Historical Dictionary of the Korean War (review)

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS229 sentation than are found in Part I, which, for some reason, is more than half (nearly 60 percent by my count) devoted to Buddhism and therefore presents a skewed and often esoteric picture of that period. Missing from Part I are many biographies, legends, and myths from the Samguk yusa and Samguk sagi that would add valuable breadth. Intrusively present are some fifteen pages of "Poetry and Song," even though literature is elsewhere ruled out of the Sourcebook. In addition, Part I includes a Koryö document that rightfully belongs in Part II: Yi Kyu-bo's "The Lay of King Tongmyöng." Not only has this been misplaced—at the cost of the more appropriate "Koguryö" from the Samguk yusa—but Yi Kyu-bo's introduction , the first 24 lines of verse, and his concluding 38 lines have been lopped off, despite the cultural and historical significance of what he has to say there. Parts II and III are clearly the work of historians with wellformed notions of how Korea's traditional civilization ought to be presented . Such a purposeful sense of organization is lacking in Part I, which seems organized more around what is available than what ought to be included. Such questions of balance and representation must be addressed in the paperback of selections from the Sourcebook—Sources ofKorean Tradition —which, we understand, is in the offing. And, for other future projects, we really must have accurate and readable translations of the Samguk sagi and the Samguk yusa as soon as possible. In this connection, let it be noted that the Ha-Mintz translation of the Yusa (Yonsei University , 1972) is so profoundly inaccurate and misleading that its text is beyond redemption. No reworking can save that tourist reader—I once tried but threw up my hands in frustration. The Sourcebook of Korean Civilization is a monumental accomplishment and speaks eloquently for the growing maturity of our field of Korean studies, as represented in the work of the seventeen contributors whose scholarship has made this volume possible. We look forward with keen anticipation to the appearance of the second volume on late Chosön and Modern Korea. Marshall R. Pihl University of Hawai'i at Mänoa Historical Dictionary ofthe Korean War, edited by James I. Matray. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991. xxxiii + 626 pp., appendix, selected bibliography, index. James I. Matray should be commended for his successful effort in bringing about this timely and useful volume on the Korean War. This book is of 230BOOK REVIEWS interest not only for specialists in U.S. diplomatic and military history but also for students and the general public interested in the Korean War. It includes more than 500 alphabetically arranged entries that cover a wide range of topics on the war, written by 61 American and international scholars. The Korean War has often been referred to as the "forgotten war." It was the first full-scale American war that ended short of total victory and it cost a great many human lives. American veterans and their families have demanded that proper memorials be erected in their hometowns and in the capital as a tribute to those who died for their country. Koreans mourn their dead as well, and long to be reunited with their loved ones in a still divided Korea. Among young and old alike, there is growing interest in studying the war. Revisionist histories on the origins of the Korean War (such as Bruce Cumings's monumental two-volume The Origins of the Korean War) have made the subject popular among college students in the U.S. and Korea, as well as furthered our understanding of the changing international relations on the Pacific Rim. This Historical Dictionary will be very useful as a supplementary text in undergraduate history courses dealing with Korea, relations between the U.S. and Asia, and, of course, the war itself. It could also be used for classroom discussion on such topics as the role of Douglas MacArthur , the U.S. response to the North Korean invasion of South Korea, and Chinese military intervention. Students can use this book as a research tool to write papers on a variety of topics...