by Jeff Shaara
First published 2017
November 1950. Marine Private Pete Riley huddles in the frozen wasteland around Chosin Reservoir, where temperatures plummet far below zero and Chinese forces outnumber the Americans six to one. What began as a confident push toward the Chinese border has become a nightmare. General Douglas MacArthur promised the troops they would be home by Christmas, but now they fight for survival against both merciless weather and a massive enemy force that has sprung carefully laid traps. General Oliver P. Smith commands the 1st Marine Division as it faces complete encirclement, while Chinese commander Sung Shi-Lun executes orders to destroy the Americans under the watchful eye of Chairman Mao. Riley, a World War II veteran, discovers that nothing prepared him for this battle against the elements and an implacable foe. Smith must lead his men through what he calls advancing in a different direction. The fate of the Korean peninsula hangs in the balance as these soldiers confront the deadliest campaign in combat history.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, action, american-history
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, survival
Setting: Chosin Reservoir, Korea
Period: November 1950
527 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war