The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat by Bob Drury, Tom Clavin

From the Publisher

From the bestselling authors of Halsey's Typhoon comes the true story of a Marine company's heroic last stand during America's "Forgotten War."

Publishers Weekly

The authors of the bestselling Halsey's Typhoon do a fine job recounting one brutal, small-unit action during the Korean War's darkest moment. In November 1950, as General MacArthur's troops were advancing deep into North Korea, China warned that it would intervene if armies approached its border. U.S. troops were scattered through mountainous terrain at the onset of a freezing winter. Using extensive interviews with survivors, the authors tell the story of one 234-man company ordered to secure a rocky promontory overlooking the legendary Chosin Reservoir. Abundant and detailed maps enable readers to track the vicious week-long battle almost minute by minute as the men fought off repeated assaults by overwhelming Chinese forces until another marine unit arrived to rescue the few survivors. The authors draw no great lessons from Fox Company's ordeal, but deliver a precise, technically accurate account of the fighting. Although aimed at military buffs, the closeup views of individual marines tested to their limits will engage any reader curious to learn how brave men fought a conventional 20th-century war. 100,000 announced first printing; 12-city author tour.(Jan.)

Library Journal

Drury and Clavin (coauthors, Halsey's Typhoon) provide a gripping, firsthand account of one U.S. Marine company's dramatic, bloody combat during the Korean War, taking listeners on a journey through the harrowing, life-and-death struggle that defined the battle. Michael Prichard's (How Doctors Think) solid narration respectfully conveys these soldiers' heroism in the face of impossible odds and heightens listener interest throughout this impressive work, which successfully communicates the realities of war. Similar in approach to Linda Granfield and Russell Freedman's I Remember Korea and sure to appeal to students of history, specifically those interested in the Korean War. [Audio clip available through www.tantor.com; the Atlantic Monthly hc was described as "a strong narrative of military valor against overwhelming odds," LJ 10/15/08.—Ed.]—Dale Farris, Groves, TX

Kirkus Reviews

Engaging account of an important, sometimes overlooked battle of the Korean War. Drury and Clavin (Halsey's Typhoon, 2007, etc.) have mined archival material and conducted extensive interviews with veterans who participated in the Battle of Fox Hill, during which a Marine rifle company held Chinese troops at bay for five days. Facing enemies who were better equipped in temperatures reaching 30 degrees below zero, the Marines fought south through the Toktong Pass in North Korea's Nangnim Mountains. The company's leader, Capt. William E. Barber, was shot and severely wounded in the leg; refusing to be evacuated, he commanded his troops from a stretcher and was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery. The authors are thorough, but they don't overwhelm readers with minutia in this riveting narrative, which combines drama, military strategy and human interest. They provide a palpable sense of place by including interesting background material, such as accounts by missionaries who explored the terrain in the 1600s. The book's best sections, however, paint vivid verbal pictures of the fighting: "A concussion grenade exploded in the slit trench and kicked [Pfc. Harrison] Pomers into the wall. Another bounced off his helmet and exploded just outside the trench, nearly knocking him out. He could move nothing but his left arm. He wiped his head, saw the blood on his left hand and, frantically reached for his helmet." This approach offers a fine example of historiography examining war at the micro level. Those looking for a big-picture treatment of the war should consult David Halberstam's masterful and elegantly written The Coldest Winter (2007). Drury and Clavin's prose, bycontrast, is rather pedestrian, but those who persevere will find the effort worthwhile. Substance trumps style in a book that will appeal to military history buffs and veterans. First printing of 100,000. Agent: Nat Sobel/Sobel Weber Associates

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