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
About this listen
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...
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The Gamble
- General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008
- By: Thomas E. Ricks
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
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Fiasco, Thomas E. Ricks's #1 New York Times bestseller, transformed the political dialogue on the war in Iraq - The Gamble is the next news-breaking installment. Thomas E. Ricks uses hundreds of hours of exclusive interviews with top officers in Iraq and extraordinary on-the-ground reportage to document the inside story of the Iraq War since late 2005 as only he can, examining the events that took place as the military was forced to reckon with itself.
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A Sure Bet
- By Joshua Kim on 06-10-12
By: Thomas E. Ricks
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This Kind of War
- The Classic Korean War History
- By: T. R. Fehrenbach
- Narrated by: Kevin Foley
- Length: 24 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
This Kind of War is a monumental study of the conflict that began in June 1950. Successive generations of U.S. military officers have considered this book an indispensable part of their education. T. R. Fehrenbach's narrative brings to life the harrowing and bloody battles that were fought up and down the Korean Peninsula.
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Great narrative, frustrating redundancy
- By Ted on 08-16-10
By: T. R. Fehrenbach
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The Education of Henry Adams
- By: Henry Adams
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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As a journalist, historian, and novelist born into a family that included two past presidents of the United States, Henry Adams was constantly focused on the American experiment. An immediate bestseller awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1919, The Education of Henry Adams recounts his own and the country's education from 1838, the year of his birth, to 1905, incorporating the Civil War, capitalist expansion, and the growth of the United States as a world power.
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A Book EVERYONE should read once.
- By Darwin8u on 04-17-12
By: Henry Adams
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Vietnam
- An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975
- By: Max Hastings
- Narrated by: Max Hastings, Peter Noble
- Length: 33 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the US in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed two million people.
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A more nuanced view than Ken Burns' companion book
- By Vu on 10-21-18
By: Max Hastings
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My Country, My Life
- Fighting for Israel, Searching for Peace
- By: Ehud Barak
- Narrated by: Ehud Barak, Jonathan Davis
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 2000, the most decorated soldier in Israel's history - Ehud Barak - set himself a challenge as daunting as any he had faced on the battlefield: to secure a final peace with the Palestinians. He would propose two states for two peoples, with a shared capital in Jerusalem. He knew the risks of failure. But he also knew the risks of not trying: letting slip perhaps the last chance for a generation to secure genuine peace. It was a moment of truth.
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Unbelievably Fantastic Book
- By Amazon Customer on 08-15-18
By: Ehud Barak
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The Fourth Star
- Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army
- By: David Cloud, Greg Jaffe
- Narrated by: Richard McGonagle
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
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They were four exceptional soldiers, a new generation asked to save an army that had been hollowed out after Vietnam. They survived the military's brutal winnowing to reach its top echelon. They became the Army's most influential generals in the crucible of Iraq. Collectively, their lives tell the story of the Army over the last four decades and illuminate the path it must travel to protect the nation over the next century.
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Learning from the Military
- By Joshua Kim on 06-10-12
By: David Cloud, and others
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Enduring Vietnam
- An American Generation and Its War
- By: James Wright
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, this book does not excuse the mistakes, but it brings those who served out of the shadows. Enduring Vietnam recounts the experiences of the young Americans who fought in Vietnam and of families who grieved those who did not return.
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Great
- By Rebecca Delgado on 03-20-23
By: James Wright
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Brothers, Rivals, Victors
- Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, and the Partnership That Drove the Allied Conquest in Europe
- By: Jonathan W. Jordan
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 23 hrs and 35 mins
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Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, General George S. Patton, and General Omar N. Bradley engineered the Allied conquest that shattered Hitler’s hold over Europe. But they also shared an intricate web of relationships going back decades. In the cauldron of World War II, they found their prewar friendships complicated by shifting allegiances, jealousy, insecurity, patriotism, and ambition.
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Atrociously written
- By BB on 02-12-12
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American Caesar
- Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964
- By: William Manchester
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 31 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Virtually all Americans above a certain age hold strong opinions about Douglas MacArthur. They either worship him or despise him. Now, in this superb book, one of our most outstanding writers, after a meticulous three-year examination of the record, presents his startling insights about the man. The narrative is gripping, because the general's life was fascinating. It is moving, because he was a man of vision. It ends, finally, in tragedy, because his character, though majestic, was tragically flawed.
