A Christmas Far from Home

October 15, 2014
By November 1950, General Douglas MacArthur was confident to the point of arrogance. His risky but brilliant invasion of Inchon had reversed the course of the Korean War, driving the North Koreans back into their own territory north of the 38th parallel. MacArthur predicted that U.S. troops would be home by Christmas, despite increasing evidence that Chinese troops were entering the war in force. His miscalculation would lead to a military disaster as thousands of American and UN troops were forced into a retreat under a Chinese onslaught during severe winter conditions. Weintraub, the award-winning historian, follows the unfolding setback on both the political and military track. He portrays MacArthur as ego-driven and politically ambitious; he surrounded himself with yes-men when he would have benefited from those advising caution. President Truman was, initially, too willing to accept MacArthur's assurances. The heroes in this account are the troops in the field who endured appalling conditions, maintained discipline, and staved off complete collapse.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)