On Desperate Ground

The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War's Greatest Battle

By: Hampton Sides

Narrated by: David Pittu

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers, a chronicle of the extraordinary feats of heroism by Marines called on to do the impossible during the greatest battle of the Korean War.

"Superb ... A masterpiece of thorough research, deft pacing and arresting detail...This war story—the fight to break out of a frozen hell near the Chosin Reservoir—has been told many times before. But Sides tells it exceedingly well, with fresh research, gritty scenes and cinematic sweep." —The Washington Post

On October 15, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of UN troops in Korea, convinced President Harry Truman that the Communist forces of Kim Il-sung would be utterly defeated by Thanksgiving. The Chinese, he said with near certainty, would not intervene in the war.

As he was speaking, 300,000 Red Chinese soldiers began secretly crossing the Manchurian border. Led by some 20,000 men of the First Marine Division, the Americans moved deep into the snowy mountains of North Korea, toward the trap Mao had set for the vainglorious MacArthur along the frozen shores of the Chosin Reservoir. What followed was one of the most heroic--and harrowing--operations in American military history, and one of the classic battles of all time. Faced with probable annihilation, and temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below zero, the surrounded, and hugely outnumbered, Marines fought through the enemy forces with ferocity, ingenuity, and nearly unimaginable courage as they marched their way to the sea.

Hampton Sides' superb account of this epic clash relies on years of archival research, unpublished letters, declassified documents, and interviews with scores of Marines and Koreans who survived the siege. While expertly detailing the follies of the American leaders, On Desperate Ground is an immediate, grunt's-eye view of history, enthralling in its narrative pace and powerful in its portrayal of what ordinary men are capable of in the most extreme circumstances.

Hampton Sides has been hailed by critics as one of the best nonfiction writers of his generation. As the Miami Herald wrote, "Sides has a novelist's eye for the propulsive elements that lend momentum and dramatic pace to the best nonfiction narratives."

Read this to your children

If your children know the names of all the Avengers, read this book to them so they will know the heroism and courage of their fellow Americans and our allies. We have been blessed as a nation to produce such men as this book d

Great read

Love this account from many different angles it gives a true feel for the battle you don’t get many places!

Incredible story I was previously not aware of

This was a great telling of an incredible story in marine history. Very easy to listen to and follow. Superficial in Some details but it tells the story in a concise fashion that I appreciated as someone who is not familiar with the battle. Narration was very good.

History comes alive

The author does an amazing job at making history come alive in this true tale of the Korean war. Hampton Sides looks at the high level decision making, and the people who made those decisions. The focus is on the battle at the Chosin Reservoir, where Mao's Red Army of China traps a division the US Marines. This is the story of how the vastly outnumbered Marines fought their way out of the trap to survive. We see the battle through the eyes of so many of the common soldiers. The author is opne of my favorite writers of history, and this was as well-written and engaging as I expected. So sad and inspiring. Great book!

Weather as the Enemy

One of the best war books I’ve ever read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in military history and in examples of different types of leadership.