Includes bibliographical references (p. 697-702) and index.

Glossary of military terms -- List of maps -- Note on military map symbols -- Introduction -- pt. 1. A warning at Unsan -- pt. 2. Bleak days : The In Min Gun drives south -- pt. 3. Washington goes to war -- pt. 4. The politics of two continents -- pt. 5. The last roll of the dice : the north Koreans push to Pusan -- pt. 6. MacArthur turns the tide : the Inchon landing -- pt. 7. Crossing the parallel and heading north -- pt. 8. The Chinese strike -- pt. 9. Learning to fight the Chinese : twin tunnels, Wonju, and Chipyongni -- pt. 10. The general and the president -- pt. 11. The consequences -- Epilogue -- Author's note -- Acknowledgments -- Afterword / Russell Baker -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

Pulitzer-winning historian Halberstam first decided to write this book more than thirty years ago and it took him nearly ten years. It stands as a lasting testament to its author, and to the fighting men whose heroism it chronicles. Halberstam gives us a full narrative of the political decisions and miscalculations on both sides, charting the disastrous path that led to the massive entry of Chinese forces near the Yalu, and that caught Douglas MacArthur and his soldiers by surprise. He provides vivid portraits of all the major figures--Eisenhower, Truman, Acheson, Kim, and Mao, and Generals MacArthur, Almond, and Ridgway. He also provides us with his trademark narrative journalism, chronicling the crucial battles with reportage of the highest order. At the heart of the book are the stories of the soldiers on the front lines who were left to deal with the consequences of the dangerous misjudgments and competing agendas of powerful men.--From publisher description.