'This is a valuable book. Jerome Sauvage does not recycle the usual stale information on North Korea but offers fresh ground truth, with eye-witness accounts of key meetings, of the mourning for Kim Jong Il, of the complexities of dealing with North Koreans, and of myriad details of everyday life.'

John Everard, Former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to North Korea, UK

''Sauvage has produced a wonderful book. It is rich in detail and nuance, highly supportive of the North Korean people and their daily struggles, but which pulls no punches regarding the political realities of the country. Both fascinating and accessible, but also poignant, this book is well worth a read for the general reader interested to learn more about life in the North and the analyst looking to see the country from a new angle.

Peter Ward, Sejong Institute, Republic of Korea