The Final Crucible: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 2: 1953

by Lee Ballenger

Overview

The Final Crucible details the 1st Marine Division's harrowing close-quarters battles during the final seven months of the Korean War, January to July 1953. The terrible five-day Battle of the Nevada Cities in March and the Marines' bloody stand at Boulder City on the last day of the shooting war are just two of the engagements detailed here. This volume follows The Outpost War: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 1: 1952.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781574884722
Publisher:	Potomac Books
Publication date:	06/20/2002
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Lee Ballenger served in the 1st Marine Division's Reconnaissance Company and 1st Tank Battalion during the Korean War. His previous book is The Outpost War: U.S. Marines in Korea, Vol. 1: 1952 (Brassey's, Inc., 2000). He is a retired police officer living in southern California.

Editorial Reviews

"Like its companion, The Outpost War, this is a nearly indispensable Korean War history."—Booklist

Booklist

"A vivid, well-written, and accurately documented accounting of an abundance of Marine guts and a shortfall of warrior glory in a ‘forgotten war’ that should never have been fought."—Leatherneck

Leatherneck

"The official history . . .does not capture the human drama; Lee Ballenger does this in spades. Not only does he write well and keep the purely military context in balance, but he also writes his history through the eyes of those who made it."—U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings

U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings

"The official history . . .does not capture the human drama; Lee Ballenger does this in spades. Not only does he write well and keep the purely military context in balance, but he also writes his history through the eyes of those who made it."

"A vivid, well-written, and accurately documented accounting of an abundance of Marine guts and a shortfall of warrior glory in a ‘forgotten war’ that should never have been fought

"Like its companion, The Outpost War, this is a nearly indispensable Korean War history."

"Some of the best descriptive passages of small unit combat . . . A valuable contribution."

From the Publisher