Truth can be stranger than fiction and also more exciting. A Cold War author, especially one whose work was well reviewed, may have written a book that will hold you enthralled in a way you never expected from a historical book. Although the stand-off between the Soviet Union and the United States was roughly from 1947 to 1989, the scope of its literature is greater. Many books deal with events leading up to this ideological struggle or immediately after the collapse of the USSR.
The totalitarian regime that controlled Eastern Europe established what was called the Iron Curtain. This system of closed borders, state controlled media, and strict control of major economic forces virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world. Travel into the USSR was restricted, and travel out of it was almost impossible for private citizens. Those who dared to try to escape were killed or imprisoned if caught.
Life behind the curtain was carefully hidden, but there are accounts written by reporters who interviewed defectors or got news through courageous informers. Stories of the dreaded KGB, the government police, chill the blood. The hardship of dissenters sent to Siberia became a by-word for extreme suffering. Hundreds of millions were killed in the many countries that made up the soviet bloc.
Communist ideals of abolishing capitalistic exploitation and class distinctions did not survive the greed of those in power. While most people toiled in state factories or worked on communal farms, stood in long lines to get scarce necessities, and lived in fear of government scrutiny, party members became the new elite. They could attend university, practice a profession, shop in well-stocked stores, and vacation on the Black Sea at resorts the other ninety percent of the population never saw.
The literature might be grim, but it's fascinating. Inspirational stories abound: successful escapes to freedom, the survival of human kindness under oppression, secret worship, and Western efforts to halt the spread of oppression. Government informers who helped to keep the populace under control became symbolic of the intrusion of the state into every facet of life.
The era was not without confrontation, even though the US and The USSR never came to open warfare. Greece resisted a communist take over, China could not. South Korea survived while South Viet Nam did not. Control of the Suez Canal was disputed, and things almost exploded when Russia tried to install missiles to Cuba. President Reagan went against the advice of his staff and called for the destruction of the Berlin Wall while visiting West Berlin.
There are great novels, as well. James Bond made the world of espionage glamorous and gave us many memorable villains, not to mention lovely female allies or opponents. Tales of daring escapes, defections, and resistance to tyranny make great reading while they make history and Eastern European culture come alive.
A Cold War author who lived through that dramatic time has much to offer us today. Modern books should be evaluated against the many accounts from those who knew the realities of The Iron Curtain, the arms race, and the struggle to shape the world.
The totalitarian regime that controlled Eastern Europe established what was called the Iron Curtain. This system of closed borders, state controlled media, and strict control of major economic forces virtually cut its citizens off from the rest of the world. Travel into the USSR was restricted, and travel out of it was almost impossible for private citizens. Those who dared to try to escape were killed or imprisoned if caught.
Life behind the curtain was carefully hidden, but there are accounts written by reporters who interviewed defectors or got news through courageous informers. Stories of the dreaded KGB, the government police, chill the blood. The hardship of dissenters sent to Siberia became a by-word for extreme suffering. Hundreds of millions were killed in the many countries that made up the soviet bloc.
Communist ideals of abolishing capitalistic exploitation and class distinctions did not survive the greed of those in power. While most people toiled in state factories or worked on communal farms, stood in long lines to get scarce necessities, and lived in fear of government scrutiny, party members became the new elite. They could attend university, practice a profession, shop in well-stocked stores, and vacation on the Black Sea at resorts the other ninety percent of the population never saw.
The literature might be grim, but it's fascinating. Inspirational stories abound: successful escapes to freedom, the survival of human kindness under oppression, secret worship, and Western efforts to halt the spread of oppression. Government informers who helped to keep the populace under control became symbolic of the intrusion of the state into every facet of life.
The era was not without confrontation, even though the US and The USSR never came to open warfare. Greece resisted a communist take over, China could not. South Korea survived while South Viet Nam did not. Control of the Suez Canal was disputed, and things almost exploded when Russia tried to install missiles to Cuba. President Reagan went against the advice of his staff and called for the destruction of the Berlin Wall while visiting West Berlin.
There are great novels, as well. James Bond made the world of espionage glamorous and gave us many memorable villains, not to mention lovely female allies or opponents. Tales of daring escapes, defections, and resistance to tyranny make great reading while they make history and Eastern European culture come alive.
A Cold War author who lived through that dramatic time has much to offer us today. Modern books should be evaluated against the many accounts from those who knew the realities of The Iron Curtain, the arms race, and the struggle to shape the world.
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