Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader - North Korea and the Kim Dynasty

For anyone interested in North Korea, this is the book for you. The book starts by chronicling the history of modern day North Korea and the rise to power of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il. The second section of the book contains numerous interviews conducted by the author with North Korean defectors. From lowly workers at the bottom of society to the high officials in the North Korean system, this book paints a clear picture inside this elusive regime. The book culminates in a section regarding the present and further situation in North Korea, with detailed accounts on the young Kim children.

It's an absolutely fascinating read that even the casual reader will enjoy, and is an incredibly relevant read in today's world. Easily the most comprehensive book on North Korea available.

When I purchased this book, I thought that Mr. Martin would provide both history and analysis in ample amounts. Instead, I received history and testimony in ample quantities. This is not a bad thing and I found both to be thorough and engaging. I do, however, fault Mr. Martin for failing to synthesize and analyze the testimonials, both from himself and from defectors, which he provides.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive review of the life and inclinations of both Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-il and, through them, North Korea. The information provided by Mr. Martin is more than sufficient for the reader to engage in a personality analysis of the North Korean regime and formulate opinions on U.S. policy vis-a-vis the North.

Bradley Martin's "Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader" is absolutely outstanding. Simply put, this is everything you've ever wanted to know about the DPRK (and a lot of things you probably could have lived without knowing as well). The author presents the most detailed and objective (as objective as any individual can actually be) analysis of the Kim regime and North Korea that I have seen to date. To characterize Martin's scholarship as substantial would be a gross understatement. This is, from my perspective, the best and most comprehensive resource regarding North Korea currently available and should be required reading for anyone interested in the Hermit Kingdom.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough if you have an interest in learning about the background, history, and personalities of North Korea. Even though it's a few years old, the information Martin provided will explain much of what we see of North Korea and its behavior on the international stage today. IMHO, it is the standard general purpose reference on this country available to the layman reader.

Everyone here has pretty much covered what the book is about. But it's so well-referenced - more than 100 pages of endnotes. There seemed to still be some aspects of North Korean life Mr. Martin was unable to access, but it's about as good as any Westerner will likely be able to do. The Kims are generally portrayed as crazy in the media at large, particularly Kim Jong-il. The book illustrates how, while both men were and are very flawed, they seemed to know exactly what they were doing. One is left with the feeling Kim Jong-Il isn't going anywhere, but after that is anyone's guess.

Bradley Martin has done us all a great service with this essential book on North Korea. It effectively condenses the history of the DPRK in a way that doesn't intimidate a novice reader, but does not miss any of the important details. The interviews with North Korean defectors are widely varied and fascinating. I have read a number of books on North Korea, but this particular book is a must have. In fact, I have read it twice!

I only finished reading the book today.

Highly recommended non-fiction book for those wishing

to know a bit more about the country which Bush calls

the rogue regime.

Throughout the book I believe all arguements presented

by the author were very well supported and even the

guesses are made based on very convincing logic.

I've read other books on the same subject but nothing

so far is anywhere near as informative. Its hard to describe

how much background work the author must have done in order

to produce this book. Mr. Martin if you are reading this

I want you to know how much I look forward to your next

book.

Profiles of dictatorships are often memoirs of their victims or works of scholars with limited first-hand experience. Not so Bradley Martin's far-reaching profile of North Korea, which is probably unmatched in its variety of sources: numerous personal trips, exhaustively cross-checked defector accounts, and decades of research combine to form one of the few dense books on history and politics that might fairly qualify as a page-turner. A worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the Asia's security situation or economic future, especially since North Korea sits at the crossroads of major powers like China, South Korea, and Japan.

"Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader" is one of those books I knew that I should read, but was not quite ready to take on 800 plus pages of non-fiction.

That is until I started reading it. The knowledge and style of writing of the author has made what I expected to be another dull tome of non-fiction both fascinating and enjoyable.

