The Koreas 2nd Edition

Excellent introduction to a better, richer understanding of the complex history and current setting of Korea. Armstrong is one of the most authoritative scholars on both North and South Korea and does a masterful job of covering a great deal of ground using clear, sometimes even graceful, language. I also like that Armstrong is unafraid to give readers a peek into his own firmly held beliefs, but that sort of inflection might rub some readers the wrong way (most likely, those who disagree with Armstrong).