Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on
bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Lonely Planet Korea
by Andrew Bender
In its hallmark style, this practical guide to Korea by Lonely Planet features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With 50 pages on North Korea.
The Korean War, A History
by Bruce Cumings
Leading Korean War scholar Cumings covers the war from both the Korean and American perspectives, including its impact on Americans at home, in this succinct and authoritative text. An excellent resource for students, scholars and anyone wanting to understand the U.S.’s relationship with North and South Korea.
Eating Korea, Reports on a Culinary Renaissance
by Graham Holliday
Holliday (Eating Viet Nam, VNM177) continues his mouth-watering series of culinary reportage with this installment on Korea.
Lonely Planet Pocket Seoul
by Lonely Planet
A practical city guide to Seoul, South Korea that fits in your pocket, with the top sites, the best walks, food, art, shopping, views, nightlife and more. Includes pull out city map.
Korea, A Walk Through the Land of Miracles
by Simon Winchester
Winchester, in his familiar and engaging style, blends travel, history and reporting in this insightful account of a walk across Korea in 1988. With a map and black-and-white photographs.
Korea:The Impossible Country
by Daniel Tudor
Daniel Tudor is a journalist who has lived in and written about Korea for almost a decade. In this book he examines Korea's cultural foundations; the Korean character; the public sphere in politics, business, and the workplace as well as the family, dating, and marriage. Long overshadowed by Japan and China, South Korea is a small country that happens to be one of the great national success stories of the postwar period.
Korea's Place in the Sun, A Modern History
by Bruce Cumings
A provocative, spirited history of the two Koreas since World War II for the general reader, highly recommended. It includes a chapter on Korean-Americans, and ends with a lively discussion of Korea's place in the world at the end of the 20th century. New edition.
Without You, There Is No Us, My Time With the Sons of North Korea's Elite
by Suki Kim
In this stirring memoir, South Korean writer-journalist Suki Kim recounts her experiences teaching heartbreakingly brainwashed students at a North Korean university -- a censored, prison-like environment.