Support Us
Five Books
 
Search
MENU MENU
  • Nonfiction
        • NONFICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NONFICTION 2023
        • BEST NONFICTION 2024
        • BEST BIOGRAPHIES
          • Historical Biographies
          • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
          • Philosophical Biographies
        • True Crime
        • History Books
          • World War 2
          • World History
          • American History
          • British History
          • Chinese History
          • Russian History
          • Ancient History (up to c. 500 AD)
          • Medieval History
          • Military History
        • Art
          • Art History
        • Travel Books
        • Essays
        • Philosophy Books
          • Ancient Philosophy
          • Contemporary Philosophy
          • Ethics & Moral Philosophy
          • Great Philosophers
          • Social & Political Philosophy
        • Classical Studies
        • Science
          • New Science Books
          • Astronomy
          • Biology
          • Chemistry
          • Maths & Statistics
          • Popular Science
          • Physics Books
        • Nature
        • Environmental Books
          • Climate Change Books
        • Language
          • How to Write
          • English Grammar & Usage
          • Books for Learning Languages
          • Linguistics
        • Politics & Society
          • Political Ideologies
          • Migration
          • War
          • Foreign Policy & International Relations
          • American Politics
          • British Politics
        • Religion
          • Theology
          • Buddhism
          • Christian
          • Islamic
          • Jewish
          • Religious History Books
        • Law
        • Psychology
          • Mental Health
          • Neuroscience
          • Self Help
          • Child Psychology
        • Music & Drama
          • Film & Cinema
          • Opera & Classical Music
        • Economics Books
          • Behavioural Economics
          • Development Economics
          • Economic History
          • Finance
          • Financial Crisis
          • World Economies
        • Business Books
          • Investing Books
        • Technology
          • Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
          • Data Science Books
          • Computing
        • Health & Lifestyle
          • Happiness
          • Sex & Sexuality
          • Death & Dying
          • Education
        • Food & Cooking
        • Sports, Games & Hobbies
  • Fiction & Literature
        • FICTION BOOKS
        • BEST NOVELS 2024
        • BEST FICTION 2023
        • Contemporary Fiction
          • New Literary Fiction
        • World Literature
        • Literary Criticism
        • Literary Figures
        • Classic English Literature
        • American Literature
        • Poetry
        • The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
        • Comics & Graphic Novels
        • Fairy Tales & Mythology
        • Historical Fiction
        • Horror
        • Humour
        • Crime Novels
        • Science Fiction
        • Short Stories
        • Romance
        • Thrillers
        • Mystery
        • Fantasy
  • World
        • Africa
          • Egypt
          • Ghana
          • Nigeria
          • Rwanda
          • South Africa
          • Zimbabwe
        • Americas
          • Latin America
            • Argentina
            • Brazil
            • Caribbean
            • Chile
            • Cuba
            • Mexico
          • United States
          • Canada
        • Arctic & Antarctica
        • Asia
          • Afghanistan
          • Bangladesh
          • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
          • China
          • India
          • Japan
          • Kazakhstan
          • Korea
          • Pakistan
          • Sri Lanka
          • Singapore
          • Vietnam
        • Australia
        • Europe
          • Azerbaijan
          • Belgium
          • Britain
          • France
          • Georgia
          • Germany
          • Greece
          • Ireland
          • Italy
          • Netherlands
          • Norway
          • Russia
          • Spain
          • Ukraine
        • Middle East
          • Iran
          • Iraq
          • Israel
          • Palestine
          • Syria
          • Turkey
          • Yemen
  • Kids
        • Kids Recommend Books for Kids
        • High School Teachers Recommendations
        • Prizewinning Kids' Books
        • Popular Series Books for Kids
        • BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS (ALL AGES)
        • Books for Toddlers and Babies
        • Books for Preschoolers
        • Books for Kids Age 6-8
        • Books for Kids Age 9-12
        • Books for Teens and Young Adults
        • THE BEST SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS
        • BEST KIDS' BOOKS OF 2024
        • BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS OF 2024
        • Best Audiobooks for Kids
        • History
        • Economics
        • Environment
        • Mental Health
  • Best Books of 2024
        • Best Books for Teens of 2024
        • Best Kids' Books of 2024
        • Best Novels of 2024
          • Historical Fiction
          • Science Fiction
          • Fantasy
          • Mystery & Crime
          • Romance
        • Best Nonfiction of 2024
          • Travel Writing
  • New Books
    • NEW BOOKS
    • New History Books
    • New Literary Fiction
    • New Historical Fiction
    • New Biography
    • New Memoirs
    • New World Literature
    • New Economics Books
    • New Climate Books
    • New Math Books
    • New Science Books
    • New Philosophy Books
    • New Psychology Books
    • New Physics Books
  • Audiobooks
    • THE BEST AUDIOBOOKS
    • Actors Read Great Books
    • Best Audiobooks for Kids
    • Books Narrated by Their Authors
    • Best Audiobook Thrillers
    • Best History Audiobooks
  • Book Awards
    • Nobel Literature Prize
    • Booker Prize (fiction)
    • Baillie Gifford Prize (nonfiction)
    • Financial Times (nonfiction)
    • Wolfson Prize (history)
    • Royal Society (science)
    • NBCC Awards (biography & memoir)
    • Pushkin House Prize (Russia)
    • Walter Scott Prize (historical fiction)
    • Arthur C Clarke Prize (sci fi)
    • The Hugos (sci fi & fantasy)
    • Audie Awards (audiobooks)
    • Wilbur Smith Prize (adventure)
  • Experts