I hope that Mr. Martin is planning a sequel. I will be standing in line.

David F. Canmpbell

An incredibly detailed study of North Korea today as told by a reporter who obviously has studied the subject in detail.

It was fasinating to read how a political system can so twist a society.

The only criticism, I would make is that many of the interviews could have been out out from the main book and put into the notes at the end as the book did tend to drag out a lot.

Using Brad's extensive, information-packed book as our textbook, my senior citizen class of quite worldly residents of the coast of Maine were captivated with the information. After the first week, four or five on them came up to me personally to say what a fascinating, excellent book I had chosen for their textbook.

The book written by Bradley K Martin gives a very comprehensive insight in the North Korean society and political system. Previously you had to rely on propaganda to learn about the whereabouts of the Dear Leader, in this book you will get an impression based on personal visits and interviews with defectors.

The writing style makes this book albeit its subject a page turner and thereby recommended highly, not only for North Korea junkies but for anyone interested in political systems and mass psychology.

"Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader" was fantastic. I've been interested in North Korea for several years, so I was excited to see the book. While I was initially intimidated by its size, Martin's witty, fluid voice and sharp insights kept me turning the pages, and it didn't take long to finish. I highly recommend to anyone interested in learning about the Kims and North Korea.

North Korea is a fascinating and frustrating country. If you don't believe me, ask the CIA and the International Atomic Energy Agency about the frustrating part.

I belive no author will give you a better and clearer picture of North Korea than Bradley Martin. It is first-hand information and whatever preconcieved ideas you may have had about the DPRK, the author will give you new perspectives. Excellent, excellent read.

This book provides exceptional insight into the isolated country of North Korea. With his objective approach, Bradley combines factual data, interviews with North Koreans and descriptions of his own personal accounts to show the world a detailed look into this mysterious country. A must read!

"Oh.... Damn!" The words are mine, uttered not five minutes ago, when I

got to page 705. I simply could not put the book down and was wholly

unprepared for it to end. I believe I may already be experiencing

withdrawal symptoms.

I don't have a background in Korean studies, and fortunately, this book

doesn't presume any. I appreciated its accessibility to lay readers

like me. I've always been fascinated by North Korea and was glad

finally to come across something with more heft than a newspaper

article, but that didn't require a working knowledge of the Korean

language.

Bravo on a job very well done. I can't wait for the sequel.

This is the most comprehensive and insightful book about North Korea currently in the market. Martin has extensively researched and traveled the country. If you've been there, or you'd like to take a trip from the comfort of your armchair, Martin's book is the way to go.

This is an excellent book but I would first read "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea" and "The Aquariums of Pyongyang" before tackling this one. While serving in the U.S. Army in the Republic of Korea, I developed a fascination for learning about North Korea. This book should especially be required reading for "liberals" who "care about human rights blah blah blah" because I don't hear any of them complaining about this place and demanding regime change. The author is thorough and objective but does not go out of his way to attack N. Korea needlessly. Pondering the "good qualities" of North Korea is like asking, "Other than THAT Mrs. Lincoln- how did you enjoy the play?" It boggles my mind that the world stands by and does nothing while this pissant country develops nuclear weapons, sends hundreds of thousands of its citizens to concentration camps, gasses them, starves them, kidnaps foreign nationals, assasinates people, and then blackmails the world with threats. I think the key to understanding this country is to understand the criminal mind. A true criminal sees him or herself as the victim and everyone else as the aggressor. This is how this country operates and I think it is why the left will not take a hard line against it. What is more troubling to me and what I wish the author would have delved into more is the line between perpetrator and victim in this society. Obviously, a police state cannot function without the willing participation of a large number of people. How it is that human beings can be some cruel to one another for no good reason is the real question. This book also does a good job of exposing the bankruptcy of communism as an economic system and worldview. Communism, especially a la N. Korea is a religion without God and any doctrine original sin. Thank God we live in a free country.