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Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea

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Book details

  1. Print length
    398 pages

    Print length: 398 pages

    The estimated length is calculated using the number of page turns on a Kindle, using settings to closely represent a physical book.
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    June 17, 2020
  5. File size
    20.6 MB
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    Word Wise: Enabled

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Book overview

In 1871, five ships of the United States Asiatic Fleet headed into Korean waters, intent on establishing relations with Korea, a country that had shunned the outside world for centuries. However, as the country had been in conflict with Western countries just five years earlier, it was going to be no easy task but one full of dangers.

The Koreans, who were steadfast and unwilling to compromise the safety of their country, saw the people of the “Flowery Flag Country” as interlopers coming to cause trouble like those before them. No matter what it took, they would resist to the last man. No quarter was expected and none would be given.

Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea is a historical account of what took place during the spring of 1871 between the forces of the United States and Korea. It recounts the story from when the Americans first met curious villagers, and then mysterious Korean government officials, leading to the first big cultural misunderstanding between the two countries, which led to a very hostile interaction that reverberates up to the present day.

Dr. Thomas Duvernay, who has researched the event for decades, narrates this exciting story, which includes not only the descriptions of the battles fought but also insights into the people, weapons, and strategies that shaped American-Korean relations for generations. There are others who have written about it, but none have seen it as closely as Dr. Duvernay.

About the author

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Thomas Duvernay
Thomas Duvernay
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Thomas Duvernay has a doctorate in Korean studies and is a professor at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, Korea, where he teaches Korean history and English. His main historical focus is on the late Joseon dynasty of Korea, with an emphasis on the 1871 military action between the United States and Korea, which he has been researching since the mid-1990s. He campaigned for years for the return of the Korean general’s flag that was captured by U.S. naval forces in the action, and was housed at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum until it was returned in 2007. Besides writing about the 1871 action in many journal articles, he is also the author of a book on Korean traditional archery, which he has practiced since 1993. He has lived in Korea with his family since 1989, after first living in the country in 1984. His wife, Moon-ok Lee, is a Korean high school English teacher, and his son, Nick, is a PhD professor at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

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Product information

ASIN B08BF9J9HB
Publisher Seoul Selection
Publication date June 17, 2020
Accessibility Learn more
Language ‎English
File size 20.6 MB
Screen Reader Supported
Enhanced typesetting Enabled

Enhanced typesetting: Enabled

Enhanced typesetting improvements offer faster reading with less eye strain and beautiful page layouts, even at larger font sizes.
X-Ray Not Enabled
Word Wise Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled

Word Wise helps you read harder books by explaining the most challenging words in the book.
Print length 398 pages

Print length: 398 pages

The estimated length is calculated using the number of page turns on a Kindle, using settings to closely represent a physical book.
ISBN-13 978-1624121371
Page Flip Enabled

Page Flip: Enabled

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jarrett Robinson
    5 out of 5 stars
    Verified Purchase

    Detailed and well written study of the 1871 Conflict

    Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2020
    Format: Kindle

    This is a finely detailed work on the incidents surrounding the 1871 US-Korea Conflict. This book provides all you would ever want to know about the fight, the participants, and the weaponry. Wonderful history. I highly recommend it to those seeking to better understand the beginnings of US/Korean Relations.

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  • Jeffrey Miller
    4 out of 5 stars
    Verified Purchase

    America's "First" Korean War

    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020
    Format: Kindle

    I thoroughly enjoyed this account of America's 1871 expedition to Korea and the conflict which took place. The author, who spent obviously spent much time researching this conflict, did a superb job shedding light on this incident which took place prior to the United States and Korea establishing diplomatic relations. My only criticism of the book is that it begins more like an encyclopedia breakdown of the conflict (weapons, tactics, and the like) when the real story, in my humble opinion, are the actual accounts of the conflict by the men who fought there. I think it would have been a much better work had the author described more details about events leading up to the conflict and then, describe the conflict, using these accounts and then, the author's obvious knowledge of the conflict and why things went the way they did. Not to take anything away from what the author has accomplished here, because there's a lot of important information contained in this book which would be of value for historians. However, I believe the book would read better had he focused on the incident the way I described earlier.

    3 people found this helpful
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  • William Mitchell
    5 out of 5 stars

    A definitive retelling 150 years in the making.

    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021
    Format: Paperback

    The Korean War might be America's "Forgotten War." But America's first conflict in Korea—the 1871 Expedition—has faded ever further into the mists of memory. Duvernay's book brings this short, sharp clash back into the light.

    The book is rich with remarkable people and remarkable events. You'll discover why Lieutenant Hugh McKee made his final, suicidal charge. You'll learn the secret told by a mysterious bullet. And you'll discover why one silken flag took 136 years to travel around the world.

    Time and time again, the thoroughness of Duvernay's research shines through. He brings the lives of his subjects back to life by capturing the mystery, danger, and drudgery servicemen endured on the unfamiliar shores of Korea. In doing so, he reveals some fascinating facts about the men who sailed to Korea. For instance, just how "American" were the American sailors on the 1871 expedition?

    Unlike every other work on the topic, Duvernay also gives a much-needed Korean perspective on the conflict. Korean leaders unknown to Western historians are given their deserved place in the spotlight. Even more importantly he reveals how friction between American assumptions and nuanced Korean politics heated an uneasy peace into an undeclared war.

    Best of all, Duvernay doesn't just dryly summarize diary entries and official reports as he recounts the final, climatic battle of the 1871 expedition. He quite literally follows the footsteps of the participants, using firsthand accounts and his battlefield archaeological work to solve the mysteries behind the 1871 battles. Duvernay has thoughtfully filled with book with dozens of maps, a much-needed addition that helps the reader follow the twists and turns of the chaotic fighting.

    If you want to truly understand the 1871 conflict in all its detail, "Sinmiyangyo" is well worth your time.

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  • Bryan Stubbles
    5 out of 5 stars

    Wonderful account of little-known conflict

    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
    Format: Kindle

    This is a fun little book about a rather obscure, yet important chapter in history: when the United States and Korea had a war in 1871. The book is as “fun” as any can be about bloodshed.

    The work describes the events, prelude, aftermath and weapons in great detail. Daily life in the US Navy and Marine Corps in 1871 is also described very well.

    This book (as far as I know) is the most extensive history written about the conflict and of course will serve as the springboard for future research.

    There is an appendix full of extra information, biographies and primary sources.

    The tome is well-illustrated by drawings, charts, maps and photographs.

    The most interesting part for me was the documentation of what would now be considered war crimes by the Americans.

    Beneath all the numbers, charts and details, the author’s passion for the topic simmers throughout.

    Highly recommended for anyone interested in history, Korea or military affairs.

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