On Desperate Ground

The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle

De: Hampton Sides

Narrado por: David Pittu

"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." (Washington Post)

From the New York Times best-selling author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice, a chronicle of the extraordinary feats of heroism by Marines called on to do the impossible during the greatest battle of the Korean War.

On Oct. 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Hampton Sides' superb account of this epic clash relies on years of archival research, unpublished letters, declassified documents, and interviews with scores of marines and Koreans who survived the siege.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."

©2018 Hampton Sides (P)2018 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Superb...a masterpiece of thorough research, deft pacing and arresting detail...Sides shows how brave Marines - officers and grunts - innovated, organized, and blasted their way out of the trap their fabulously famous boss had helped set. 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." (Washington Post)

“To this pantheon [of the best books on the Korean War] we can now add Hampton Sides’ On Desperate Ground, which hits all the right notes.... It’s a story Marines are rightly proud of and one that should be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about the remains that just returned home from Korea, and why those men deserve to be remembered.” (Wall St. Journal)

"No one writes war and extreme life-and-death tales as vividly and authentically as Hampton Sides. As a veteran of the 1st Marine Division, I found his new book about one of the most desperate battles in American history to be riveting and beautifully told. Sides gets it all right, from the heroism of the Marines trapped in the frozen mountains to the chess moves of the generals and politicians who put them there. An incredible page-turner of a book, a must-read." (William Broyles Jr., acclaimed screenwriter of Jarhead, Apollo 13, Flags of Our Fathers, and Cast Away)

“What a book! Through moment-by-moment, intensely-researched details, On Desperate Ground utterly immerses the reader in this harrowing battle. Hampton Sides gives us a better understanding of the history behind current US relations with Korea and China while offering a series of captivating profiles in human courage - an absolutely riveting read.” (Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See)

Read this to your children

If your children know the names of all the Avengers, read this book to them so they will know the heroism and courage of their fellow Americans and our allies. We have been blessed as a nation to produce such men as this book d

Great read

Love this account from many different angles it gives a true feel for the battle you don’t get many places!

Incredible story I was previously not aware of

This was a great telling of an incredible story in marine history. Very easy to listen to and follow. Superficial in Some details but it tells the story in a concise fashion that I appreciated as someone who is not familiar with the battle. Narration was very good.

History comes alive

The author does an amazing job at making history come alive in this true tale of the Korean war. Hampton Sides looks at the high level decision making, and the people who made those decisions. The focus is on the battle at the Chosin Reservoir, where Mao's Red Army of China traps a division the US Marines. This is the story of how the vastly outnumbered Marines fought their way out of the trap to survive. We see the battle through the eyes of so many of the common soldiers. The author is opne of my favorite writers of history, and this was as well-written and engaging as I expected. So sad and inspiring. Great book!

Weather as the Enemy

One of the best war books I’ve ever read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and in examples of different types of leadership.

Gripping and well told story

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm so glad I happened upon it.

incredible

amazing story. As a Marine, I really enjoyed this book. I learned some knew things about the war that I never knew.

Another gem.

Hampton Sides knows how to tell a story. This book does not disappoint. Excellent narration as well.

Great story

Hampton Sides does a great job telling the story of this vastly understated under covered war.

Amazing detail and research!

Very vivid description of the Korean War and it's most important battle. Superb insight into the character and thinking of the officers and enlisted as well. Describes how McArthur essentially lost the War with his incredible arrogance.