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From the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers, a chronicle of the extraordinary feats of heroism by Marines called on to do the impossible during the greatest battle of the Korean War.

"Superb ... A masterpiece of thorough research, deft pacing and arresting detail...This war story—the fight to break out of a frozen hell near the Chosin Reservoir—has been told many times before. But Sides tells it exceedingly well, with fresh research, gritty scenes and cinematic sweep." —The Washington Post

On October 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of UN troops in Korea, convinced President Harry Truman that the Communist forces of Kim Il-sung would be utterly defeated by Thanksgiving. The Chinese, he said with near certainty, would not intervene in the war.

As he was speaking, 300,000 Red Chinese soldiers began secretly crossing the Manchurian border. Led by some 20,000 men of the First Marine Division, the Americans moved deep into the snowy mountains of North Korea, toward the trap Mao had set for the vainglorious MacArthur along the frozen shores of the Chosin Reservoir. What followed was one of the most heroic--and harrowing--operations in American military history, and one of the classic battles of all time. Faced with probable annihilation, and temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below zero, the surrounded, and hugely outnumbered, Marines fought through the enemy forces with ferocity, ingenuity, and nearly unimaginable courage as they marched their way to the sea.

Hampton Sides' superb account of this epic clash relies on years of archival research, unpublished letters, declassified documents, and interviews with scores of Marines and Koreans who survived the siege. While expertly detailing the follies of the American leaders, On Desperate Ground is an immediate, grunt's-eye view of history, enthralling in its narrative pace and powerful in its portrayal of what ordinary men are capable of in the most extreme circumstances.

Hampton Sides has been hailed by critics as one of the best nonfiction writers of his generation. As the Miami Herald wrote, "Sides has a novelist's eye for the propulsive elements that lend momentum and dramatic pace to the best nonfiction narratives."

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anchor; Reprint edition (October 29, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1101971215
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1101971215
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 0.9 x 7.99 inches
Reviewer: Wormwood Scrubbs
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Terrific, highly educational read
Review: Sides does it again. How he deftly weaves narrative, back stories, anecdotes and human interest tales is a marvel of historical scholarship. You don’t have to like books about war to appreciate every page and every well chosen word of this masterpiece.

Reviewer: walking stick
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: What a story
Review: As an ex-Marine and a Vietnam vet, I knew of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, but had little understanding of what really happened there. This book describes the battle in vivid, heart-wrenching detail. Military historians say it was one of the most horrific battles ever fought by the US military. The weather was bitterly cold, about twenty degrees below zero (not counting the wind chill). The terrain was rugged and mountainous with minimal road access. After the Inchon landing, MacArthur wanted US forces to push north to the Yalu River (the Chinese border). He expected only token resistance from the North Korean army. He didn't think China would enter the war, and even if they did, their army was thought to be poorly-trained, poorly equipped peasants. But in the weeks before the battle, tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers crossed from Manchuria on foot, staying on ridges and avoiding the roads, under cover of darkness. These troops were virtually undetected by reconnaissance overflights. The main access route for US forces was a one-lane dirt road through the mountains, and they were strung out along this road for many miles. Once in position, the Chinese attacked at night in terrifying human waves, and US forces found themselves hugely outnumbered and virtually cut off from reinforcement and resupply. The author describes in gripping detail how they bravely fought under incredibly difficult conditions. Under the leadership of General Oliver Smith and other officers of the 1st Marine Division, they managed to extricate themselves from potential annihilation, while inflicting enormous casualties on the enemy. The book is based on extensive research and interviews with survivors. Once begun, it is difficult to put down. Highly recommended.

Reviewer: Patrick O'Brien
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Superb
Review: Nothing great about war except it brings out the greatness of some who have to fight in it and there are enough heroes in this meticulously documented and powerfully at times narrated history to leave you stunned by the human capacity to rise to the almost unbearable occasion. In the PBS documentary (on which the author appears) the most memorable moment for me was when an old marine survivor of the battle says something to the effect that if were ever to meet one of the Chinese he fought against and who fought as bravely and suffered as greatly as he had he would "embrace him and call him my brother". A terrific book.

Reviewer: Doc
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Starts slow, finish is engrossing.
Review: I enjoy the different perspectives of authors writing about military leaders. Some are fans while others critics of the same person. This one was not a MacArthur fan. The background is needed but slow. As the battles begin, the book is hard to put down. The details place you in the battle and had me questioning if I would have the bravery and courage these soldiers displayed. Great read overall.

Reviewer: Wayne A. Smith
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Too Little Known Battle Brought to Life
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Gisele Nunes
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: O livro tem um odor meio forte e desagradável, mas tudo bem, acho que com um tempo de exposição ao ar livre deve diminuir o cheiro. O material é bom e estou ansiosa para lê-lo, parece ser incrível.

Reviewer: Simon Brock
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Gerard T. Monahan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: another great book from hampton sides

Reviewer: Jean Louis
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Reviewer: robert
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Before reading, it was a war I knew little about, thanks to this book I learned a lot