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Holding the Line
- Author
- Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrator
- Robert G Slade
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 30 April 2026
- Run Time
- 14 hours 51 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Naval and air power were crucial to the United Nations’ success in the Korean War, as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower. In what became known as the 'long hard slog', naval aviators sought to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground. USS Leyte (CV-32) operated off Korea in the Sea of Japan for a record 93 continuous days to support the Marines in their epic retreat out of North Korea, and was crucial in the battles of the spring and summer of 1951 in which the UN forces again battled to the 38th Parallel.
All of this was accomplished with a force that was in the midst of change, as jet aircraft altered the entire nature of naval aviation. This paperback edition of Holding the Line chronicles the carrier war in Korea from the first day of the war to the last, focusing on front-line combat, while also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Critics Review
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This book does make a very significant contribution to understanding the wider political perspective, whilst simultaneously giving a clear narrative of how the Korean campaign unfolded.
The Historian
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
- Narrator
- Robert G Slade
- Duration
- 14 hours 51 minutes
- Release Date
- 30 April 2026
- ISBN
- 9781472877352
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Military history: post-WW2 conflicts, Modern warfare, Battles / military campaigns, Air forces and warfare, Naval forces and warfare
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Holding the Line: The Naval Air Campaign In Korea by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, read by Robert G Slade.Naval and air power were crucial to the United Nations’ success in the Korean War, as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower. In what became known as the 'long hard slog', naval aviators sought to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground. USS Leyte (CV-32) operated off Korea in the Sea of Japan for a record 93 continuous days to support the Marines in their epic retreat out of North Korea, and was crucial in the battles of the spring and summer of 1951 in which the UN forces again battled to the 38th Parallel. All of this was accomplished with a force that was in the midst of change, as jet aircraft altered the entire nature of naval aviation. This paperback edition of Holding the Line chronicles the carrier war in Korea from the first day of the war to the last, focusing on front-line combat, while also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.
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