The Farthest Valley: Escaping the Chinese Trap at Chosin Reservoir 1950

(Hardback)

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A history of the legendary extraction of the Fifth and Seventh Marines from a Chinese trap, told for the first time using Chinese sources. Knee-deep in snow, and under a leaden sky, American Marines thousands of miles from home watched more snow settle onto the frozen ground, glittering in the fading light. Suddenly, the still Korean night roared to life with the sound of Chinese mortar fire. The Fifth and Seventh Marine Regiments were besieged and surrounded by the Chinese 9th Army Group in a surprise attack at Chosin Reservoir in what is now North Korea. Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, defeat and death seemed guaranteed. Their improbable escape after a week of brutal combat required all the Marines' fighting skills and supreme combat leadership. It has become the stuff of legend and is brilliantly brought to life in this book through first-hand accounts by Joseph Wheelan, himself the son of a Chosin veteran. However, The Farthest Valley also uses Chinese military documents to give a unique perspective on Chinese strategic and tactical failings which allowed the Marines to escape. Without the Marines the entire United Nations core strength was at risk of collapse which would have changed the outcome of the Korean War. This is a two-part history of the Marines incredible tenacity and of woeful combat leadership as the Chinese gambled away their mens lives and ultimately victory.

Author Bio

Joseph Wheelan is the author of ten books about 19th- and 20th-century American history including Midnight in the Pacific (2017), Bloody Okinawa (2020) and Bitter Peleliu (2022). Previously, he was an editor and reporter for The Associated Press for 24 years. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.