Eleven essays take an innovative cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural approach to the Korean War in presenting multiple views of the "forgotten war" and its aftermath from Asian as well as American perspectives. Viewpoints include those of Korean poets' conflicted between patriotism and brotherhood, American soldier-poets, Korean visual arts and films, a US war correspondent's photos, major Korean writers, and Chinese POWs. The volume concludes with panelists responding to several "imagining a different Korea" scenarios. Based on a 1999 Korea-America Dialogue on the Korean War at the U. of Montana's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center. West directs the Center, which focuses on Asian studies. Ji-moon is a professor of English at Korea U. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
In contrast to the many military, diplomatic, and historical works on the Korean War, this book takes a cultural approach that emphasizes the human dimension of the war and especially features Korean voices. It includes chapters on Korean art on the war, translations into English of poetry by Korean soldiers, and American soldier poetry on the war. There is a photographic essay by combat journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Max Desfor. Other chapters analyze songs on the Korean War -- Korean, American, and Chinese; Korean films on the war; and Korean War POWs and their contested memories.
