Shaara, Jeff. The Frozen Hours. 2017. 527p. ISBN 9780345549228.
In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, igniting a brutal conflict. The United Nations, led by the United States, intervened and pushed back the North Korean forces past the 38th parallel, the de facto border between the two countries. As US forces continued to move towards North Korea's border with China, the troops were told they would be home by Christmas. The conflict escalated dramatically in November 1950, however, when hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops, who had secretly entered Korea, sprung massive traps on the unprepared Allied forces. Already battling extreme cold, the Allied troops found themselves encircled and caught off guard around the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. A force that had been on the verge of victory now faced imminent destruction, fighting for survival against overwhelming odds and unimaginable weather, despite General Douglas MacArthur's assurances of being home by Christmas.
The Frozen Hours vividly recounts this harrowing battle through multiple perspectives. Readers experience the strategic challenges faced by Oliver P. Smith, commanding general of the American 1st Marine Division, who famously reframed their retreat as "advancing in a different direction." The raw, brutal realities of combat are brought to life through the eyes of Marine Private Pete Riley, a World War II veteran thrust into his greatest fight. On the opposing side, the immense pressure on Chinese commander Sung Shi-Lun is palpable as he endeavors to annihilate the surrounded Americans, constantly aware of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung's watchful eye.
Readers are immersed in a critical moment of America's "Forgotten War," where soldiers battle both the elements and a relentless enemy for the fate of the Korean Peninsula. Fans of military history will appreciate the level of details and the vivid descriptions of battles and survival amid one of the most violent confrontation of the Korean war.
