On Desperate Ground: The Epic Story of Chosin Reservoir--the Greatest Battle of the Korean War

The story of General Oliver Smith's 1st Marines at Chosin Reservoir is too little known and unappreciated due to the stalemate that became the Korean War. Hampton Side's book "On Desperate Ground" should rectify that. As usual, Sides has told a non-fiction happening with the skill that enlivens the persons, places and events and turns the tale into a story. Sides gives a good overview that sets the stage of the battle including the 1st Marine's successful landing at Inchon and battle to clear Seoul. The success of Inchon fueled the megalomania of MacArthur (and spurred his sycophant General Edward Almond, Smith's Corps commander, into command decisions unrestrained by prudence or reality) - who almost alone was confident that the Inchon flank would be successful and avoid the disastrous repulse many in the American command feared. That hubris led MacArthur to initiate his dash to the Yalu River, with his forces widely dispersed and ignoring the potential for Chinese intervention even after Chinese troops had been engaged. (Sides also discusses Truman's and the Joint Chiefs' disastrous deferral to MacArthur's strategic judgement in demonstrating shortfalls of American higher authority). The 1st Marines were tasked with approaching the Yalu up a one-road mountainous path toward the Chosin Reservoir. Upon reaching that objective a massive Chinese army comprised of multiple divisions fell upon them. This set up the hellacious below-zero winter battle and "attack in the other direction" (to avoid the use of the hated "retreat" word) that General Smith brilliantly executed to save his command. Sides has interviewed and obtained interviews with many of the participants including some Chinese sources and a civilian who was both at Seoul and the staging city our forces ultimately evacuated from. This gives an immediacy to the battle and takes the reader onto the hilltops, medical tents, convoys, and perimeters that hosted American (and some British) soldiers in arctic conditions as they fought to maintain unit cohesion amid overwhelming numerical pressure from the Chinese. The author centers most of his story on the view from the front line. This is battle in all its cold, pain, misery, fear and confusion told by an expert. The grunts-eye view puts into perspective the issues General Smith was facing as he overcame numerous problems of supply, engineering and troop disposition. Smith's command was brilliant and he is an American general who deserves to be more well known - his defense at Chosin and successful retreat were every bit as brilliant if not more than McAuliffe's successful defense of Bastogne (though to be fair, different wars. Smith faced harsher weather and his troops scattered initially with some cut-off. McAuliffe faced a much more advanced and well-equipped enemy in the Germans as compared to the Chinese facing Smith, though McAuliffe enjoyed an intact perimeter as well as an advancing relief in the form of George S. Patton). Ultimately successful, the battle and retreat made thousands of American casualties due solely to the Corps and Theater Commanders wishful thinking and negligent troop disposition and management. The fact that it was not a surrender a la Corregidor is solely due to General Smith, his regimental commanders, junior officers and the grit and tenacity of his Marines. In my mind, this story further illustrates why the Marines are due the reputation that has made them thought of as one of the finest fighting entities ever assembled. Sides does what he's done well in "Ghost Soldiers," "Blood and Thunder," and "Kingdom of Ice," This author gives great history the voice it deserves to produce thrilling stories.