World » Asia » Korea » North Korea

Browse book recommendations:

Korea

  • North Korea

Asia

  • Afghanistan
  • Azerbaijan
  • China
  • Georgia
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Korea
  • Middle East
  • Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
  • Pakistan
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
  • Vietnam

World

  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Arctic & Antarctica
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Cities
  • Europe

North Korea

Last updated: July 27, 2023

North Korea is, arguably, the last totalitarian state on earth. It still adheres to a Communist ideology that most other formal Leninist states have abandoned in practice. North Korea expert Andrei Lankov talks about the country from a historical perspective, in particular looking at how North Korea’s totalitarian system ensures that there is little opposition, not just because it cannot be organised, but because many people in the country are so shut off from the outside world that they simply don’t know how bad things are. He also explores the historical roots of Korea’s political system and its quasi-feudal nature.

Author and activist Hyeonseo Lee, who defected from North Korea, looks at the country through her own experience growing up there. She talks about the extreme poverty in the country and its lack of political and human rights, pointing out that it was really only when she left, first to China and then to South Korea, that she was able to start understanding the enormity of the country’s social and political systems.

Elsewhere Odd Arne Westad looks at the long history of Korea-China relations and argues that if you can understand them, you can better understand China’s approach to international relations more generally.

Award-winning historian Bruce Cumings talks about the misconceptions many people still hold about the Korean War (1950-1953), and how they distort our understanding of the current North Korean regime.

    The best books on North Korea, recommended by Hyeonseo Lee

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick

    1

    Nothing to Envy
    by Barbara Demick

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - North Korea Confidential by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson

    2

    North Korea Confidential
    by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader by Michael Breen

    3

    Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader
    by Michael Breen

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - The Invitation-Only Zone by Robert S. Boynton

    4

    The Invitation-Only Zone
    by Robert S. Boynton

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - North Korea: State of Paranoia by Paul French

    5

    North Korea: State of Paranoia
    by Paul French

  • Kim Jong-un's posturing over nuclear weapons is a distraction from more pressing concerns: the extreme poverty and disenfranchisement of his people, says North Korean defector Hyeonseo Lee.  She chooses five books for understanding the hermit kingdom.

  • The best books on North Korea - Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
  • The best books on North Korea - North Korea Confidential by Daniel Tudor & James Pearson
  • The best books on North Korea - Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader by Michael Breen
  • The best books on North Korea - The Invitation-Only Zone by Robert S. Boynton
  • The best books on North Korea - North Korea: State of Paranoia by Paul French

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Hyeonseo Lee

Kim Jong-un’s posturing over nuclear weapons is a distraction from more pressing concerns: the extreme poverty and disenfranchisement of his people, says North Korean defector Hyeonseo Lee.  She chooses five books for understanding the hermit kingdom.

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Hyeonseo Lee

    The best books on The Korean War, recommended by Bruce Cumings

  • Read
    The best books on The Korean War - Korea by John Merrill

    1

    Korea
    by John Merrill

  • Read
    The best books on The Korean War - Selling the Korean War by Steven Casey

    2

    Selling the Korean War
    by Steven Casey

  • Read
    The best books on The Korean War - War Trash by Ha Jin

    3

    War Trash
    by Ha Jin

  • Read
    The best books on The Korean War - Korea: The War Before Vietnam by Callum MacDonald

    4

    Korea: The War Before Vietnam
    by Callum MacDonald

  • Read
    The best books on The Korean War - The Hidden History of the Korean War by I.F. Stone

    5

    The Hidden History of the Korean War
    by I.F. Stone

  • Before Vietnam, America fought in the Korean War—but its role in that conflict has been far less examined. Award-winning historian Bruce Cumings talks about the misconceptions many people still hold, and how they distort our understanding of the current North Korean regime.

