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Book description

An expert on North Korea sheds new light on the enigmatic tyrant

From his goose-stepping military parades to his clownish macho swagger, North Korea's Kim Jong-il is an odd amalgam of political cartoon and global menace. In charge of a nuclear arsenal he's threatened to use against the U. S. and Japan, the man, his motives, and the mechanisms of his absolute control over a country of twenty-three million people remains shrouded in mystery.

In this second edition of his bestselling Kim Jong-il, Michael Breen, a leading expert on North Korea, dispels common myths and fallacies about the so-called "Dear Leader," while turning a spotlight on the man to reveal his true nature and the nature of his hold over a country ravaged by poverty and famine.

• Looks at Kim from a broad perspective, unlike most other books that cater exclusively to those interested in policymaking and international relations
• Features new information about succession plans, as well as the latest scoop on the mounting pressure among world leaders to thwart North Korea's nuclear ambitions
• Illustrated with rare photographs of Kim and his regime

Highly accessible and suitable for anyone interested in learning more about North Korea, it's government, and its leader, Kim Jong-il unravels the mysteries, the myths, and the fallacies about the man in charge in ways that will entice even the harshest critics.

MICHAEL BREEN lives in Seoul and is one of the best-known commentators on Korean issues. He arrived in South Korea in 1982 as a journalist, covering both North and South Korea for several newspapers before giving up journalism to become a management consultant advising companies dealing with the communist state. His business now focuses on South Korea although he continues to write columns and commentaries on both countries. He is the author of The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies.