5 July 1950. I highly recommend this book to anyone due to Mr. Fehrenbachs gripping story-telling ability. A must read.Hastings, Max. The Korean War. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. Mr. Hastings has written several books on the Korean War. The Korean War as his other works are extensively researched from surviving participants and archival sources. This book begins with a prologue about Task Force Smith, and describes the tone that was set for the entire war. I will use this book as a resource into the lessons learned as a result of Task Force Smith. This book is extensive but makes boring reading. I recommend The Korean War only for the serious enthusiast of the Korean War. Dvorchak, Robert J. Battle for Korea. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Combined Books, 1997. This work is general but objectively written about the entire Korean War. It is a credible source for strategic and operational knowledge concerning the events leading to Task Force Smiths deployment. I will use this source as template for the strategic and operational setting during the outbreak of the Korean War. It differs from my other sources in that it gives a combined arms overview. I recommend this book to any military professional due to its extensive photographs of combat during the Korean War. BOTTOM LINEDuring the battle at Taejon, Korea, 05 July 1950, the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, Task Force Smith, failed its mission due to its poor state of combat readiness and improper enemy analysis. ...