  • The best books on The Korean War - Korea by John Merrill
  • The best books on The Korean War - Selling the Korean War by Steven Casey
  • The best books on The Korean War - War Trash by Ha Jin
  • The best books on The Korean War - Korea: The War Before Vietnam by Callum MacDonald
  • The best books on The Korean War - The Hidden History of the Korean War by I.F. Stone

The best books on The Korean War, recommended by Bruce Cumings

Before Vietnam, America fought in the Korean War—but its role in that conflict has been far less examined. Award-winning historian Bruce Cumings talks about the misconceptions many people still hold, and how they distort our understanding of the current North Korean regime.

The best books on The Korean War, recommended by Bruce Cumings

    The best books on North Korea, recommended by Andrei Lankov

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader by Bradley K. Martin

    1

    Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader
    by Bradley K. Martin

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - The End of North Korea by Nicholas Eberstadt

    2

    The End of North Korea
    by Nicholas Eberstadt

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - The Guerilla Dynasty by Adrian Buzo

    3

    The Guerilla Dynasty
    by Adrian Buzo

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot

    4

    Aquariums of Pyongyang
    by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot

  • Read
    The best books on North Korea - Famine in North Korea by S Haggard

    5

    Famine in North Korea
    by S Haggard

  • North Korea expert, Andrei Lankov, says that although North Korea is a brutal dictatorship, many people nonetheless manage to lead relatively normal lives. He recommends the best books on North Korea. (NB You can buy all our expert recommendations on North Korea by clicking here.)

  • The best books on North Korea - Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader by Bradley K. Martin
  • The best books on North Korea - The End of North Korea by Nicholas Eberstadt
  • The best books on North Korea - The Guerilla Dynasty by Adrian Buzo
  • The best books on North Korea - Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot
  • The best books on North Korea - Famine in North Korea by S Haggard

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Andrei Lankov

North Korea expert, Andrei Lankov, says that although North Korea is a brutal dictatorship, many people nonetheless manage to lead relatively normal lives. He recommends the best books on North Korea. (NB You can buy all our expert recommendations on North Korea by clicking here.)

The best books on North Korea, recommended by Andrei Lankov

    The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad

  • Read
    The best books on China Korea Relations - Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History by Feng Zhang

    1

    Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History
    by Feng Zhang

  • Read
    The best books on China Korea Relations - Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan by Timothy Brook (ed.)

    2

    Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan
    by Timothy Brook (ed.)

  • Read
    The best books on China Korea Relations - The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea's Choson Dynasty by Choi Byonghyon

    3

    The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea's Choson Dynasty
    by Choi Byonghyon

  • Read
    The best books on China Korea Relations - Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910 by Kirk W. Larsen

    4

    Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910
    by Kirk W. Larsen

  • Read
    The best books on China Korea Relations - Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World by masuda hajimu

    5

    Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World
    by masuda hajimu

  • China has had close political and cultural relations with Korea for centuries and the history of that relationship can shed light on China's approach to international relations more broadly—including in its imperial past. Yale historian Odd Arne Westad recommends the best books on China, Korea and the relationship between them.

  • The best books on China Korea Relations - Chinese Hegemony: Grand Strategy and International Institutions in East Asian History by Feng Zhang
  • The best books on China Korea Relations - Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan by Timothy Brook (ed.)
  • The best books on China Korea Relations - The Annals of King T'aejo: Founder of Korea's Choson Dynasty by Choi Byonghyon
  • The best books on China Korea Relations - Tradition, Treaties, and Trade: Qing Imperialism and Choson Korea, 1850-1910 by Kirk W. Larsen
  • The best books on China Korea Relations - Cold War Crucible: The Korean Conflict and the Postwar World by masuda hajimu

The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad

China has had close political and cultural relations with Korea for centuries and the history of that relationship can shed light on China’s approach to international relations more broadly—including in its imperial past. Yale historian Odd Arne Westad recommends the best books on China, Korea and the relationship between them.

The best books on China Korea Relations, recommended by Odd Arne Westad

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

Newsletter Contact us Privacy Policy Terms of Service Mastodon Social

© Five Books 2025

Get our newsletter