The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea

Usually, if I blog about something in this venue, in some way it is some how some thing to do with Texas. But in this particular blogging the only connection to Texas is it's a book I read in Texas.

By James Brady. Not the James Brady of Reagan Press Secretary Assassination attempt infamy. No, this book was written by the James Brady of Parade Magazine interview fame. Among other things.

I've read more books about wars than I can remember. The Civil War, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Iraq Wars I & II, the Cold War, the War of 1812, the Revolutionary War. I'm likely forgetting a war or two.

I've read war related memoirs before, like Albert Speer's Inside the Third Reich and Spandau: The Secret Diaries. But something about this book by James Brady was striking a chord with me that I didn't quite figure out til the end.

The thing that made this book especially interesting was that unlike other books about wars, that I've read, this one was written by a guy describing the war as he experienced it. And James Brady writes very well and spares no detail, some of which was a bit eyepopping. Details of the likes you don't see in movies.

I don't know why the Korean War is now referred to as the "Forgotten War." I hadn't forgotten about it. I was led to reading the James Brady book after watching a very well done documentary about the Korean War on The Military Channel.

After reading a lot of books about wars, and particularly after reading books about the current Iraq War I've decided all wars have a lot of very stupid things happen, bad decisions, bad leaders, some worse than others.

After watching The Military Channel and after reading articles online about the Korean War I've decided General Douglas MacArthur was a terribly irresponsible general who's good reputation, at the time, was pretty much a function of the way the press covered him, and a whole lot of ignorance. MacArthur was an Only Child with classic Only Child Syndrome symptoms. He should never been put in command over the lives of men.

Anyway, it's off to the library in a bit to find something to read. I think maybe a biography of Douglas MacArthur might be interesting.