So this book on the Korean war looks interesting

[JoeArthur]

Stumbled across this one which might be worth a read:

Hidden History of the Korean War - Monthly Review Press

Proxy wars, it seems, are more openly practiced than ever—and yet one of the worst of these was suppressed and “forgotten” even in its own time. At the...

monthlyreview.org

On sale at Amazon in the UK at the moment for £1.99:

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Tesgora]

Setting aside the allegations that the author of this book might have been a Soviet agent (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._F._Stone), it is best to seek recent history books (as opposed to reprints of old books). Recent history books generally will give you the most up-to-date information and views on what really happened.
I am far from an expert on the Korean War, but history books I have found informative on the subject include:
Bruce Cumings, The Korean War
https://www.amazon.com/Korean-War-History-Library-Chronicles/dp/081297896X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1I2QRBI02FVHQ&keywords=Bruce+Cuming+the+Korean+War&qid=1695326381&s=books&sprefix=bruce+cuming+the+korean+war,stripbooks-intl-ship,79&sr=1-1
A general introduction to the conflict.

Sheila Myoshi Jager. Brothers at War. The Unending Conflict in Korea.
https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-War-Unending-Conflict-Korea/dp/0393348857/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26DLEX7M9SUAA&keywords=Brothers+at+War.+The+Unending+Conflict+in+Korea.&qid=1695326688&s=books&sprefix=brothers+at+war.+the+unending+conflict+in+korea.,stripbooks-intl-ship,126&sr=1-1
An interesting Korean perspective on a conflict that is legally still going on.

Andrew Salmon, Scorched Earth, Black Snow. Britain and Australia in the Korean War
https://www.amazon.com/Scorched-Earth-Black-Snow-Australia/dp/1845136195
Military history of UK and AUS participation in the conflict.

Willian Johnston, A War of Patrols. Canadian Army Operations in Korea.
https://www.ubcpress.ca/a-war-of-patrols

 

[Michael R]

Tesgora; thanks for those recommendations.

 

[Tesgora]

Michael, you are welcome!

 

[Tesgora]

In all transparency, Bruce Cumings is also writing, like I.F. Stone, from a left perspective that blames in part the United States and South Korea for the outbreak of open warfare in the peninsula. But, at least, he is a recognized academic whose integrity has not been questioned. There are other histories of the diplomatic and strategic aspects of the Korean conflict written by US scholars. Willian Stueck’s Rethinking the Korean War (https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691118475/rethinking-the-korean-war ) would be a fine (non-left/revisionist) alternative to Cumings’s account. And for ASLers who like Osprey publications' mix of history and infographics there is a recent Korean war book by Carter Malkasian, The Korean War: 1950–53 (https://www.amazon.com/Korean-War-1950-53-Essential-Histories/dp/1472853172/ref=sr_1_12?crid=RM1KSVGA5YM9&keywords=the+korean+war&qid=1695333806&s=books&sprefix=The+Korea,stripbooks-intl-ship,112&sr=1-12

For those who really have the time, there are the two volumes by Allan R. Millet (https://www.amazon.com/War-Korea-1945-1950-Burning-Studies/dp/0700621091 and https://www.amazon.com/War-Korea-1950-1951-Modern-Studies/dp/0700617094/ref=d_pd_sbs_sccl_2_1/137-7400905-2489453?pd_rd_w=etdIr&content-id=amzn1.sym.83180963-0377-46ea-9aa4-1ece655ef63e&pf_rd_p=83180963-0377-46ea-9aa4-1ece655ef63e&pf_rd_r=8CVKHMJ15JJ786P0AN1M&pd_rd_wg=oIKFO&pd_rd_r=5e8d8cc8-b41a-42c6-9418-3be67a3f42c2&pd_rd_i=0700617094&psc=1 . His account is generally considered the standard against which others have to measure themselves.

From a narrow ASL perspective, of course, the military histories are more useful. I believe Salmon’s book has already been used for designing some KWASL scenarios. I am not aware of a similar use of Johnston’s book for the Canadian participation. As Johnston’s book title indicates, once the frontlines became fixed in Korea the war for the Canadians quickly settled into a war of patrols in the no man’s land. While this should provide material for ASL scenarios; I read this book such a long time ago that I can’t recall if the degree of detail was enough to flesh out scenarios out of it.

 

[pwashington]

I've got Millett's books in my reading shelf, but always wondered if there were going to be future volumes to cover the rest of the war. Not sure how active he is anymore.

 

[Tesgora]

I've got Millett's books in my reading shelf, but always wondered if there were going to be future volumes to cover the rest of the war. Not sure how active he is anymore.

You are correct. There is supposed to be a third volume to complete Millett's trilogy. The second volume was published in 2010 in hardcover (2021 in paperback). Millett is now 85; so that third volume is becoming more uncertain.