A Concise History of Modern Korea: From the Late Nineteenth Century to the Present (Volume 2) Second Edition

I much enjoyed this summary of modern Korean history. The author skillfully compares political, economic, and social history of the two Koreas since the second world war, and the reader can understand how and why the two nations took different courses. The section on Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 was also well executed. I especially appreciated the objective viewpoint of the author, which was free of political bias, both from an American (and as far as I can tell) and Korean viewpoints.

The book is good for getting the general gist of what went on from the late 19th to the early 21st centuries. Obviously, it lacks depth - and sometimes this felt frustrating. For example, yes, there are multiple factors for entry to the Korean War - and a host of parties to blame - but rather than just stating that, could we have a couple of paragraphs outlining various views and who is currently arguing what? Without this colour, the book ends up feeling a bit lifeless. It's very much a book used for A level notes, a student getting their head round it for the first time, rather than a book that would be devoured by a good undergraduate. However, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my time reading it, so happy with that.

The content is very good. However, I am most puzzled why the publisher, Rowman & Littlefield, would size the second volume 2 cm shorter than that of the first volume. It certainly does not make for a good look regarding a two volume national history.