“Magnificent!†(South China Morning Post) “A wonderful read!†(JoongAng Daily News) “The scope is truly vast!†(Seoul Magazine) “Like a prelude to Shogun!"(StrategyPage.com) “A feast!†(Shogun-ki) In May of 1592; Japanese dictator Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent a 158;800-man army of invasion from Kyushu to Pusan on Korea’s southern tip. His objective: to conquer Korea; then China; and then the whole of Asia. The resulting seven years of fighting; known in Korea as imjin waeran; the “Imjin invasion;†after the year of the water dragon in which it began; dwarfed contemporary conflicts in Europe and was one of the most devastating wars to grip East Asia in the past thousand years. The Imjin War is the most comprehensive account ever published in English of this cataclysmic event; so little known in the West. It begins with the political and cultural background of Korea; Japan and China; explores the diplomatic impasse that led to the war; describes every major incident and battle from 1592 to 1598 and introduces a fascinating cast of characters along the way. There is Hideyoshi; hosting garden parties as his armies march toward Beijing; Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin; emerging from a prison cell to take on the Japanese navy with just thirteen ships; Chinese commander Zhao Chengxun; suffering defeat after promising to “scatter the Japanese to the four windsâ€; the courtesan Chu Non-gae; luring a samurai into her arms and then jumping into the Nam River with him locked in her embrace. One nation fighting to expand; another to survive. Shockwaves extending across China and beyond. The Imjin War is an epic tale of grand perspective and intimate detail of an upheaval that would shape East Asia for centuries to come.
#1416807 in Books 2015-08-18Original language:English 9.00 x .40 x 6.00l; #File Name: 0986320013176 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Defeat Without Air PowerBy E. J. McgillBefore typing a review I check those that have already been posted so I don’t simply parrot what has already been written. In the case of Robert Dorr’s Air Power Abandoned: Robert Gates; the F-22 Raptor and the Betrayal of America's Air Force (Kindle Edition) I was somewhat surprised to see the book criticized for some of the very things I thought strengthened his argument. Dorr’s treatment of Gates; for example; is not drawn along familiar political lines because the Secretary worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations. This leaves Gates as Dorr describes him; someone with little or no interest in Air Power. This in itself is not a sin—unless he is the guy in charge; which Gates was.As Dorr emphasizes so forcibly; every time we allow our ability to employ Air Power to weaken; we invite catastrophe. Seversky’s line of reasoning in Victory Through Air Power; Dorr points out; that positioning B-19s in Alaska within range of the Japanese Empire would have been a powerful deterrent that could well have thwarted the bombing of Pearl Harbor.The present political climate reflects many of the issues covered in Air Power Abandoned; the bickering and haggling between services at the Pentagon where there are obviously too many generals and admirals; and money seems to be the only concern. Missing from the money equation is that large defense contracts; properly executed; tend to generate thousands of jobs—and millions in taxes.Dorr’s concerns are pretty much limited to the Raptor and its alternatives; but his message is clear: a weak Air Force invites disaster.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Mandatory Reading for AF personnelBy M.L.Robert F. Dorr's AIR POWER ABANDONDED is one of the most daring books addressing the military as I've seen in recent times. He addresses the fact that no one seems to want to talk about . . . we are not perfect. This is a well researched; factual account of the rise and fall of a specific weapons system. While he does stray into other programs; it's to build the foundation for the underlying problem in weapons acquisition. Like any serious study; the book doesn't read like a novel; it's based on facts. But it does expose the serious problems that our Air Force faces with its aging weapons systems and the dangers facing us if we don't address them. This should be mandatory reading for discussion at the Air Force service schools (SOS; ACSC; Air War College). Well done Mr. Dorr!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Essential for understanding the ending of the F-22 Program but does not read wellBy RC6This book is excellent in the sense that it gives great insight as to why the F-22 Program was shut down prematurely and how that impacts the United States' ability to project air power and maintain air superiority in conflicts. This was important to me because I work at the plant where the F-22 was built. The book falls short in the fact that it does not read very well. The author skips around from chapter to chapter without much consistency as to where the narrative is going. He also is quick to share his opinions and show where he was proved right in situations which really biases the narrative.Overall; a recommended read for anyone who is interested in the reasoning behind the demise of the F-22 Program and what it means for our military but be cautioned that it does not read smoothly and that it contains very strong opinions from the author.
