The Call Up : A History of National Service 1947-1963 - Hardcover

Tom Hickman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0755312406 ISBN 13: 9780755312405

Publisher: Headline Hardbacks, 2004

Synopsis

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 learned about sex and faced death. 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, who himself went through national service, shows just how varied were the experiences of the recruits. By talking to many 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.

About this title

About the Author:

Tom Hickman, 23585207, began his national service in 1958, finishing as a second lieutenant with the King's Africa Rifles 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.

Review:

'A hugely enjoyable anecdotal history of British conscription after the Second World War.' -- Times Literary Supplement

About this edition

• Publisher: Headline Hardbacks
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0755312406
• ISBN 13: 9780755312405
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384