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The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future

by Victor Cha
Save up to 29%
The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future - Thryft
The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future - Thryft

Insightful deep-dive into enigmatic North Korean state.

If you've ever found yourself captivated by the veiled narratives emerging from North Korea, Victor Cha's "The Impossible State" offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration. Its in-depth analysis is infused with personal anecdotes from Cha's experiences, giving you not just the facts but the feel of North Korean history, culture, and politics. Bearing witness to the complexities of this isolated nation from someone who's had real inside access makes for a read that's as enlightening as it is riveting.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future

by Victor Cha
Save up to 29%
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781847922366
Authors: Victor Cha
Publisher: Vintage
Date of Publication: 2012-08-16
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: History, Politics
Related Topics: Historical, Politics, World History, Asia, History, Political Science
Goodreads rating: 3.94
(rated by 1763 readers)

Description

Much discussed and often maligned, precious little is known or understood about North Korea, the world’s most controversial and isolated country. In The Impossible State, Victor Cha pulls back the curtain, providing an unprecedented insight into North Korea’s history, the rise of the Kim family dynasty, and the obsessive personality cult that surrounds them. He illuminates the repressive regime’s complex economy and culture, its appalling record of human-rights abuses, its belligerent relationship with its neighbors and the United States, and analyzes the regime’s major security issues – from the seemingly endless war with its southern counterpart to its terrifying nuclear ambitions – all in the light of the destabilizing effects of Kim Jong-il’s recent death. How has this enigmatic nation-state continued to survive when it regularly violates its own citizens’ inalienable rights and has suffered severe famine, global economic sanctions, a collapsed economy, and near-total isolation from the rest of the world? Cha reveals a land facing a pivotal and disquieting transition of power from a tyrannical father to an inexperienced son and delves into the ideology that leads an oppressed, starving populace to cling so fiercely to its failed leadership. With rare personal anecdotes from the author’s time in Pyongyang and his tenure as a White House adviser, this engagingly written, authoritative, and highly accessible account offers much-needed answers to the most pressing questions about North Korea and ultimately warns of a regime that might
 

Insightful deep-dive into enigmatic North Korean state.

If you've ever found yourself captivated by the veiled narratives emerging from North Korea, Victor Cha's "The Impossible State" offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration. Its in-depth analysis is infused with personal anecdotes from Cha's experiences, giving you not just the facts but the feel of North Korean history, culture, and politics. Bearing witness to the complexities of this isolated nation from someone who's had real inside access makes for a read that's as enlightening as it is riveting.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.