A couple of years ago, I read Sides's "Hellhound on His Tale," an account of the intersecting paths of James Earl Ray and Martin Luther King. It's one of the best books I've ever read. So, I was expecting good things from this book and I wasn't disappointed. I knew only the bare outlines of the story of the First Marine Division's ambush by Chinese Communist forces in area around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Sides provides a gripping and detailed account of what was one of the more harrowing battles ever fought by U.S. forces. This is one of those books that propels you through it at a breakneck pace. So, I liked the book and learned a lot from it, but I have a few caveats. First, although I haven't read any of them, there have been multiple earlier accounts of this campaign, some written by participants. Whether anyone who has read one or more of those accounts will profit from reading Sides's book, I can't say. He doesn't make clear what new information he may be bringing to the story. He has interviewed some of the survivors, but I would guess that earlier authors did as well. I was on the fence between giving the book four stars or five. It probably merits four and a half. Although I think it's a great read, I also think that, like too many books these days, it needed one more draft. Like many authors writing the history of a single battle or segment of a campaign, Sides faced the question of how much of the story of the Korean War to tell. Overall he did a decent job, but there are some gaps. For instance, he sketches out what was happening on the western side of the Korean peninsula as UN forces swept all the way to the border with China at the Yalu River. We could really have used a map of that part of the campaign. (The only maps are in the books endpapers and the only detail given is for the area in and around the reservoir.) We're never told the fate of these forces. Presumably they were also attacked by Chinese troops and retreated south, but it would have been nice to at least have a couple of pages informing us of what happened. Similarly, early in the book he discusses McArthur and Truman during the period leading up to the Marines marching north and includes an account of their face-to-face meeting. But once the battle at the reservoir begins, they pretty much drop out of the story. In particular, I was wondering why no effort was made to land additional troops to break through to the Marines trapped around Chosin. Were there no other available troops in the theater? Was there insufficient time to bring them into the action? He should have provided some explanation, as well as an account of the options MacArthur and Truman considered. There are also some gaps in the details of the story. He discusses at length the fate of the Army Task Force Faith that is surrounded on the east side of the reservoir. But how they extricated themselves is not well explained. The trapped troops were told to abandon their vehicles and travel overland until they reached the frozen reservoir, and then proceed on to link up with the Marines at the southern end of the reservoir. Sides describes the Army troops as having devolving into an undisciplined mob as they scrambled to safety. That description made me wonder how 2,000 of the 3,000 men managed to escape. If the Chinese troops had them surrounded, couldn't they have killed or captured them before they made it overland to the reservoir? Particularly since, according to Sides, many of the soldiers had thrown away their rifles. Similarly, he leaves the impression that General Smith and the forces at Hagaru-ri were cut off from the Marines down the road at Koto-ri. Yet no real description is given of how Smith's forces end up making it to Koto-ri. I assume they fought their way out, but some description would have been nice. The book ends with a brief account of the remainder of the Korean War. Given we had been given descriptions of the thinking of MacArthur and Truman about invading North Korea, I think Sides should have provided some account of why they (or maybe just the Truman Administration) decided after the X Corps had successfully retreated to the coast, not to resume an offensive into North Korean territory the following spring. Overall, then, an excellent book, particularly if you have not read one of the other accounts of this campaign, but it has its flaws.

What an epic tale of warfare, survival, grief and despair. You will not put this book down and you will cry at the end, it is that good. The plots and subplots, expertly woven together in Hampton Sides’ inimitable style of clarity and color—the man’s vocabulary is simply epic—paint an indelible picture of the governments and ideologies that defined this terrible moment of the Cold War. The bravery in this battle that the author recounts in vivid, scorching detail is heart-rending, and the action unstoppable. I’ve read many, many of the great works on the Civil War, WWII, and Vietnam, and this hidden gem about the Frozen Chosin is the best.

This is my second Hampton Sides book and both were outstanding. The other book was The Wide, Wide Sea (about Captain Cook’s adventures). In this book (Desperate Ground), the author masterfully blends the orders (sometimes faulty) from General MacArthur’s top brass….with the battle plans of his field commanders…. and the realities of the common soldiers on the front lines. The end product is a well rounded history of the Korean War (particularly the war stories of US Marines involved in the horrific battle at Chosin Reservoir). General MacArthur (one of the greatest military leaders in American history) was the Allied Commander in the Pacific when Korea broke-out. His initial Korean War strategy (Inchon Landing) was brilliant and cut the North Korean Army in half and ensured victory in the South. But then he totally miscalculated and underestimated the Chinese communists (when he turned his army North towards their border). They (the Chinese) cut the Marines off at Chosin and then threw so many bodies at them…. it would have been a total US massacre if it weren’t for some ingenious American engineering that enabled a retreat from that slaughterhouse. General MacArthur would ultimately be fired by President Truman for his incomprehensible bad decision to turn North. During my Navy service, I worked alongside many US Marines. I always viewed them as a very elite fighting force, ‘head and shoulders’ above the average sailor or soldier. They always seemed physically fit, totally devoted to their unit and very brave. After reading this book, I came away with a whole new appreciation for them. I don’t know how anyone could have endured as they did at Chosin. Hope there’s still heroes around (like those Marines) the next time we have to face such an enemy. Great book!

