
The Coldest Winter
America and the Korean War
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Narrated by:
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Edward Herrmann
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By:
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David Halberstam
David Halberstam's magisterial and thrilling The Best and the Brightest was the defining book for the Vietnam War. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivalled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another dark corner in our history: the Korean War. The Coldest Winter is a successor to The Best and the Brightest, even though, in historical terms, it precedes it. Halberstam considered The Coldest Winter the best book he ever wrote, the culmination of 45 years of writing about America's postwar foreign policy.
Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam gives us a masterful narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides astonishingly vivid and nuanced portraits of all the major figures: Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway. At the same time, Halberstam provides us with his trademark highly evocative narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order.
At the heart of this audiobook are the individual stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men. We meet them, follow them, and see some of the most dreadful battles in history through their eyes. As ever, Halberstam was concerned with the extraordinary courage and resolve of people asked to bear an extraordinary burden.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2007 David Halberstam (P)2007 HyperionListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Stirring....In a grand gesture of reclamation and remembrance, Mr. Halberstam has brought the war back home." (The New York Times)
"Alive with the voices of the men who fought, Halberstam's telling is a virtuoso work of history." (Publishers Weekly)
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Good book, but seems somewhat general.
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A wonderful book well read
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Want the full book!
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What made the experience of listening to The Coldest Winter the most enjoyable?
The narrator is always a big part of whether I listen to a book. Not knowing anything about the Korean War, I bought this book.The writer has your attention from the beginning. In school the Korean War is not spoken about. It should be an integral part of history studies. The men who fought in this war are all but forgotten and they deserve our respect for what they had to go thru.What did you like best about this story?
Everything.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
BothAny additional comments?
Heart-pounding at times. Emotional, Suspenseful, Great Listen, if you are interested in history and especially war. This is a well written book.Outstanding book!
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A *must read*
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Content: Crystal clear explanations of the roles played by Mao, Stalin, Truman, and the intransigent dictators of North and South Korea. One horrible miscalculation after another.
There are many good books on the Korean War, but but I doubt there is one better than this superb contribution. Its uniqueness lies in Halberstam explaining in detail--just the right amount of detail--the intricacies of power dynamics and personalities precipitating and pursuing this utterly unnecessary war. Halberstam makes a good case for Mao being the only leader who actually benefited from this hellish war, borne of miscalculations of all leaders concerned.
The critique of MacArthur is devastating. Hubris does not begin to describe this selfish man's machinations and deceit. He sought to be am "American Caesar" (William Manchester). In the end he showed himself to be a manipulative, inconsiderate egotist. One might even characterize him as a sociopath. How awful it must have been to serve under this narcissist only rivaled by Trump in his unconscionable grandiosity.
The epilogue is a well deserved, poignant portrait of a brilliant journalist who found writing nonfiction more fascinating than fiction. Thank goodness he wrote over 20 books which we can savor.
Origins of the Korean War and Key Battles
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Everything you want in a history book!
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Good performance, annoying music.
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Quibbles: it goes into a lot of battle detail, but it’s manageable. Also, the musical interludes are silly.
Brilliant
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The Very Coldest War
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