To the Last Round: The Epic British Stand on the Imjin River, Korea 1951 - Couverture rigide

Salmon, Andrew

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1845134087 ISBN 13 : 9781845134082

Editeur : Aurum Press, 2009

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

In 1950 the Cold War turned hot with the Communist invasion of South Korea. But by November, when Britain's 29th Infantry Brigade landed in Korea, it seemed that the war was all but over. United Nations forces - principally South Koreans and Americans - had decimated the invading North Koreans and were thrusting north towards the Chinese border. Then - catastrophe. China entered the war and panicked UN forces began a 250-mile retreat in sub-zero temperatures.By April 1951, the war hung in the balance. The Chinese had been halted by the UN forces which held a shaky front north of Seoul. On the Imjin River, the critical hinge in the line was manned by the British brigade - consisting of one battalion each of the Gloster Regiment, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and the Royal Ulster Rifles - supported by a regiment of artillery, the tanks of the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars and a crack battalion of Belgian volunteers.Then, on the night of 22 April, the largest communist offensive of the Korean War was unleashed. An entire Chinese army assaulted 29th Brigade's scattered strong-points.One by one, the British units were swamped in the 'human waves' of attacking Chinese. For three days hand-to-hand combat raged. At one stage the artillery was firing point-blank, over open sights. Against all odds, 29th Brigade held, but by the third morning it was cut off. The order was given to break out. In a death ride down a valley swarming with enemy, the infantry and tanks battled south. But for one battalion, it was too late. Surrounded on a smoking hilltop, the Glosters fought until their ammunition was exhausted. Of 700 men, less than 50 escaped the trap.The author has interviewed veterans of every unit engaged, to produce an hour-by-hour account of the action as they experienced it in their foxholes. The story of the battle itself is preceded by a description of the actions of 29th Brigade in the horrific winter of 1950/51 and followed by first-hand accounts of the two-and-a half years British PoWs spent in grim prison camps in North Korea.Dramatic, traumatic, moving and inspirational, this is the true story of the band of men who remained at their posts, held an army and astonished the world.It is the story of the most desperate battle fought by British soldiers since World War II. In April 1951, outnumbered eight to one, a British brigade faced an entire Chinese army. In three whirlwind nights of battle, one regiment of artillery fired as many shells as were fired at EI Alamein. The 'Glorious Glosters' fought to the last round, but when the smoke cleared the battalion had been wiped out. In the first book devoted exclusively to this now-legendary action, the reader experiences the action through the eyes of the men who fought. This is their story.

Revue de presse :

'Over a thousand British servicemen lost their lives in the Korean War and here, at last, is a compelling account of a defining moment in the conflict.... An astonishing tale.'
--Good Book Guide, June, 2009

`Salmon's vivid use of recollections and dramatic quotes brings alive an unjustly forgotten conflict'
-- Time Out, August 20, 2009

'To the Last Round by Andrew Salmon is a gripping hour-by-hour reconstruction of the defence of the Imjin River in Korea by a brigade of British troops in April 1951. It's still the bloodiest battle fought by British troops since the Second World War and should rank with Rorke's Drift as an heroic last stand. Yet it and the Korean War in general are little known and the few surviving veterans are bitter at this lack of recognition. Salmon's superb book, exhaustively researched and expertly written, should go some way to redressing the balance.'
-- Saul David, The Times, October 11, 2009

'Enthralling and action-packed...relives every moment of that astonishing battle' -- Robert Hardman, Daily Mail, April 24, 2009

'Copiously reported...the book is filled with detail enough to win the attention even of those for whom military histories may seem irrelevent...exciting stuff' -- Don Kirk, Far Eastern Economic Review, October 2, 2009

'A superb book which showcases British courage during a now almost forgotten last stand' -- Soldier Magazine, 2009

'So glad you have recorded this piece of history and the people who made it for posterity' -- General Sir Peter de la Billiere

'The descriptions of the battles are so realistic they raise the adrenalin level...your book should carry a health warning: Anyone with Post Traumatic Stress would be in danger of a relapse'
--Brigadier Meryn McCord, Imjin Veteran

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Aurum Press
• Date d'édition: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1845134087
• ISBN 13: 9781845134082
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 352