A North Korea expert sheds new light on the enigmatic tyrant From his goose-stepping military parades to his clownish macho swagger, North Korea's Kim Jong-il is an odd amalgam of political cartoon and global menace. In charge of a nuclear arsenal he's threatened to use against the U.S. and Japan, the man, his motives and the mechanisms of his absolute control over a country of 23 million remains shrouded in mystery. In this second edition of his bestselling Kim Jong-il, Michael Breen, a leading expert on North Korea, dispels common myths and fallacies about Dear Leader, while turning a spotlight on the man to reveal his true nature and the nature of his hold over a country ravaged by poverty and famine. Illustrated with rare photographs of Kim and his regime, it gives readers unprecedented access to this little-understood despot and his people and features new information about the leader's succession plans, as well as the scoop on the mounting pressure among world leaders to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions.