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Product Description
Review
“… excellent book…”(British Association for Korean Studies, July 2004)
"North Koreans are too often portrayed as hapless droids; Harrold peels back the last Iron Curtain to reveal their humanity." (Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2004)
“…sheds considering light…” (Far Eastern Economic Review, December 2004)
“..the most revealing glimpse yet of what passes for normal life in North Korea.” (Asian Wall Street Journal, 3rd September 2004)
Review
“… excellent book…”(British Association for Korean Studies, July 2004)
"North Koreans are too often portrayed as hapless droids; Harrold peels back the last Iron Curtain to reveal their humanity." (Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2004)
“…sheds considering light…” (Far Eastern Economic Review, December 2004)
“..the most revealing glimpse yet of what passes for normal life in North Korea.” (Asian Wall Street Journal, 3rd September 2004)
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First Sentence
In the summer of Juche 89, joy once again filled the Land of Morning Calm. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
In the summer of Juche 89, joy once again filled the Land of Morning Calm. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Michael Harrold spent seven years in North Korea as language advisor of English translations of Kim Il Sung's (the country's President) speeches. The book is an account of his experiences in North Korea.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book even though I found some of the scenes Harrold describes about life in North Korea quite depressing - it's just unimaginable that in this day and age people are forced to live like this. The other aspect of this book that shocked me in a way is the privileged existence Harrold leads in North Korea. One does get the impression that every other person he meets in North Korea is part of the upper class or caters to them. In his foreword he admits to changing the identities of several people as well as obscuring their involvement in particular incidents. Whilst this is prudent given the nature of North Korea's regime, it may diminish the added value of the book. Lastly, I am amazed that Harrold managed to bear North Korea for seven years. Given his description of his life there I would be thoroughly fed up with it within weeks. And he does describe one or two characters who experienced this problem.
If you liked this book you might also want to read Andrew Holloway's A year in Pyongyang - it is listed in Harrold's Bibliography - and `Report of an Envoy to Paradise' by Eric Cornell, which are both excellent.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book even though I found some of the scenes Harrold describes about life in North Korea quite depressing - it's just unimaginable that in this day and age people are forced to live like this. The other aspect of this book that shocked me in a way is the privileged existence Harrold leads in North Korea. One does get the impression that every other person he meets in North Korea is part of the upper class or caters to them. In his foreword he admits to changing the identities of several people as well as obscuring their involvement in particular incidents. Whilst this is prudent given the nature of North Korea's regime, it may diminish the added value of the book. Lastly, I am amazed that Harrold managed to bear North Korea for seven years. Given his description of his life there I would be thoroughly fed up with it within weeks. And he does describe one or two characters who experienced this problem.
If you liked this book you might also want to read Andrew Holloway's A year in Pyongyang - it is listed in Harrold's Bibliography - and `Report of an Envoy to Paradise' by Eric Cornell, which are both excellent.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Harrold emphasizes with a misunderstood population and we are given a telling portrayal of the lives of every day North Koreans. Often when we think of North Korea we think of its fear-provoking leaders and nuclear weapons programs. Through his experiences living in North Korea, Harrold introduces us to wonderful North Korean citizens whom we realise are not very different from ourselves.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Just a fantastic book, which gives you a clear insight into what it must have been like to work in North Korea. Although more like a diary, it gives the reader a detailed account of the day to day living in a country that has had little written about it. The author sometimes goes off the point, but this merely adds to the reading experience.
For anyone that is interested in the day to day living of a people that that we know little or nothing about it is a superb book!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Extremely thought-provoking, thoroughly recommended!
I must confess firstly that I picked up this book following recent international news coverage about the nuclear testing issue and the showing of TV images of what appeared to be... Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by P Gast
Disappointing -surely an opportunity lost
What was excellent opportunity to inform the reading public of life inside one of the last 'forbidden countries' has, for me, been a disappointment. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2004 by DJC
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