Hampton Sides’ fine writing about the Chosin Reservoir Campaign takes you into the eye of the storm. This rendition of what happened during the greatest battle of the Korean War is much greater than just a well-researched historical account of a military battle. The author knows the facts so well that he is able to craft a powerful story that has fast-paced momentum. The page-turning churn of the book, coupled with the author’s exquisite mastery of the language, makes this an important book that everyone ought to read. I chose to read this book because my father served as a Marine in Korea and I wanted to understand what he had experienced. Even if you are not at all interested in the Korean War, you will see how the narcissistic General Douglas MacArthur caused one of the worst intelligence failures in American military history. Time and time again, we see people in leadership positions who flex their muscle to make careless and stupid decisions that end up costing the lives of brave Americans. In spite of MacArthur’s stupidity, our troops rallied heroically, and many lived to tell of their harrowing experiences. My father has long passed, and like many men of his generation he did not talk about what had happened to him in Korea. Because of this book, though, I have a conceptual understanding of what he had encountered in battle. As an interesting note, my father died in a military hospital. In the hospital lobby, there was a large framed oil painting depicting the battle at the Chosin Reservoir. Later during my father’s funeral, a man who came to pay his respects told me that my father had saved his life in Korea. Thank you Hampton Sides for this powerfully written tale!

Between this book and “Give Me Tomorrow” both books on Korean War you will attain a Masters degree of knowledge. Hampton Sides is one of the best history writers out there. He makes it enjoyable to read history as he present the facts surrounding events like a novel or campfire story.

When the frost crusted men of 5th and 7th Marines entered the Hagaru perimeter on December 3, General Smiths chief of operations, Colonel Alpha Bowser, said to the general: "Our troubles are over, we've got it made. The Chinese don't stand a chance". To which General Smith replied: "Bowser, those Chinese never did stand a chance." This was the first uplifting moment in what has been a week of touch-and-go for Smith and his men. And with the airfield now finally up and running, the wounded could be flown out to the coast, or to hospitals in Japan. The story follows the 1st Marine Division from the landing at Inchon, up into the freezing mountains of the Chosin Reservoir, and to the evacuation at Hungnam. The first book, besides covering the landing, followed by the capture of Seoul, also gives the reader a valuable insight into the basis of Marine General Oliver P. Smiths decision making as his division moved up to the Reservoir. And how the battle of Seoul taught General Smith a valuable thing or two about how to deal with characters like Almond and McArthur. Who's decision would lead to the ultimate destruction of the 31st RCT, aka Task Force Faith, and which could have led to the 1st Marine division suffering a similar fate. After their first meeting to discuss the Inchon landing, Smith left that meeting with some bad forebodings about both Almond and his leadership style. As the battle went on, Almonds actions only served to confirm it. The incident that more than anything confirmed Smiths forebodings about Almonds character, was on the evening of 25 September. Almond, based on faulty intel, ordered Smith to dispatch one of his Marine Regiments out of Seoul to pursue large North Korean units fleeing north. Marine recon was able to confirm that the intel Almond had received was false, but the quick-tempered Almond would have none of it. And as his subordinate, Smith had no choice but to relay his orders to Colonel Ray Murray. But he did so in a manner that when read between the lines, Murray understood that this was an Army order to heard, and then completely forgotten. Murray replied "Aye, aye, sir", got off the radio and went back to the fighting, which lasted through the whole night and most of the following day. By the time the North Koreans had been beaten off, it had been confirmed beyond doubt that the intel Almond had received was false, and he did not pursue the matter any further. That lesson would prove to be invaluable only two months later. The main focus of this story is the 1st Marine Division, but the ordeals of Task Force Drysdale and Task Force Faith, albeit briefly, are also included. At the same time, we also follow the experience of a young Hungnam native who by some strange twist of fate ends up in his birth town 4 years after fleeing the North Korean regime, employed as a translator by the UN. (Received it over a week ahead of time, and received the more expensive hardcover (31.35$) version instead of the paperback (13.87$) version. A mistake perhaps, but the kind of mistake every customer likes.)

