From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up–A collection of essays and periodical excerpts that discusses the situation within the country and its relationships within the world community. The book expounds on the reasons that North Korea is so often in the news. The introduction outlines the nation's history and its relationships with South Korea, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Primary sources include entries by Bok Ku Lee, George W. Bush, and John Bolton, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's announcement of its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003. Some of the essays include analysis. The majority of the selections lean toward a United States bias and a post-9/11 mentality, but perspectives that are critical of the United States are still evident, which results in a well-rounded, interesting collection of views. Illustration is limited to a couple of maps and one photo, but the index is detailed. A useful tool for debate and discussion.–Joel Bangilan, Houston Public Library, TX Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Reviewed with Iraq, edited by Debra A. Miller.Gr. 6-12. In each of these overviews in the World's Hot Spots series, a dozen-plus reprinted chapters, essays, editorials, position papers, speeches, and official statements analyze causes, courses, and implications of violent events in a present or future theater of war. Written, by and large, by foreign policy experts, the selections are all sourced and backed up by both a time line (through mid-2003) and extensive lists of Web and print resources. As nearly all were written in English and first published in the U.S., the views tend to be from the outside looking in, so readers won't get a truly balanced picture of most issues. But that doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of brisk give-and-take; for instance, dueling editorials in the volume on Iraq, taken from May 2003 issues of The National Review and The Nation, proclaim, respectively, a "great victory," and a "swindle." Though already dated by events, these dry but meaty studies will benefit readers with a serious interest in modern diplomacy's greatest challenges. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Each nation of the world has its own unique and compelling story. Greenhaven Press's History of Nations series tells these stories through the use of primary and secondary sources. Each anthology traces the history of a separate country from its earliest origins through all its birth pangs to its current status in the world. Invasions, revolutions, wars, and other social and political upheavals come to life in these fascinating volumes. The reader will witness the rise and fall of empires, the flowering of advanced cultures, and the havoc wreaked by natural and man-made cataclysms. Each volume begins with an in-depth introduction that supplies essential context. A substantial bibliography offers avenues for further research. A detailed chronology, an annotated table of contents, and a thorough index facilitate easy reference. With its broad scope and essential features, Greenhaven Press's History of Nations series is a useful resource for students of international history.

FROM THE CRITICS

School Library Journal