Sergei N. Goncharov

Loved this book. Just the right amount of background, with historical narrative, biographical context and authorial analysis. I learned much about the 45-49 civil war in China, the North Korean / Russian background, but most especially the fascinating, complex evolution of the dance of Russian / Chinese interaction. Remarkable passages of Mao and Chou in Russia, left cooling their heels as critical decisions roll along. Ultimately one is left with the randomness and guesswork of the critical players - about how to act and react to the many changes. One sees - that - no matter what- Stalin would not be drawn into war with the us and yet, that approaches multiple times. Left a bit hanging once the war is properly off and launched (and china has been drawn in), leaving the reader wanting to the authors to finish this story.… (meer)