A very informative crash course on modern Korean history. I knew the basics, but wanted a book that goes into further detail, yet was still accessible for any reader. I've seen a few other Korean history books out there, but they seemed to be geared towards a more academic audience. This book did a great job at clearly explaining what happened, why it happened and gave some interesting perspectives from both Koreas. The authors' unique experiences are highlighted throughout. And what I found really useful and fascinating was the last chapter that laid out the different historical approaches to reunification, how it might work and what the impact would be. 

I wish I could rate this even higher, but the writing quality really needed another review. In some places, it becomes far too informal for a book like this. Lots of uses of "though" at the end of sentences. It was quite jarring. With some better editing I probably would have given this 4.5 stars, it was such a valuable read for me, but I'll leave it at 4 stars.