SKU: 43688963082

A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power

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A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to PowerAn Amazon Best of The Year Nonfiction Selection Library Journal Top Ten Book of the Year The Extraordinary True Story of Kim Jong Il's kidnapping of the golden couple of South Korean Cinema, The Movies They Were Forced to Make, and Their Daring Escape. Before becoming the world's most notorious dictator, Kim Jong Il ran North Korea's Ministry for Propaganda and all its film studios. Underwhelmed by the pool of talent available to him he took drastic

An Amazon Best of The Year Nonfiction Selection

Library Journal Top Ten Book of the Year

The Extraordinary True Story of Kim Jong-Il's kidnapping of the golden couple of South Korean Cinema, The Movies They Were Forced to Make, and Their Daring Escape.

Before becoming the world's most notorious dictator, Kim Jong-Il ran North Korea's Ministry for Propaganda and all its film studios. Underwhelmed by the pool of talent available to him he took drastic steps, ordering the kidnap of Choi Eun-Hee (Madame Choi) - South Korea's most famous actress - and her ex-husband Shin Sang-Ok, the country's most famous filmmaker. But as Madame Choi and Shin Shang-Ok begin to make North Korea's greatest films, they hatch a plan of escape worthy of a blockbuster Hollywood ending. A Kim Jong-Il Production is that rarest of books: a wildly entertaining, cunningly told story that offers a rare glimpse into a nation still wrapped in mystery.

"Gripping... A Kim Jong-Il Production tells the absurd, harrowing, and true story of Choi and Shin's ordeal, which reveals the importance of film as propaganda to the North Korean regime." --Esquire.com
"The 1978 abductions of the South Korean actress Choi-Eun-He and her ex-husband, the director Shin Sang-Ok, in Hong Kong is the true crime at the center of Paul Fischer's gripping and surprisingly timely new book." --The New York Times
"An entertaining new book...details how Shin and Choi] finally seized their chance to seek asylum...A stupefying, novelistic read." --The Boston Globe

"Fischer's entertaining narrative paints an arresting portrait of a North Korean "theater state," forced to enact the demented script of a sociopathic tyrant." --Publishers Weekly

"Paul Fischer's book A Kim Jong-Il Production is a highly illuminating deep dive on the middle Kim's cinematic obsessions and the film arms race between the two Koreas." --The Washington Post

"Exhaustively researched, highly engrossing chronicle of the outrageous abduction of a pair of well-known South Korean filmmakers by the nefarious network of North Korea's Kim Jong-Il."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: 11/24/2015
ISBN: 9781250054272
Pages: 384
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.10d
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SKU: 43688963082

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4.5 ★★★★★
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STEPHEN SWENERTON
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
EXCELLENT RESOURCE
Format: Hardcover
OUTSTANDING SUMMARY OF THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CURRENT VERY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. I USED IT AS MY PRIMARY SOURCE FOR A CLASS I AM TEACHING ON THE SUBJECT OF THE WAR IN IRAN.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2026
M
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Max
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
an excellent reference book
Format: Hardcover
At a time when the U.S. and Israel’s military operation against Iran has become one of the most important issues on the global agenda, this is an excellent reference book that summarizes the historical development of events and provides valuable context for better understanding what is happening today.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2026
M
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Mr. Flex
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for better understanding Iran's strategic perspectives
Format: Hardcover
The book moves through the growth of Iran's strategic history since the 1979 revolution. By the time it gets to the last 100 pages its very interesting as far as understanding Iran's perspective. Also found it chilling how foreboding many parts were in light of what is happening right now
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2026
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Hassan Nasir
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Great book to understand Iran's strategy in a historical context
Nasr provides a solid understanding of Iran both in contemporary and historical context. It makes the case clear what and how Iran is thinking. Reading it at the time of Us-Israel and Iran war helped make sense of the news media, which often follows shallow analysis.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2026
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TJMjr
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Iran’s Strategic Error.
Format: Audiobook
Excellent discussion of Iran’s grand strategy in what they believe will protect their Nation as they continue as the world’s pariah. The book is well written and clearly lays out the history of Iran over the past 50-60 years and why they are implementing this strategy albeit a failed one, and the results. The Ayatollahs continue to pursue the destruction of Israel and struggle via terrorism and supporting war proxies to become the regions power, instead of pursuing economic wealth. This book describes the how’s and whys of this failed strategy. Good reading
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2025

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