In the spring of 1950, 17-year-old South Korean high school senior Won Moo Hurh dreamed of studying law at Seoul National University after graduation. His life changed irrevocably on June 25 when North Korean forces invaded his homeland. After less than three months of training, Hurh was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army of the Republic of Korea and sent to the front, where the casualty rate for such junior officers could reach 60 percent.
In this exceptionally well written memoir, Hurh provides not only a descriptive chronicle of his wartime exploits, but also a social and psychological exploration of the absurdity of war in general. Hurh's vivid remembrances bring to life the "forgotten" Korean War from the viewpoint of a Korean officer, a perspective rarely available in English until now.