Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea (Travel: General)

In 1986, as a young graduate looking for some adventure before settling down to life in the suburbs, Michael Harrold answered, on a whim, an advertisement to become the first Briton to live and work in North Korea. What he anticipated would be an exciting interlude in the world's most secretive country became seven years in which his initial scepticism, even cynicism, about the regime and society developed into growing empathy with the people around him. From among the ranks of the VIP guests at the major state occasions, to the paddy fields working alongside the farmers, he saw the country as no outsider has ever done. He loved, and lost, a young local girl, fell foul of the authorities and yet stood beside the people as they faced the mounting threat of US invasion. This sensitive and entertaining memoir give a unique insight into life behind the closed doors of North Korea.