Book Review – Larry Bond’s “Red Phoenix”
Recently I finished reading Larry Bond‘s Red Phoenix, a military novel depicting the outbreak of open war on the Korean Peninsula. The war involves North Korea crossing the demilitarized zone and attacking the South Korean and American military forces stationed throughout South Korea.
First published in 1989, the action in Red Phoenix takes place in that same time period. Naturally, when reading the book today, you have to remember which types of weapons were available back then as a lot of technology has changed throughout the military.
Larry Bond — Red Phoenix
Red Phoenix begins with the discovery of a North Korean tunnel passing underneath the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and reaching into South Korea. To the surprise of the Americans and South Koreans, this tunnel is one of the largest ones yet. The tunnel itself is as wide as a road, and numerous tanks and other army vehicles are being stored there.
It’s thought that the vehicles are being positioned for an invasion of the south. Before the soldiers can investigate too much, the forces encounter a patrol of North Koreans. There’s a brief but bloody gun battle as the two sides engage each other. The South Koreans scramble to wire demolitions to the tanks and vehicles just as a larger company of North Koreans attacks them again. It’s a quick dash back to the surface before the explosives are detonated, destroying the vehicles, the tunnel, and all of the North Koreans still underground.
Although the North Korean vehicles were unable to be captured, the message of discovering them was still clear —— North Korea is planning on invading South Korea, and the invasion may happen very soon.
That’s just the action-packed introduction to Red Phoenix.
The first part of Red Phoenix is mostly politics as a U.S. Congressman schemes to gain political power by taking advantage of civil unrest and college students protesting throughout Seoul, South Korea. The protests are being instigated by North Korean spies, and the South Koreans deal with the protesters harshly. This only further motivates the U.S. Congressman to put political pressure on the U.S. President, and begin a withdraw of the U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea.
When it looks like the U.S. is beginning to remove its military forces from South Korean, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il launches an all-out war against South Korea. It’s viewed as a war of “liberation” for their fellow Koreans living south of the DMZ. North Korean terrorists strike at key targets throughout the south as the main brunt of the North Korean army rolls across the DMZ and attacks everything in sight.
The majority of Red Phoenix deals with the American and South Korean forces fighting a defensive war and being pushed back from one stronghold to another. The army desperately tries to hold on and buy time until much needed reinforcements and supplies can swing the battle in their favor.
The action in Red Phoenix also covers the skies as well as the seas. In the beginning of the war there’s more of a focus on the aerial battles as the U.S. Air Force patrols against North Korean air raids. The aircraft also conduct air-to-ground attacks against North Korean armored divisions. Later in the book the navy becomes more of a focus area as ships try to carry reinforcements to South Korea. The American ships have to fight back against gunboats, missile attacks, and both North Korean and Soviet submarines as well.
During the war, the North Koreans look to China and Russia for military aid. The Chinese refuse to help, but the Russians initially provide both brand new combat aircraft as well as Russian pilots to fly some of the missions. When the Russian pilots are discovered, evidence of them is presented at the United Nations and it’s used to stop the Russians from participating.
This doesn’t completely stop the Soviet Union as a rogue political officer orders a Soviet submarine to attack the American forces. It does so and is later destroyed, but its position is misreported. The Soviets then believe that the Americans instigated the encounter, and they respond by sending a Soviet fleet out to destroy part of the American battle group. Tensions are escalated until the Americans make a deal with the Chinese, and the Russians are forced to stand down. The rogue political officer then admits his errors, and he’s taken away and presumably executed.
The South Koreans and Americans ultimately receive their weapons and replacement soldiers, and they go on the offensive. The North Koreans are defeated and retreating back to their country when China gets involved with ending the fighting. The war officially ends and Chinese forces are used as peacekeepers.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Is Larry Bond’s Red Phoenix a good book?
Absolutely!
This is a fantastic war book that takes a realistic look at a conventional war in Korea (circa ~1990), and it captures the strategy and action from many angles. In Red Phoenix you’ll be reading along from many points-of-view from several different countries involved with the fighting.
My only fault with the book (apart from a few typos —- probably a publisher problem) is that at the end you’re itching for revenge. Red Phoenix probably could have doubled in length (the paperback version is a few pages south of 700) if the Americans and South Koreans were allowed to continue attacking the North Koreans and capture Pyongyang along with the two Kim leaders.
But that doesn’t happen.
Red Phoenix ends just as the Americans and South Koreans finally gain the upper hand with the ground war. The ending to the book is good, but there’s still that itch to continue the fight and to end the Korean War once and for all.
Fans of military fiction will feel right at home with Red Phoenix. If you’re familiar with military vehicles and weapons from the late 1980s, then you’ll do just fine with this book. There’s no doubt that Larry Bond’s Red Phoenix is well worth your time.
