There are countless Korean History courses, tutorials, articles available online, but for some, having a book is still a necessity to learn. This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
- Korean History in Maps: From Prehistory to the Twenty-First Century (2014)
- A History of Korea (Macmillan Essential Histories) (2016)
- A Concise History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present (2016)
- Sources of Korean Tradition, Vol. 1: From Early Times Through the 16th Century (Introduction to Asian Civilizations) (1996)
- Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist) (2017)
- The Korean War: A History (Modern Library Chronicles) (2011)
- The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture (2014)
- Korea: The Impossible Country: South Korea’s Amazing Rise from the Ashes: The Inside Story of an Economic, Political and Cultural Phenomenon (Revised & Expanded) (2018)
- Korean Americans: A Concise History (2019)
- This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History, Fiftieth Anniversary Edition (2001)
- The Girl with Seven Names (2016)
- A History of Korea (Palgrave Essential Histories) (2010)
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Korean History in Maps: From Prehistory to the Twenty-First Century (2014)
Korean History in Maps is a beautifully presented, full-color atlas covering all periods of Korean history from prehistoric times to the present day. It is the first atlas of its kind to be specifically designed for students in English-speaking countries.
A History of Korea (Macmillan Essential Histories) (2016)
Presenting the richness of Korean civilization from early state formation to the jarring transformations resulting in two distinctive trajectories of modern development, this book introduces the country’s major historical events, patterns, and debates. Organised both chronologically and thematically, it explore recurring themes such as Korean identity, external influence, and family and gender.
A Concise History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present (2016)
Now in a fully revised and updated edition, this comprehensive book surveys Korean history from Neolithic times to the present. Michael J. Seth explores the origins and development of Korean society, politics, and still little-known cultural heritage from their inception to the two Korean states of today.
Sources of Korean Tradition, Vol. 1: From Early Times Through the 16th Century (Introduction to Asian Civilizations) (1996)
Drawn from Peter H. Lee’s Sourcebook of Korean Civilization, Volume I, this abridged introductory collection offers students and general readers primary readings in the social, intellectual, and religious traditions of Korea from ancient times through the sixteenth century.
Pachinko (National Book Award Finalist) (2017)
“There could only be a few winners, and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones.” In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant–and that her lover is married–she refuses to be bought.
The Korean War: A History (Modern Library Chronicles) (2011)
A BRACING ACCOUNT OF A WAR THAT IS EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD, FORGOTTEN, OR WILLFULLY IGNORED For Americans, it was a discrete conflict lasting from 1950 to 1953. But for the Asian world the Korean War was a generations-long struggle that still haunts contemporary events. With access to new evidence and secret materials from both here and abroad, including an archive of captured North Korean documents, Bruce Cumings reveals the war as it was actually fought.
The Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture (2014)
A FRESH, FUNNY, UP-CLOSE LOOK AT HOW SOUTH KOREA REMADE ITSELF AS THE WORLD’S POP CULTURE POWERHOUSE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYBy now, everyone in the world knows the song “Gangnam Style” and Psy, an instantly recognizable star. But the song’s international popularity is no passing fad.
Korea: The Impossible Country: South Korea’s Amazing Rise from the Ashes: The Inside Story of an Economic, Political and Cultural Phenomenon (Revised & Expanded) (2018)
“Daniel Tudor covers all the important issues, yet does not simply tell the more familiar stories, but looks deeper and wider to give the full story of Korea today.” In just fifty years, South Korea has transformed itself from a failed state, ruined and partitioned by war and decades of colonial rule, into an economic powerhouse and a democracy that serves as a model for other countries. How was it able to achieve this with no natural resources and a tradition of authoritarian rule?
Korean Americans: A Concise History (2019)
Korean Americans: A Concise History tells the untold stories of the pioneering immigrants, the newly discovered tale of the first Koreatown USA, and about the first Korean aviator. The textbook conveys the Korean American experience by highlighting important moments, people, and incidents that defines this small community.
This Kind of War: The Classic Korean War History, Fiftieth Anniversary Edition (2001)
Selected for the 2019 Commandant's Professional Reading List Updated with maps, photographs, and battlefield diagrams, this special fiftieth anniversary edition of the classic history of the Korean War is a dramatic and hard-hitting account of the conflict written from the perspective of those who fought it.
The Girl with Seven Names (2016)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAn extraordinary insight into life under one of the world’s most ruthless and secretive dictatorships – and the story of one woman’s terrifying struggle to avoid capture/repatriation and guide her family to freedom.As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee was one of millions trapped by a secretive and brutal communist regime.
A History of Korea (Palgrave Essential Histories) (2010)
A concise, lively history of Korea, which explores the richness of Korean civilization from the ancient era through to the jarring transformation that resulted in two distinctive trajectories through the modern world. Chapters flow both chronologically and thematically, covering themes such as identity, gender and fami…
Best Korean History Books You Must Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some korean history books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
After the Korean War: An Intimate History
Author(s): Heonik Kwon
ID: 2974926, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Year: 2020, Size: 1 Mb, Format: epub
After the Korean War (Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare)
Author(s): Heonik Kwon
ID: 2974951, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Year: 2020, Size: 1 Mb, Format: epub
The Interrogation Rooms of the Korean War: The Untold History
Author(s): Monica Kim
ID: 2343787, Publisher: Princeton University Press, Year: 2019, Size: 15 Mb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not final. Some books are really record-breakers according to The Wall Street Journal, others are composed by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Leave a comment if you have any feedback on the list.