Few expected Kim Jong Un to last long when he became the leader of North Korea in December 2011. His country was isolated and laboring under U.N. sanctions. The economy was in a shambles. To make matters worse, he had little experience running anything, let alone one of the world's most oppressive governments. But the 27-year-old was no milksop. He was clever, ruthless and had more geostrategic nous than anybody had anticipated. Today, his grip on power is all but absolute.
The Great Successor, by Anna Fifield.
336 pages