Only Beautiful, Please: A British Diplomat in North Korea
by John Everard
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This book, 'Only Beautiful, Please: A British Diplomat in North Korea' by John Everard, provides a first-hand account of life in North Korea through the eyes of a former British ambassador. It offers insights into the country's society, political regime, and economy from 2006 to 2008, a period marked by significant social and political challenges. The book is divided into four parts, exploring everyday life in North Korea, the experiences of foreigners, the historical and sociopolitical show more context of the DPRK, and the international community's approaches to dealing with the regime. Everard emphasizes the human aspect of North Korean society, countering common stereotypes, and argues that neither isolation nor engagement has effectively addressed the regime's challenges. This work is intended for readers interested in understanding North Korea's complex reality beyond its nuclear ambitions and political theatrics. show lessTags
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Although the writing was somewhat dry, anyone interested in North Korea would find this book fascinating. The author spent 2006 to 2008 there as the British ambassador, and seeks to tell, as well as he can, what daily life is like for the average North Korean. His reports were full of surprises. North Korean society is full of contradictions, I'll leave it at that.
I had read some books before by North Koreans, but they were all defectors, who can't really be called "average" representatives of that deeply troubled nation. I'm sure Mr. Everard's point of view is necessarily limited, but I still feel like I learned a great deal from him about ordinary life there, much more than I learned from the defectors' memoirs.
I might also add that show more he goes into the background of the Korean War and so on, so that even people who know nothing about it (which would include me) will not get lost. This book made me want to find out more about the Korean War.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic. show less
I had read some books before by North Koreans, but they were all defectors, who can't really be called "average" representatives of that deeply troubled nation. I'm sure Mr. Everard's point of view is necessarily limited, but I still feel like I learned a great deal from him about ordinary life there, much more than I learned from the defectors' memoirs.
I might also add that show more he goes into the background of the Korean War and so on, so that even people who know nothing about it (which would include me) will not get lost. This book made me want to find out more about the Korean War.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic. show less
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1 Work 40 Members
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Travel, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government, Biography & Memoir, Art & Design
- DDC/MDS
- 327.4105193092 — Society, government, & culture Political science International Relations: Spies Europe British Isles
- LCC
- DS932.4 .E94 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia Korea Democratic People's Republic, 1948-
- BISAC
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- Members
- 40
- Popularity
- 732,827
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.88)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 1
