An interpretative history of the Korean War. The text examines the war within the broader context of Korea's history, offering an analysis of the course of the war, and assessing the role of both North and South Korea and the allied forces in the conflict. The study goes beyond the battlefield, to evaluate the contribution of the UN naval forces and the impact of the war on the "homefront". Issues such as defectors, opposition to the war, POWs and the media are explored and original research concerning the war's origins and development is incorporated from Soviet archives. This work should prove to be of value to students and scholars of 20th-century history, particularly, those concerned with American and Pacific history.