Act of War

October 7, 2013
In 1968 North Korea seized an American intelligence-gathering ship, the U.S.S. Pueblo, in international waters. Journalist Cheevers combines interviews with recently released government documents to tell the story of a slipshod operation that nearly led to the crew’s execution and a return to war footing with Korea. The Pueblo was meant to be unobtrusive, but the shabby, virtually unarmed cargo ship was packed with top-secret code machines and documents; dispatched to international waters off North Korea’s coast without the North Korean government’s knowledge and no more protection than “the centuries-old body of law and custom that guaranteed free passage on the high seas.” When the Pueblo was intercepted the commander prudently surrendered. The Johnson administration, concerned about “reactions in the court of public opinion,” merely mounted a diplomatic reply to this act of war. Meanwhile, the captured sailors were brutalized into signing an admission of spying—a “handy pretext to shoot them all.” Pyongyang demanded an unconditional apology, which the U.S. eventually signed, though that apology had been “prerepudiated”—disavowed in advance. The ship remains in North Korean hands; the released crew was eventually recognized as prisoners of war. Cheever’s account of “false assumptions, negligent planning..., excessive risk taking” is a useful reminder in today’s world of surveillance and diplomatic brinksmanship.

October 15, 2013
Readers who assume that North Korea's reputation as an international nut case is a recent development must read this painful account of its 1968 seizure of the USS Pueblo and abuse of its crew. Former Los Angeles Times political reporter Cheevers has done meticulous research, including tracking down survivors of this half-forgotten outrage that made headlines at the time. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union stationed eavesdropping ships in international waters off each other's coasts. Both observed a gentleman's agreement to keep hands off, a sensible policy since a nation who attacked an enemy spy ship could expect retaliation on one of its own. Ignoring the fact North Korea had no spy ships was the first of many American blunders. As a vessel, the Pueblo was slow, feebly armed, and crammed with secret machines, manuals and documents. Suddenly attacked by multiple North Korean ships, the crew's frantic efforts destroyed only a fraction of this material, resulting in an intelligence bonanza for the captors. Then, the North Koreans tortured and brutally beat the prisoners. They were starved, refused medical care, forced to sign bizarre confessions, filmed and paraded in public. Emaciated and sick, the men returned after a year of maddening negotiations. They were acclaimed national heroes: a godsend that prevented the Navy from court martialing the captain and his staff for surrendering. "As we unleash spies and covert operations against a growing list of twenty-first-century adversaries," writes Cheevers, "we'd do well to remember the painful lessons of the Pueblo. Although the crew behaved reasonably well under terrible conditions, this is a story where dimwits and villains dominate, and Cheevers does a fine job of rescuing from obscurity a painful Cold War debacle.

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Starred review from November 15, 2013

While spying off the coast of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast in 1968, the U.S.S. Pueblo, an aging and poorly equipped naval intelligence ship, was seized by North Korean forces. Cheevers supports the contention that the ship was still in international waters. One sailor died in the fight, and the rest of the crew were imprisoned for 11 months. Cheevers (former political reporter, Los Angeles Times) paints a vivid picture of the harrowing experiences the sailors faced before, during, and after their stint in a North Korean prison. Unlike the memoirs of Pueblo captain Lloyd M. Bucher (Bucher: My Story, with Mark Rascovich) and Edward R. Murphy Jr. (Second in Command, with Curt Gentry), Cheevers includes perspectives of multiple survivors as well as various military and government officials who were involved (Cheevers did interview Bucher before his death in 2004 and is sympathetic to Bucher's position). The author's access to personal interviews, large amounts of government documents, as well as news reports on the incident, allows readers to experience this event from the Pueblo's viewpoint and beyond. VERDICT Readers who appreciate intense accounts of survival against difficult circumstances will find this book enthralling. Those interested in naval history and the history of U.S.-North Korean relations will also enjoy it. It deserves a wide audience.--Joshua Wallace, South Texas Coll. Lib., McAllen

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2013
In January 1968, the USS Pueblo was engaged in electronic surveillance off the coast of North Korea. Apparently, the ship remained in international waters, but the government of North Korea still instructed a gunboat to attack and board the Pueblo and seize the crew. For the crewmen, what followed was an 11-month ordeal that included severe beatings and forced confessions. For the Johnson administration and the American public, it was an ongoing national humiliation that allowed some politicians, including Richard Nixon, to exploit fears about American weakness. Reporter Cheevers uses interviews with crewmen, and former members of the Johnson administration, as well as newly available government documents, to provide a tense, absorbing, and timely account of the episode. At the heart of the narrative is the Pueblo's captain, Lloyd Bucher, who behaved bravely in captivity, determined to guarantee the survival of his men. Figures in the U.S. government are portrayed less heroically, and the North Koreans are described as terrifyingly thuggish and paranoid. This is an outstanding and necessary recounting of an affair that should remind us how dangerous the regime of North Korea remains.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)