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.
Called the Iron Curtain, the totalitarian control of Eastern Europe virtually cut part of the world off from the rest of humanity. Travel to the area was severely restricted, and travel out was impossible for most private citizens. Escape was dramatic if successful - people jumping ship in foreign ports, clinging to the underside of automobiles, walking along remote routes through the mountains, buying passage in smugglers' ships, or running from the wall toward freedom - or tragic in failure.
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.
The lofty ideals of ending class distinctions and capitalistic exploitation of the worker were soon shown to be mere propaganda. An elite class did emerge, made up of party members. They were allowed higher education, shopped at well-stocked stores, and vacationed at luxury resorts on the Black Sea. The average citizen worked as slave labor on communal farms or in state-owned factories, were herded into high-rise apartments, and stood in long queues to get the bare necessities of existence.
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.
'Cold' refers to the lack of open warfare between the two superpowers, but there was confrontation. The US helped Greece resist a communist takeover, while Russia succeeded in spreading its doctrine to China. Korea and Viet Nam were regional wars that taxed both countries. Although the nuclear power of each superpower restrained the other, lines were drawn over the Suez Canal and conflict almost erupted when Russia tried to install missiles in Cuba.
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.
Many a Cold War author deserve resurrecting. Modern accounts that might gloss over grim reality should be balanced with stories told by those who experienced the actuality or watched events unfold. Pure communism never existed. It was always conducted by humans who fell far short of any ideal.
Called the Iron Curtain, the totalitarian control of Eastern Europe virtually cut part of the world off from the rest of humanity. Travel to the area was severely restricted, and travel out was impossible for most private citizens. Escape was dramatic if successful - people jumping ship in foreign ports, clinging to the underside of automobiles, walking along remote routes through the mountains, buying passage in smugglers' ships, or running from the wall toward freedom - or tragic in failure.
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.
The lofty ideals of ending class distinctions and capitalistic exploitation of the worker were soon shown to be mere propaganda. An elite class did emerge, made up of party members. They were allowed higher education, shopped at well-stocked stores, and vacationed at luxury resorts on the Black Sea. The average citizen worked as slave labor on communal farms or in state-owned factories, were herded into high-rise apartments, and stood in long queues to get the bare necessities of existence.
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.
'Cold' refers to the lack of open warfare between the two superpowers, but there was confrontation. The US helped Greece resist a communist takeover, while Russia succeeded in spreading its doctrine to China. Korea and Viet Nam were regional wars that taxed both countries. Although the nuclear power of each superpower restrained the other, lines were drawn over the Suez Canal and conflict almost erupted when Russia tried to install missiles in Cuba.
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.
Many a Cold War author deserve resurrecting. Modern accounts that might gloss over grim reality should be balanced with stories told by those who experienced the actuality or watched events unfold. Pure communism never existed. It was always conducted by humans who fell far short of any ideal.
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