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The danger of participating in live-fire exercises and a Christmas spent in a military prison are described in detail in this graphic picture of military life at the height of the Cold War.
"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an ’iron curtain’ has descended across the continent."
These words, uttered by Winston Churchill in 1946, heralded the beginning of the Cold War. In this first-hand account of a NATO soldier, Terry Stoney Burke paints a graphic picture of military life at the height of the Cold War. From the trials and tribulations of basic training, through his progress of becoming an infantryman and explosive specialist, to his posting in Germany, his pull no punches narrative tells the sometimes humorous, often poignant, story of life as a common soldier.
Cold War Soldieris not a book for veterans alone. Burkes explanations of military procedures, weapons, and army life strike a happy balance between reminding ex-servicemen of things they knew but may have forgotten, and creating a clear picture for the military novice.
"I strongly recommend this book to all NATO veterans - I can guarantee it will bring back many half-forgotten memories. For others, it paints a great picture of the every-day life of the sometimes overlooked but numerous NATO warriors. [Terry Burke's] casual, upretentious style makes the book a great read."
Terry Burke joined the Canadian army in 1964 and was posted to Germany with The Royal Canadian Regiment. He has done nine U.N. tours of duty in Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, and Syria, and was active in Ottawa-Hull during the FLQ crisis. Burke retired to London, Ontario, with his wife, whom he met during his first tour of Germany.