The author tells a true story that is exciting and tension-filled as any novel I’ve read in many years. He captures the courage and heroism of Marines who fought in this misbegotten war along with the arrogance and faulty strategy pursued by Generals Douglas MacArthur and Edward Almond. I enlisted in the Marines in 1953 and, during my twenty-four career, served with many Korean War veterans including several who are mentioned in this book. I’d like to call attention to two of these men in my review. Seventeen year old Robert Himmerich y Valencia was a radio operator who was evacuated from the airstrip at Hagaru. As the aircraft was taking off Chinese antiaircraft rounds hit the plane and wounded his feet causing him to lose the use of seven toes. I knew him as Bob Himmerich and met him in Santa Fe, NM in the mid-1990s. We part of a small group of Marines who had served in WWII, Korea or Viet Nam and met monthly for lunch at a downtown restaurant called The Bull Ring. After the war Bob went on to earn degrees at several California universities including a PhD at USC. He was a professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and currently resides in Pena Blanca, a small town between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The other Marine I knew quite well was Kurt Chew-Een Lee. His exploits in the battles of Sudong and the Chosin Reservoir are described quite well in the book. For his courage and heroism he received the Navy Cross, Silver Star and two Purple Hearts. I first met him in 1959 when I was assigned, as a young second lieutenant in the 4th Marine Regiment, to visit Captain Lee who was hospitalized in Tripler Army Hospital on Oahu. The purpose of my visit was to make sure that he was receiving good treatment and find out if I could do anything for him while he was there. I recall that he was being treated for symptoms of tuberculosis, which turned out to be not true. I also remember that he was getting impatient, wanted to get back to his unit and didn’t have any requests for me. Several months later, my company received a new commanding officer, Captain Chew-Een Lee. I was one of his platoon commanders and, during the next nine months including a deployment to Taiwan, I learned a great deal of how a Marine rifle company is expected to operate. He was a total professional, not a person you would like, but one you always respected. On our return to Hawaii, Captain Lee was transferred to the battalion’s operations office. He retired in 1968 as a major and passed in 2014 in Washington, D.C. at the age of eighty-eight. It’s been almost sixty-eight years to the day since the the First Marine Division scaled the wall at Inchon invaded the country ruled by Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of the the current leader. The Korean war is officially not over and the political tensions caused by the bellicose rhetoric of Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump make me wonder if we’ll ever have true peace in that beleaguered country again. I pray that Marines will never have to take part in such a land campaign again.

Who’s remember the Korea war’s, have you ever heard of Marines action other than Iwo Jima, Peleliu, Okinawa, in tropical islands, where the heat is a fierce enemy along the japs. Here the more lethal enemy is the cold, plus a myriad of Chinese’s in tennis shoes, they are, invisible during the day and everywhere when the night fall. This is the mesmerizing story of the first Marine Division, trapped in the mountain of Chosin reservoir in the middle of North Korea. The bridge of the only supply road blown by the Chinese, stop all reinforcement, supply and medical evacuation. Not only they will have to survive but find a way to restore the way back to the sea. A precisely documented book on a long-forgotten page of history.

Before reading, it was a war I knew little about, thanks to this book I learned a lot

You can't go wrong with a Hampton Sides book. I was riveted to the story.

This is the most easily readable account of a war I have ever come across. The narration flows so easily that I had no trouble following the story. I look forward to more books from this author. But, a suggestion to would-be readers about this book. You should watch a documentary on the Korean War before reading this. It will be easier to relate the geopolitical context which is mentioned in this book.

I wouldn’t normally take the time to write reviews for books, but I felt I had to for this one. I like history books in general, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered one as easy to read as this. It starts off by setting the scene about the Korean War from a broad perspective but then focuses in detail on the Choisin Reservoir. It interweaves personal stories, battle details and the high level political impacts expertly, and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. The pages just flew by. Read this if you have an interest in military history, the Korean War, or just want a really engaging non fiction book to get involved in. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the read.