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Summary
Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . The master of military historical fiction turns his discerning eye to the Korean War in this riveting novel, which tells the dramatic story of the Americans and the Chinese who squared off in one of the deadliest campaigns in the annals of combat- the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as Frozen Chosin.
June 1950. The North Korean army invades South Korea, intent on uniting the country under Communist rule. In response, the United States mobilizes a force to defend the overmatched South Korean troops, and together they drive the North Koreans back to their border with China.
But several hundred thousand Chinese troops have entered Korea, laying massive traps for the Allies. In November 1950, the Chinese spring those traps. Allied forces, already battling stunningly cold weather, find themselves caught completely off guard as the Chinese advance around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. A force that once stood on the precipice of victory now finds itself on the brink of annihilation. Assured by General Douglas MacArthur that they would be home by Christmas, the soldiers and Marines fight for their lives against the most brutal weather conditions imaginable-and an enemy that outnumbers them more than six to one.
The Frozen Hours tells the story of Frozen Chosin from multiple points of view- Oliver P. Smith, the commanding general of the American 1st Marine Division, who famously redefined retreat as "advancing in a different direction"; Marine Private Pete Riley, a World War II veteran who now faces the greatest fight of his life; and the Chinese commander Sung Shi-Lun, charged with destroying the Americans he has so completely surrounded, ever aware that above him, Chairman Mao Tse-Tung watches his every move.
Written with the propulsive force Jeff Shaara brings to all his novels of combat and courage, The Frozen Hours transports us to the critical moment in the history of America's "Forgotten War," when the fate of the Korean peninsula lay in the hands of a brave band of brothers battling both the elements and a determined, implacable foe.
"A military story as dramatic and heroic as any that exists."- The American Interest
" The Frozen Hours . . . illustrates again Shaara's mastery. . . . This is fiction and history at their blended best."- Marine Corps Gazette
"Marvelously effective storytelling . . . that shows us what warfare feels like both to those who plan campaigns and those who execute them . . . gripping, precisely detailed historical fiction."- Booklist (starred review)
Author Notes
Jeff Shaara was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on February 21, 1952. He received a degree in criminology from Florida State University in 1974. He was a professional dealer in rare coins for many years and operated his own business in Tampa until the death of his father, Michael Shaara, in 1988, when he became actively involved in the elder Shaara's literary estate.
He continued his father's work by researching the history of the characters his father had brought to life in The Killer Angels, and in 1996 his prequel, Gods and Generals, was published. The book was awarded the American Library Association's Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction and was adapted into a motion picture in 2003. His other works include The Last Full Measure, Rise to Rebellion, The Glorious Cause, The Steel Wave, No Less Than Victory, The Final Storm, A Blaze of Glory, A Chain of Thunder, The Smoke at Dawn, and The Fateful Lightning. He received another Boyd Award for To the Last Man.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
In the bitter cold winter of 1950, in the middle of the Korean War, hell froze over for Gen. O.P. Smith as his 1st Marine Division led MacArthur's push to the Yalu River at the China-Korea border.MacArthur miscalculated. The Chinese feared United Nations forces would cross into China and responded with a massive pre-emptive attack near Chosin Reservoir. Shaara's (A Chain of Thunder, 2013, etc.) latest is a novel of character formed in war's crucible. Smith, thought a plodder by glory hounds, is a master strategist, saving his divisionand much of the army's 7th Divisionfrom being wiped out by "advancing in another direction." There are views from the front lines: in minus-35-degree temperatures, phlegmatic Sgt. Hamilton Welch leads the defense of a barren hilltop against human wave attacks. Welch's confidant, Okinawa veteran Pete Riley, collapses from malnutrition and dehydration. A doctor gives him a can of fruit cocktail, and he returns to the fighting, feeling "the guilt, the odd need to stay out here, that even if they couldn't fight, they didn't want to leave their units." There are also candid assessments of MacArthur, poorly served by yes men and intelligence officers; his 10th Corps commander, the arrogant and pompous Almond; and ever stoic Smith. The communist modus operandi comes through Gen. Sung, a wily survivor of Mao's legendary Long March, and Maj. Orlov, Stalin's on-site observer; conversations between them are sharp and revealing. Shaara's pace never stumbles. Weather is everyone's common enemythe desolate mountain terrain is constantly scoured by implacable winds and freezing temperatureswhich is reflected in scenes such as a Marine sharing bottles of whiskey baked into his wife's homemade bread; a crusty battalion commander rescuing stragglers lost on a frozen reservoir; or Marines treated to hot Thanksgiving dinner only to find the food freezing quickly in their mess kits. Brilliant, thoroughly readable historical fiction. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Shaara, whose previous series covered the Civil War and World War II, moves now to the Korean War, once again utilizing his familiar and marvelously effective storytelling technique of jumping between several first-person narrators, from generals to foot soldiers, and creating in the process a zoom-lens effect that shows us what warfare feels like both to those who plan campaigns and those who execute them. That gap between plan and execution was never wider than in the battle of Choisin Reservoir, where American soldiers, in the dead of winter, were surrounded by Chinese forces outnumbering them by more than five to one, despite the fact that General Douglas MacArthur, calling the shots from the safety of Tokyo, continued to insist that only a handful of Chinese were engaged in the fight in support of the North Koreans. As Shaara juggles the story of two marines in the thick of the battle, Private Pete Riley and General O. P. Smith, with that of Smith's Chinese counterpart, General Sung Shi-Lun, the reader sees the sheer madness of MacArthur's megalomaniacal desire to liberate all of North Korea and the unimaginable horror that his folly produced. As in so much great military fiction, however, Shaara contrasts the futility and utter absurdity of the war against the courage of the soldiers, especially the marines under Smith's command who fight an attack in reverse in order to escape the Chinese. Gripping, precisely detailed historical fiction.--Ott, Bill Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Shaara (A Blaze of Glory; The Rising Tide) extends the scope of his military historical novels by setting his latest during the darkest days of the Korean War. He focuses on the 17-day battle of the Chosin Reservoir, retelling it from various perspectives. In fall 1950, American-led United Nations forces press north, pushing the North Koreans out of the south. In Tokyo, Gen. Douglas MacArthur oversees the campaigns with the assistance of his aides. On the ground, Gen. O.P. Smith leads his marines while trying to obey the many and conflicting orders coming down to him. Pvt. Pete Riley, a World War II vet, is called back up for the emergency in Korea. Chinese general Sung-Shi-Lun is sent to Korea with his massive army after Chairman Mao becomes alarmed about the bombastic MacArthur's possible intentions. Verdict Fans of Shaara's novels and military history buffs will find much to enjoy here. The many characters are vividly drawn, and the strategies, tactics, and order of battle are clearly and accurately explicated.-Dan Forrest, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.