Now a global bestseller; the remarkable life of Rigoberta Menchú; a Guatemalan peasant woman; reflects on the experiences common to many Indian communities in Latin America. Menchú suffered gross injustice and hardship in her early life: her brother; father and mother were murdered by the Guatemalan military. She learned Spanish and turned to catechistic work as an expression of political revolt as well as religious commitment. Menchú vividly conveys the traditional beliefs of her community and her personal response to feminist and socialist ideas. Above all; these pages are illuminated by the enduring courage and passionate sense of justice of an extraordinary woman.
#1006618 in Books Osprey Publishing 2006-04-25 2006-04-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 246.63 x 4.57 x 7.25l; #File Name: 184176961496 pages9781841769615
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Everything pointed to disasterBy James D. CrabtreeHardly ever remembered today; the landing at Inchon brought the Korean War to a new phase; one in which the communists were sent reeling northwards; away from the UN forces within the Pusan Perimeter. This landing had everything going against it: ad hoc units; a short planning period; lack of amphibious landing experience among the troops; a challenging landing site; poor reconnaissance... but when the smoke cleared X Corps controlled Inchon and Seoul and had cut off the main supply artery for the DPRK.Well written; but just a little redundant because of the way the information is presented; Inch'on 1950 is well-illustrated with photographs; maps and artist renditions. Even if you've HEARD the story of Inchon; this provides a better picture of how the operation was actually carried out.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The great gamble...By HMS WarspiteThe U.S. amphibious assault into the South Korean port city of Inchon in September 1950 was a controversial gamble; an effort to reverse North Korean gains from their surprise attack on South Korea. Practically everyone in the chain of command counseled UN Commander General Douglas MacArthur against the operation. At a distance of well over half a century; few readers may realize just how many risks MacArthur really run..."Inchon 1950" is an exceptional Osprey Campaign Series book. Author Gordon Rottman packs a lot of information into a text of less than 100 pages. His narrative reveals just how unprepared the U.S. military was for a conventional war in the Far East after the demobilization at the end of the Second World War. Already scrambling to get enough forces into South Korea to stabilize the embattled Pusan Perimeter; the First Marine Division and the U.S. Army's 7th Division practically performed an assembly on the objective to meet the timelines of Operation Chromite. As the author notes; the U.S. had only limited intelligence on the objective; but achieved a significant degree of surprise. The rest is history.Rottman's narrative is a little heavy on military jargon but still captures the drama of the moment. The text is very nicely supplemented with maps; illustrations; and period photographs; and carries the story through the Battle for Seoul. Highly recommended to the student of the conflict; and the general reader as an excellent introduction to "the last great amphibious assault."1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Controversial Landing that was SuccessfulBy Dave SchranckOne of Mr Rottman's hallmarks to this series of books is his meaningfull introductions. In one of the lengthiest of the series; 15 pages; the author describes the history of the Korean Peninsula since WWII and the impact the USSR and US has had on the respective halves. In addition the origins and evolution and state of readiness of the NKPA and ROKA in 1950 are described as well as the small garrison of US troops stationed there. We also learn that in the States; the US Army was whittled down to only 10 divisions since the end of WWII. We also learn the NKPA was better equipped; better trained and twice the size of the ROKA. The chapter also has a brief description of the terrain of the harbor and city sector including Seoul. Also included is a brief summary of the first couple months of the war where the UN Forces are pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter.The next three chapters are Opposing Commanders; Forces and Plans. The American side has excellent coverage; especially the commander section. It gives one of the best bios of the leaders in the whole series. It includes MacArthur; Strubble; Almond; O.P. Smith and Barr. There is little known about the NKPA commanders and plans for the defense of Inch'on. The author spends 11 pages of the planning of the amphibious landing on how X Corps will take Wolmi-do island before landing two groups at Inch'on. It also mention the commanders making up the 1st MarDiv and 7th ID. The NKPA's units were 226th MarReg and the 25th Rifle Brigade among other patch quilt units to defend Inch'on.In the main chapter; Operation Chromite is discussed on how relatively easy Inch'on was captured. The UN forces quickly proceed northeasterly; cross the Han River capturing Seoul before setting up positions to block the retreat of the NKPA back to North Korea.Before the landings; the Navy and practically everybody else tried to persuade MacArthur not to do it because it was too risky but MacArthur ignored everybody and went ahead and succeeded with the operaion. Its also of interest that Operation Chromite had already been planned before the actual NKPA invasion as a what if scenario.There are four 2-D maps and three 3-D maps and all of them are excellent. The first 2-D map is the strategic situation just prior to the landings. Then there is the Inch'on - Seoul area; followed by Inch'on landing and finishing with the drive to Seoul. The 3-D maps are the Inch'on landings; Han River crossing and the Battle for Seoul.Besides the maps there are 3 double page color battle scenes and a lot of good photos. There is also a Order of Battle list of the US forces. The book ends with a Bibliography and Index.This book was done very well and is recommended to both newcomer and old pro.
