The call-up : a history of National Service / Tom Hickman

by Tom Hickman

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published August 23, 2004

About the author

Tom Hickman has worked as features writer, features editor and editor on various national magazines, newspapers and for the BBC.

Reviews

[Rachael Hewison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating book. I didn't know much about National Service before reading this book and I've come away feeling like I have learnt a lot. Hickman divides the book well; he covers why National Service was introduced, the process for enrolling men, their basic training, the different conflicts they were involved in, those who objected to entering the service, interactions with women and Hickman concludes it well with a non-biased approach. Whilst he emphasises how much some men got out of it, he's also not afraid to show the negative effects it had on some men. He covers the army, navy and air force so you see a broad spectrum of experiences.

It's not a perfect book. Whilst it was full of anecdotes from many different men, it did sometimes get a little overwhelming and I lost track of who was who at times. It also would have been useful to have had the notes section as footnotes instead so you didn't keep having to turn to the back of the book. I also wasn't a fan of the chapter titles.

However it was a fantastic introduction to National Service.

[Ginger Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book - accessible, brilliantly researched, well written and based on the first hand testimony of national service men themselves.

It covers all the bases and doesn't shy away from talking about any aspect of national service life, while showing a deep understanding of what those two years in the services meant to so many people, for good or bad.

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting book about National Service. I realised how ignorant I was to how much action the soldiers who were called up saw and subsequently how many died and were seriously injured

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely fascinating book about National Service, comprising a lot of useful facts, together with a huge amount of anecdotes from former servicemen, all supported by appropriate references. A regular feature of my childhood was listening to my father continually griping about the harsh times he had endured when called up for National Service in 1947, so I was keen to read more about the process. The succeeded very well on this point, anyone listening to modern politicians calling for a reintroduction of National Service would do well to read this, as you will be convinced of what a stupid idea it would be to bring it back. My only criticism of the book is a over-reliance on anecdotes from celebrities, usually extracted from their autobiographies - many of these people have a habit of embellishing stories more than most. Very enjoyable.