March 1, 2016
Very well researched and insightful; goes a long way toward dispelling the myths and stereotypes about North Korea and it's leaders, replacing false assumptions with revealing and comprehensive analysis. This work is for serious students of North Korea.
