The Korean War represented a series of firsts for Canadian soldiers - their first military action under UN auspices; their first under U.S. corps and army command; their first in Asia as ground troops; and their first in which people at home initially ignored their efforts; and then forgot about them. David Bercuson evokes the tastes and smells; the frustrations; the unfamiliar terrain; the international complexities; and the heroism that made the Korean War an unforgettable experience for those who fought there.Caught by surprise with only a phantom army; the Canadian government in the summer of 1950 was forced by its major allies to promise a ground combat contribution to the UN effort to push back the Communist invasion of South Korea from the north. The Canadian Army Special Force; as the Korean contingent was first called; was hurriedly raised; trained; and sent to Korea; ill-prepared for a mountain war against a determined; well-armed enemy. Canadian soldiers fought bravely; often against impossible odds; to carry out their mission; but they were hindered by several factors - cautious UN Command strategy; poor British and Canadian defence doctrine; uneven leadership; and inadequate equipment and training. They did their duty; and more; in stopping Communist aggression in its tracks; but the Canadian army chose not to remember the lessons of Korea; even though that conflict; as a limited war; set the pattern for virtually all those that followed.Blood on the Hills is the first full; non-official history of the Canadian army's operations in the Korean War. The book covers the period from the start of that war to the cease-fire in July 1953 and describes and analyses the mobilization of the Canadian contingent; its training; manning; and equipment; and its efforts in combat. David Bercuson focuses on the many consequences of the army's unreadiness for combat in Korea and on the army's lack of success in learning lessons from its experience in an active theatre of war.
#553127 in Books Johns Hopkins University Press 2003-09-24Original language:FrenchPDF # 1 9.00 x .68 x 6.00l; 1.05 #File Name: 0801877563320 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Insightful Look At Both Algeria and De Tocqueville HimselfBy Stephen EnglandI strongly recommend Alexis de Tocqueville's writings on Algeria for an excellent look; not only at the legacy of French colonialism which would lead to disaster in the 1950s; but at the man himself.For in them; you find de Tocqueville no longer the dispassionate; if admiring; observer of a new United States; but rather a French politician deeply involved in shaping the future of his own country.Algeria; it might be fairly said; appears to be where the rubber of de Tocqueville's ideals meets the road of political realities.And the result is illuminating; as you bear witness to a man fully alive to the evils of the colonial enterprise; yet fully committed to its success--believing; as did so many Frenchmen in the century which followed--that the vision of "Algerie francaise" was vital to national honor.A desperate vision which would one day damn them all; and there are moments of startling clairvoyance in which one suspects de Tocqueville knew that--but saw no way to escape it.The de Tocqueville of Algeria is thus by turns a troubled humanitarian and a ruthless pragmatist; torn between the ideals of the revolution and the realities of what *must* be done if France herself is to survive.And the man which emerges is both conflicted and remarkably human; revealing aspects of a worldview guaranteed to rankle readers across the political spectrum.Conservatives will doubtless be offended by his damning indictment of French colonial policies toward the Arabs; particularly his bold claim that the French had left Muslim society "more ignorant and more barbarous" than they had found it.Liberals; by contrast; will be aghast at his pragmatic endorsement of conquest and subjugation; and the manner in which he explicitly condones the practice of carrying out razzias against the native population; even as he deplores the excesses of the French military.The truth is that; examined in the light of his day--as all historical figures deserve to be assessed--there's nothing at all shocking about the views he expressed. He was a man of his age; nothing less and a great deal more.And his "Writings On Empire Slavery" offer a fresh and indispensable window into de Tocqueville; the man.Highly recommended.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. LOVE IT!By Anthony J. FitzpatrickThis is such a valuable work! I use it a great deal when I'm working with teachers around the country. it provides keen insights to the history of relationships with the social; political; economic; and cultural elements in North Africa. A true gem!6 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Perhaps more relevent now than in its own time.By Richard R. SimpkinsThis collection of Tocqueville's essays concerning the colonization of Algeria and slavery are useful in forming a historical analysis of North Africa and for civil rights analysis; but I found it to be very insightful in regards to modern policy analysis; too.Tocqueville is very articulate about his desires for France's occupation of Algeria. Although he begins steadfastly in favor of colonization and never totally abandons that position; the nature of France's method of occupation is heavily criticized. At one point; he paints a strangely accurate picture of the state of the region after colonization. The description ends with "we have made Muslim society much more miserable; more disordered; more ignorant; and more barbarous than it had been before knowing us."By describing colonial Algeria in terms of its utility to France; Tocqueville reminds us that the misuse of other nations still impacts our own welfare. By pointing out French abuses of themselves; he shows us that our own welfare is not the only important goal. In the end; the lesson he teaches is that we are interconnected. No one empire can pay attention only to local issues.It is true that Tocqueville was not for granting equal rights; or even citizenship; to natives...nor was he in favor of ending colonialism in any way. Rather; his comments worked within the system to encourage a more tolerant; more effective; means of working with natives. His plan did not succeed. France's heavy-handed ways ultimately ended in a violent overthrow of her regime. Algeria; like many Muslim colonies; is more barbaric and less educated now than before European rule.With the US attacks on Afghanistan and continued military presence in Saudi Arabia; one hopes that we may learn the lessons offered by Tocqueville more readily than did the French.
