Pyongyang on the Brink
Sixteen Crises That Shaped North Korea
$41.86
- Hardcover
200 pages
- Release Date
25 June 2026
Summary
A briskly written primer on the North Korean decisions, foreign interventions and accidents of fate which have both threatened and, ultimately, preserved the country’s dictatorship.
This nimble tour through North Korea’s history revisits sixteen knife-edge moments when collapse, reform or war nearly shattered the Kim dynasty. Structured in four acts from the peninsula’s partition in 1945 to Kim Jong-un’s 2020 health scare each chapter reconstructs a crisis and asks, w…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781805266082 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 180526608X |
| Author: | Fyodor Tertitskiy |
| Publisher: | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |
| Imprint: | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 200 |
| Release Date: | 25 June 2026 |
| Weight: | 328g |
| Dimensions: | 28mm x 136mm x 198mm |
Critics Review
‘North Korea’s survival through decades of turmoil is an ongoing puzzle. In this thought-provoking new book, Fyodor Tertitskiy looks at the numerous crises the Kim regime has overcome—and asks what might bring it down.’
– Anna Fifield, Asia-Pacific Editor, The Washington Post, and author of The Great Successor‘A masterful and original exploration of North Korea’s past. Drawing on impressive archival research and incisive counterfactual analysis, Fyodor Tertitskiy reveals how crisis and contingency forged one of the world’s most enduring and enigmatic dictatorships.’
– Sheila Miyoshi Jager, Professor of East Asian Studies, Oberlin College, and author of The Other Great Game: The Opening of Korea and the Birth of Modern East Asia‘Ruled by the Kim family for seven decades, North Korea is one of the world’s most stable countries. Or is it? Drawing on his extensive knowledge, Tertitskiy provides a fascinating account of how North Korea could have collapsed—and how and why it was able to survive.’
– Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Professor of International Relations, King’s College London, and author of Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop‘Periods of crises and shock have moved the wheels of North Korean history, as Fyodor Tertitskiy expertly surveys in this must-read book. Careful historical appraisal, paired with compelling counterfactuals, makes this work an essential contribution to our understanding of North Korea.’
– Ankit Panda, author of Kim Jong Un and the BombFyodor Tertitskiy
Fyodor Tertitskiy researches North Korean political, social and military history from South Korea, where he has been living for more than a decade. He has authored several books in English and Korean, including Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung, and The North Korean Army.
Returns
This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.