The Coldest Winter

The Korean War is often called "the forgotten war"—overshadowed by World War II before it and Vietnam after. Until reading The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam, I realized how little I truly understood it.

The book opened my eyes to the early optimism of the campaign, driven by tactical success but marred by overconfidence among military and political leaders. That arrogance came at a terrible cost—especially to the soldiers on the ground, who endured unimaginable suffering as the war dragged on.

What struck me most was how Halberstam balances high-level decisions with the brutal reality faced by ordinary troops. It's not just a military history—it’s a lesson in leadership, misjudgment, and resilience.

After finishing the book, I visited the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Seeing the steel soldiers etched against the backdrop of real memory was deeply moving—an experience made even more poignant by what I'd just read