W.E.B. Griffin’s novelistic account of the Korean Conflict in 1950 teaches even as it entertains. Douglas Macarthur—who is still revered as the hero his president wouldn’t listen to by many South Koreans—is primed for glory, but has to deny the massive Chinese presence that awaits his troops if he’s going to get there.
Enter Ken McCoy, your basic straight-talking grunt who sees clearly, shoots when he has to, and wins the day. Sort of.
Not a brilliant literary piece, if that’s what you need. But a colorful introduction to the no-win drama of the Korean Conflict and some of its key players, not to mention an interesting insight into the psychology of the Corps when its civilian and military masters wander off the beaten track.
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