The Korean peninsula; divided for more than fifty years; is stuck in a time warp. Millions of troops face one another along the Demilitarized Zone separating communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea. In the early 1990s and again in 2002-2003; the United States and its allies have gone to the brink of war with North Korea. Misinterpretations and misunderstandings are fueling the crisis. "There is no country of comparable significance concerning which so many people are ignorant;" American anthropologist Cornelius Osgood said of Korea some time ago. This ignorance may soon have fatal consequences. North Korea; South Korea is a short; accessible book about the history and political complexites of the Korean peninsula; one that explores practical alternatives to the current US policy: alternatives that build on the remarkable and historic path of reconciliation that North and South embarked on in the 1990s and that point the way to eventual reunification.
#121972 in Books Ten Speed Press 2001-11 2001-10-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .20 x 7.00l; 1.10 #File Name: 1580084168192 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Stark; Brutal and Emotionally Gripping Memoir on Russia's Hidden ShameBy Jefferson PaineVladislav Tamarov's harrowing experience growing up into manhood in a god forsaken place like Soviet held Afghanistan has left such a profound impact on the reader. All the questions that news reporters ask veterans seem trite and disrespectful to those that went through the experience of war. The heart-wrenching trial of being sent by a government that does not take no for an answer coupled with the tumultuous pain of watching a generation be slaughtered by bullet; rocket and mine; tips the scale for each day being its own torture chamber. However; the only drive to keep going is the strangling will to live to see the next day where everyone sharing your space is subjected to the same uncertainty of not surviving. This book shines both a spotlight on the injustice of being sent to a futile war that does not have clear objectives and tragic price to be paid for being in an alien land. The stark honesty of the author pulls no punches about what he saw and what he tragically did. This is a fantastic introduction to the Soviet-Afghan War; as it calls the reader to forget everything he or she thinks they know about this conflict. After having read other war primary sources; it begs the question: why are they not like Mr. Tamarov's? Why do they hide so much of the horror of war? Does that not say something essential about what others hide or view perhaps as not being "a good soldier"? No matter the answer to these questions; Mr. Tamarov shows the bitter truth and leaves the reader to feel overwhelming empathy and compassion for he and his comrades that were sent to fight in a conflict where "soldiers fulfilling their international duty". Hard to feel like they were lied to and died for nothing in the steppes of the Hindu Kush; and elsewhere. The war for something or nothing; the book sheds light on the scars left on the bodies and in the minds of all that served.Highly recommended to anyone interested in the emotional torture of war in the modern age.18 of 18 people found the following review helpful. A gripping story of discoveryBy Ruth Henriquez LyonAfghanistan A Russian Soldier's story by Vladislav Tamarov is an intensely personal book. The reader learns only a little about the strategy and tactics used by the Soviet forces to fight the war in neighboring Afghanistan. Rather; this is a document that reflects the process of maturation of its author. He starts as a 19-year-old man being drafted into the Russian army. His naiveté in volunteering for the commandos (which will take him in short order into the task of defusing enemy mines) mirrors the bravado and sense of indestructibility that is the main reason that men of his age have been used as soldiers for as long as there have been armies.The story is told in episodes - not as plot for it's own sake; but rather to communicate the range of emotions and intensity of fear unique to the battlefield soldier. Some of my favorite writing comes from letters sent home by Confederate and Union soldiers from America's civil war. These documents are important not because of the credentials or social standing of the writers; but instead because of the intensity of the experiences these writers were living. Vladislav Tamarov continues this venerable tradition and extends the genre to new depths of insight. Probably the most obvious lesson learned was that after such a prolonged ordeal; one cannot "go home again". The effects of fighting the fghan war changed Mr. Tamarov's values so much that he was unable to fit back into the life that he idolized and longed to survive long enough to resume. We all know many stories of disaffected soldiers who live out their lives on the bitter fringes of society. Mr. Tamarov provides hope not only through his own strength and resiliency; but; later in the book; by his activism and involvement with international veterans groups to improve the lives of men often forgotten by all of us.A parallel story of maturation is told by the wonderful series of photographs that illustrate the book. These pictures chronicle not only the events in his story; but more importantly; give the reader a glimpse into the development of author's remarkable photographic artistic maturation. The photos give the book a visceral link to that timeless reality captured best by a photographer of Mr. Tamarov's skill. It certainly left me wanting to follow-up more of his later work.I highly recommend Afghanistan A Russian Soldier's story. Because it is so personal; it resonates deeply with the universal things that unite us as humans. It is set against the backdrop of a futile war in a foreign land; and then home transformed into the unfamiliar. The development of his personal strength to transform his savage experience into something that makes him a stronger man is inspiring. I especially recommend this book to those who appreciate war memoirs; those who like books about personal transformation; and to all who love great photographs.Jeffrey Lyon1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A must have!By T. HerburgerI want to start off by saying I purchased this book with a few goals in mind; One; to learn more about the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Two; learn of this war through the eyes of a soldier who fought in it. Three; to do this in a short; timely fashion- that is to say I wasn't much interested in a long; detailed; dry retelling of events. I can say this book did not disappoint and was exactly what I wanted.As mentioned by other reviewers; the book is more or less a photo/diary like affair. The pictures alone (The author explains his deep passion for photography; and thusly recorded his time in Afghanistan) are worth the book's price. When I bought this book (many years ago) I was actually just in the beginning stages of my own war experiences as a US Army soldier in Iraq; so I felt it relevant to my circumstance at the time. When considering the violent; protracted war the US is currently involved with in Afghanistan; I feel this book adds important insight into the nature of the warfare experienced there; as well as adding an understanding of the countless difficulties faced by those fighting a war in this rugged terrain and against the rough-and-tough people who reside therein.The stories the author shares range from happy filled moments; to pure tragedy and sadness. I found it particularly saddening when he shows a picture that depicts a group of young Soviet troops smiling; laughing; enjoying a small break; and then the written piece accompanying the photo relates that some of them would go on to die or be badly injured.Near the end of the book; the author also shares stories of how he and other Russian veterans would meet with US veterans of the Vietnam War. They were drawn together by virtue the fact that both of these veteran groups suffered through hell; were fighting a war they likely didn't agree with; and were treated poorly by their fellow citizens upon arrival back home. I found it a somewhat inspiring story; given the fact that in both cases the enemy they were fighting was being aided by the homeland of the opposite veteran group.All in all I highly recommend this book and feel confident the book will not disappoint.
