The Call-Up
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
The Call-Up
By (Author) Tom Hickman
Headline Publishing Group
Headline Book Publishing
13th October 2005
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
European history
355.223630941
Physical Properties
Paperback
384
Width 131mm, Height 197mm, Spine 25mm
304g
Description
From 1947 to 1963 some 2.3 million men were conscripted to do national service. For some it was to prove the most exciting and terrifying time of their lives, as many were sent to the Korean War or to countries such as Palestine and Kenya where the terrorist threat was ever-present. They faced death and learned about sex. For others, it was a frustrating interference in their lives, made all the more ridiculous by endless hours of square-bashing or painting coal white.
Tom Hickman shows just how varied were the experiences of the recruits. By talking to over 80 veterans, he recalls the hilarious and moving stories from those times, and seeks to explain why the subject still causes debate more than 40 years on. Above all, The Call-Up is a portrait of a vanished era that many still feel has something to teach us today.Reviews
fascinating account of National Service...A compelling read about compulsory military service during peacetime - Sun
Author Bio
Tom Hickman, 23585207, began his National Service in 1958, finishing as a second lieutenant with the King's Africa Riffes in Kenya. He went on to become the features editor of the TV Times for ten years, the author of several books and is now a freelance writer.
