Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War [Paperback]

The definitive account of the epic retreat under fire of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir.Told from the point of view of the men in the foxholes and tanks, outposts and command posts, this is the definitive account of the epic retreat under fire of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir.The author first sketches in the errors and miscalculations on the part of the American high command that caused the Marines to be strung out at the end of a narrow road scores of miles from the sea. He then plunges right into the action: the massing of Chinese forces in about ten-to-one strength; the Marines' command problems due to the climate and terrain and high-level over confidence; and the onset of the overwhelming Chinese assault.With a wealth of tactical detail and small-unit action, Chosin is the most complete book written to date on this iconic battle. Author Eric Hammel's masterful account offers invaluable perspective on war at the gut level.The definitive account of the epic retreat under fire of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir. ...this is in many ways a book that reads as much as a gripping novel as a first-rate work of military history. Anyone with an interest in tactical small-unit combat will find much to appreciate in these pages. ...contributes significantly to Korean War scholarship, while also taking a look into the limits of human capacity, leadership, and motivation in the face of unfathomable hardship. ...highly recommended for all who want to understand Marines and soldiers in the foxholes. It is a testimony to American military greatness. ... the most complete book written to date on this iconic battle...offers invaluable perspective on war at the gut level. Hammels book is full of accounts of the stuff that legends are made from. It is a cliffhanger of a story, and he tells it masterfully. Readers should be warned: just as in the campaign itself, where there was no rear echelon and everyone was a combatantl£q