The Coldest Winter

America and the Korean War

By: David Halberstam

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

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 Hyperion

Critic reviews

"Stirring....In a grand gesture of reclamation and remembrance, Mr. Halberstam has brought the war back home." (The New York Times)

"Alive with the voices of the men who fought, Halberstam's telling is a virtuoso work of history." (Publishers Weekly)

Don't think the Korean War is relevant?

If you could sum up The Coldest Winter in three words, what would they be?

Relevant to today!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Coldest Winter?

The battle of Kunu Ri. The battle of Chip Yong Ni.

Which character – as performed by Edward Herrmann – was your favorite?

This is a historical read. Edward Herman's inflection when describing soldiers under extreme duress is riveting.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Paul McGhee's leadership skills in a hopeless situation.

Any additional comments?

What happened so long ago is still relevant even now. The courage of so many soldiers in impossible situations is encouraging.

Absolutely Riveting

This book tells the story of our forgotten war, the brutality of it, the egos that drove us into it, and the heroism of ordinary soldiers in a way that no one else has.

David Halberstam tells history through the words of the people that lived it, weaving a suspenseful and emotional tale that leaves you feeling for all the people involved, both the heroic and the disgraceful. This is as much a study on humanity as it is a study of war, and I highly recommend it

Great in all ways but one.

This excellent narrative is occasionally interrupted by a short, but annoying, musical theme. No idea why.

Korea stalemate

The author spent ten years researching this book and it shows. The book sketches a broad overview of decisions being made in Tokyo and Washington and how they affected the war being fought in Korea. This is essential in order to understand the material, but where the author excels is in personalizing the experience through the eyes of several participants who were there. Through extensive interviews with Korea war veterans he is able to illustrate the stages of the war through narratives of US soldiers and commanders that were there.
There are some in this country that still defend MacArthur's conduct in the Korean war. They will not enjoy this books depiction of MacArthur. The author is unsparing in showing the folly of MacArthur's leadership.
The book is a fascinating study of a little understood part of our history and a small preview of what was to come in Vietnam a decade latter.

Fascinating views!

This book offers an incredible look at the political reasons for the Korea War, and shows how misunderstandings by our leaders and those of Russia, China and North Korea caused it. It has fewer foxhole stories than some of Stephen Ambrose's WW2 books but gives very enlightening views of the games played by politicians and the military commanders. I'm also reading a book about New Guinea in WW2 and between these two books, General Douglas MacArthur is definitely not presented as a very good commander. "The Coldest Winter" shows that had a huge ego and made serious mistakes. An awesome book!

Excellent history of the Korean War

I enjoyed this much more than the more famous "Best and Brightest", in part due to the ability of Halberstam to write a much more concise work while covering in similar (or perhaps, sufficient) detail.

As a sometime student of history, I found the perspective on MacArthur particularly illuminating (especially when compared with an American Caesar), and the insight into the Chinese and Korean leadership of the time worth the read in and of itself.

Finally, one of Halberstam's reasons for writing the book was the relative dearth of material on the Korean War, which he discusses in the foreward or first chapter of the book. With this publication, I firmly believe that there is now a seminal work on the Korean War, and it is this book.

Buy it and listen-you will have no regrets.

One of the Best Books Ever

I have been a big fan of Halberstam, thoroughly enjoying books like The Reckoning and The Fifties. This has to be one of his best books ever. The narrator made me feel like it was Halberstam himself reading, bringing to life not only the intense battles, but the personalities and relationships among the political and military leaders during the Korean War.

It has so many parallels to our war in Iraq today that it should be required reading of all of the students in our military academies and at the State Department.

Wow! Until now I new nothing of the Korean War

Having been born in 1966, I grew up knowing very little about the Korean or Vietnam wars. They were both covered in sparse details in school. This is an acurate, detailed, and personalized account of Korea. Every person should read this account and then go hug a vet! Masterful reporting!

Intriguing History

This book shed a lot of light and perspective on that war and period in our history. It provided insight as to why my father and others I've known would never talk about their experiences in that war. I merely imagined it was awful, and, now I know it was. Ed Hermann was the perfect narrator. He gave that matter-of-factness just at the right moments and infused each person's point of view with so much character and feeling. Superb. I tried reading this book, but there was so much detail, some might call menutia, that it was hard to stay focused and keep it all organized. It was the detail that really enriched the story. Listening to the book was a much more satisfying medium.

Best Single Volume on The Korean War

Would you consider the audio edition of The Coldest Winter to be better than the print version?

Edward Herrmann is a magnificent narrator and brings a great deal of talent to his performance.

What did you like best about this story?

David Halberstam brings together the larger picture of the politics and military together with the personal stories of the officers and soldiers.

What does Edward Herrmann bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A clear voice and and a great deal of talent in his reading. Edward Herrmann is my favorite performer. If I see his name as the narrator I will at least take a serious look at the book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A Forgotten War Fought by the Unforgettable.

Any additional comments?

David Halberstam gives a clear and unvarnished look at a murky and complicated war. He brings the large picture of why the war started and the major players on both sides of the conflict together with those men who had to fight the battles and take the loses of, what at times, was a badly planned and poorly lead war at the highest levels of command. If you ever see the names Halberstam or Herrmann on an Audible book at least give it a look. You will be pleased more often than not.