Although it has been largely neglected, the Korean War served as the backdrop for many
firsts
in military history: the first extensive use of the helicopter, the first battles between jet aircraft, and the first time two world powers - the United States and China - met on a battlefield since World War II. A 1953 armistice halted the fighting, yet the war technically continues today, as North and South Korea remain divided. This comprehensive reference work draws from previously secret information found in Russian and Chinese archives as well as numerous primary source documents. It includes more than 600 A-to-Z entries written by over 100 military and civilian experts. The entries are carefully written to convey information about the war from the perspectives of both the United States and Korea, giving readers a balanced and comprehensive overview of this war.