Reviews for The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom

The average rating for The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-01-28 00:00:00 Christian Hannig I was on a kick of reading books about North Korea this year. This one will probably be the last for a while. While the others I read were a poignant memoir and a collection of personal stories pulled together for a journalist, Hidden People of North Korea reads more like an extended white paper or briefing document. It's interesting, and if you were going to be writing a paper about North Korea for a class, you'd definitely want to consult this book, especially for it's currency, but it's pretty dry. The arguments are also strangely personal at times. Not in the way that it would be unnatural for someone to dislike the Kim regime (who doesn't?), but there is a certain lack of remove that is weird, especially in a work that is based more on facts than personal experience. If you want personal stories, check out The Aquariums of Pyongyang or Nothing to Envy .

Review # 2 was written on 2018-09-19 00:00:00 Robin Mathews This book is a better introductory book to North Korea and the Kim Dynasty than other books I've read, but it's also a bit duller than the other books I've read. Unfortunately, it was published in 2009, which actually makes it pretty outdated. I would still recommend it for true beginners who want a general overview of the country.