For the first time, using original sources and his own reporting going back to 1972 when he met Kim Dae Jung at his home in Seoul, Donald Kirk explores the great untold story of modern Korean history. This book recounts the rise of Kim Dae Jung from an oppressed region of Korea, beginning with his schooldays, his activities in the Korean War and his entry into politics. The book addresses his populist politics, his ascent to the national stage and his encounters first with the dictators who tried to take his life and then had him tried and sentenced to death for the Kwangju revolt. The book...

This book investigates for the first time the parallels between two island appendages of much larger governments - Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island prefecture, in ferment over historic US bases; Jeju embroiled over a new South Korean naval base. The people of Okinawa and Jeju share a common fear of bloody conflict again erupting around them and suspect their governments would sacrifice their interests in a much larger war in a fight for regional control between the US, Japan, and China.

Stories of Adventures for Junior Teens

Donald Kirk will thrill and captivate kids and adults alike with his brilliant retelling of his own adventures in the late 1950s when life was simpler and kids could safely run free in the neighborhood. He wrote this book hoping today's kids could see that there are other things they can do besides video games and "the boob tube," if only they would choose to do so.

The book is a collection of humorous short stories that can stand alone, but are tied together by the same fascinating characters. Most involve the creative "projects" of the...