The Dead, the Dying and the Damned

The Dead, the Dying and the Damned has been recognized by the world's press as the definitive novel of the Korean War: the novel that had to be written about what is generally known as 'The Forgotten War'. It is the story of young British National Servicemen who fought in a war they never understood in a country with climatic conditions desperate enough to break the toughest of men, even before the Chinese hordes were let loose on them with the explosives of modern war. The Dead, the Dying and the damned looks at the war through the eyes of a young subaltern who has to battle against the ambitions of his commanding officer, as well as the enemy. The novel contains wide-ranging and fascinating characters, all with something to gain or lose in one of the most vicious wars of the twentieth century. Humour is also ever-present. The author served in Korea for a year and saw some of the fiercest fighting, during which he was awarded the Military Cross. His experiences inspired him to write a novel in order to let people know what the Korean veterans had been through before emerging triumphant when the war ended. In America the novel was published under the title 'Able Company', and for many years it has had a cult following with the critics not only praising it for the reality of its story, but the literary content. As the New Yorker said: "The battle scenes are perfect." In all, The Dead, the Dying and the Damned has sold over 3 million copies. It is now reissued for the first time.