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A Great American
- By Charlotte A. Hu on 05-19-13
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Marshall and His Generals
- U.S. Army Commanders in World War II
- By: Stephen R. Taaffe
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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General George C. Marshall, chief of staff of the US Army during World War II, faced the daunting task not only of overseeing two theaters of a global conflict but also of selecting the best generals to carry out American grand strategy. Marshall and His Generals is the first and only book to focus entirely on that selection process and the performances, both stellar and disappointing, that followed from it. Stephen Taaffe explores how and why Marshall selected the Army's commanders.
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Marshall's Black Book
- By Jean on 12-18-17
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Great narrative, frustrating redundancy
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The Frozen Hours
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The master of military historical fiction turns his discerning eye to the Korean War in this riveting new novel, which tells the dramatic story of the Americans and the Chinese who squared off in one of the deadliest campaigns in the annals of combat: the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as Frozen Chosin.
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Not as Good as Most Shaara Books
- By Ark1836 on 08-22-17
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The Last Stand of Fox Company
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The Last Stand of Fox Company is a fast-paced and gripping account of heroism and self-sacrifice in the face of impossible odds. The authors have conducted dozens of firsthand interviews with the battle's survivors, and they narrate the story with the immediacy of such classic accounts of single battles as Guadalcanal Diary, Pork Chop Hill, and Black Hawk Down.
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Outstanding story, poor narration
- By Stephen on 03-05-09
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What listeners say about The Coldest Winter
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- S. H. Moore
- 10-07-20
Good book, but seems somewhat general.
Okay, as far as Korean histories go this book checks all the boxes. It covers the political side of things very well. It breaks down and very clearly illustrates the struggle between the president and MacArthur. Also, in typical Halberstam fashion, he uses a lot of personal accounts in his coverage of combat. This makes for an engaging story and I enjoyed it very much. However, he really only covers 5 major battles. Even then his coverage of Chosin was somewhat sparse. No mention of the air war either. Still a great book for wetting your feet on the Korean War.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jim
- 10-21-08
A wonderful book well read
I'm not particularly interested in war histories, but I purchased this audio book because my father was in the war and I know nothing about why we fought there. This is a clear and compelling story that explains both the politics and the ramifications for individual soldiers. A must read (or listen) for anyone wanting a primer on the Korean War told from the perspective of those who lived (or died) through it. Excellent!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Nevin P. Nichols
- 02-12-20
Want the full book!
Loved listening to this fascinating book read by a great narrator- Edward Herrman. I just wish the full version was available, I don’t like only having the abridged option.
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- Audio Diva
- 04-28-16
Outstanding book!
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?
Both
Any 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.
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- William
- 03-07-13
A *must read*
This is a "must read" story that relates the complex geo-politics between the Soviet Union under Stalin, a rising new China under Mao, and the United States under Truman with Korea as victim. Our leaders, presidents, admirals and generals, need to take hard lessons from the debacle that was the Korean War. History is a teacher, and this account of the Korean War is an excellent thesis of the corruption of power and its affect on history. Sixty years later, these events are very relevant today given the continued belligerence of North Korea and the strength of China. This is necessary reading, lest those events happen again. The author, David Halberstam, did an outstanding job covering the many broad areas of the war, from the political aspects to the military engagements. Edward Herrmann is an excellent narrator and his voice and tenor apply themselves perfectly to the story that had to be told. Read it and remember.
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Origins of the Korean War and Key Battles
Narration: Crystal clear, varied rhythm, authoritative voice.
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.
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- Dominic
- 12-30-19
Everything you want in a history book!
This book makes the history of this time not only feel real but personal. These are the types of history books that makes history interesting!
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- Anonymous User
- 11-25-20
Good performance, annoying music.
Whoever produced this decided to add transition music between chapters. This wouldn’t be a big deal for me but the music extends into the first couple sentences of every chapter distracting from Edward Herrmann’s performance.
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- Jill Fine
- 08-09-22
Brilliant
Listen to this. We owe it to the men who fought in Korea.
Quibbles: it goes into a lot of battle detail, but it’s manageable. Also, the musical interludes are silly.
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- Fred V.
- 12-15-22
The Very Coldest War
A very solid account of the Korean War and ultimately why it is still not over 72 years after it started and almost 70 years since hostilities were arrested by an Armistice that the UN administers to this day. Why the lessons of Korea were not applied in Vietnam and why LBJ didn't listen to MacArthur about not becoming involved, no, embroiled there, remain unaccounted for. One only has to ask if the US would again defend the Hermit Kingdom and if the results would be any different.
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