A review by gagnedouze
North Korea Journal by Michael Palin

3.0

After digesting Barbara Demick's extraordinary work, Nothing to Envy, this felt a little light and a quick read. That's no disrespect to Michael Palin, who is a national treasure here in the UK. After all, this is a travelogue journal rather than a thoroughly researched book. Some wonderful and charming moments in this but the skeptic (and possibly naivety!) in me wonders if it was all for show. It seemed too nice and friendly. Perhaps the DPRK are softening, but time will tell if the Trump-Kim summit and meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018 carry any weight. Surely these historic moments offer some hope for the future.