Overview

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.

Historical Context

"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.

About the Book

Cold War Soldier is not a book for veterans alone. Burke's 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.