"Up until now, the Korean War has been the black hole of modern American history. The Coldest Winter changes that. Halberstam give us a narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides. He charts the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu River, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides portraits of all the major figures, including Truman and Eisenhower; Kim Il Sung and Mao Zedong; and General MacArthur."--BOOK JACKET.