The Korean War (1950-53) began as a conflict between North Korea and South Korea and eventually involved the United States and nineteen other nations. An estimated three million people lost their lives during the war. For Americans who think that only GIs and their United Nations contingent comrades fought effectively, "The Korean War" will be a surprising introduction to the valour and sacrifice of the South Korean army. This comprehensive view of the war from the South Korean perspective has not been previously available in English translation. "The Korean War" comprises three volumes. Volume one examines the background of the war and sketches its development up to the intervention by Communist China. It carefully analyses North Korean war planning, South Korea's early defensive efforts, and the collective security measures taken by the United Nations. The volume summarises subsequent military operations, the defence along the Naktong Line, and the counteroffensive carried out in conjunction with the United Nations forces. "The Korean War" considers recently declassified documents as well as primary accounts by veterans. The Korean edition was prepared by Chae Han Kook, chief of the War History department of the Korea Institute of Military History; Chung Suk Kyun, senior researcher; and Yang Yong Cho, junior researcher. The volume was translated into English by Yang Hee Wan and Lim Won Hyok of the Korea Military Academy and revised by Thomas Lee Sims, Laura Marie Sims, and Kim Chong Gu. Introducer Allan R. Millett, Mason Professor of Military History at Ohio State University, is the author or editor of many works, including "A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War, 1937-1945".