The Call-Up, a history of National Service by Tom Hickman: NEW 2004 1st Edition Hardback

Condition: Old NEW Stock, Nr Fine

OLD NEW STOCK: Refers to an item which, for whatever reasons, has not been offered for sale from the date of publication to the date of this listing. It is NEW but old stock and should be in New condition. Any deviation from the new condition will be detailed separately.

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.