The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot - A True Story About the Birth of Tyranny in North Korea

Zusatztext An Amazon Best Book of 2015 "A fascinating retelling of a tale from the early years of the Cold War. . . . [an] artful narrative."  —The New York Times "Blaine Harden has done more than anyone else to bring [North Korea] to a mass audience. . . . Thrilling stuff."  —The Washington Post "By contrasting these emblematic figures [Kim Il-Sung and No Kum Sok], Mr. Harden has produced a riveting book that makes the history of North Korea accessible to the general reader."  —Wall Street Journal "A gripping account of the battle fought in the skies and its lasting significance."  —The Economist "An eminently readable picture of our most under-remembered war."  —The Daily Beast "A gripping read."  —Financial Times "[A] rigorously researched and entrancing tale of the Korean War."  —Los Angeles Review of Books "Skillfully crafted."  —The Washington Times "Reads like an impossible-to-put down thriller." — Christian Science Monitor “Harden delivers another page-turner...weav[ing] together narratives of ‘Great Leader’ Kim Il Sung and No Kum Sok, who harbored a childhood dream of coming to the U.S., even though ‘at 19 he became the youngest jet fighter pilot on either side of the Korean War...’ With access to No and newly released intelligence, Harden presents fresh insights into North Korea.”  —Publishers Weekly  “A rewarding book with much to offer, including the likely spark of new interest in how singular choices made by both men and nations can reverberate for generations.” — Kirkus Reviews “An enjoyable read that is highly recommended for those interested in Cold War or North Korean history, or for anyone who likes a strong narrative.”  — Library Journal  (starred review) "Blaine Harden takes us on a fascinating journey deep into the dark origins of the North Korean state, leavened by a stirring account of one young man's courageous quest to escape it. Thoroughly transporting." —Daniel James Brown,  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Boys in the Boat “I could not put this book down. The interwoven stories of Kim Il-Sung and MiG fighter pilot No Kum Sok are carefully researched and artfully told. Harden shows how each man played the system to achieve his lifelong goal—in Kim's case, the creation of a personality cult and oppressive regime, and in No's case, defection from it. Harden succeeds in offering a unique lens on North Korean history and politics that offers something for both the general and expert readership.” —Dr. Victor Cha, Professor of Government and Director of Asian Studies, Georgetown University; former National Security Council director for Asian affairs, 2004-7 “Having exposed the full horror of the North Korean gulag by telling the story of Shin Dong-hyuk’s escape from Camp 14, Blaine Harden now uses contrasting portraits of the founding tyrant Kim Il Sung and the young MiG pilot who flew to freedom six decades ago to explain how the monstrous political system of North Korea came into existence in the first place.  The result is a triumph of story-telling that brings history to life and explains why the North Korean regime is such a menace to its own people and to the world.” —Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy “ The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot is at once a fascinating look at how evil takes hold and how one ordinary man escapes its grasp with wit and determination. Harden’s compelling narrative is not to be missed, an outstanding follow-up to Escape from Camp 14.” —Gregory A. Freeman, author of The Gathering Wind: Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea “A masterful account of a forgotten story from a forgotten war. In an artful blending of the stor...

Product details

• Authors: Blaine Harden
• Publisher: Penguin Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2016
• EAN: 9780143108023
• ISBN: 978-0-14-310802-3
• No. of pages: 304
• Dimensions: 137 mm x 213 mm x 20 mm
• Subject: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education