Book description
"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.
Cold War Soldieris not a book for veterans alone. Burkes
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.
"I strongly recommend this book to all NATO veterans I can
guarantee it will bring back many half-forgotten memories. For others,
it paints a great picture of the every-day life of the sometimes
overlooked but numerous NATO warriors. His casual, unpretentious style
makes the book a great read." Terry Burke joined the Canadian
army in 1964 and was posted to Germany with The Royal Canadian Regiment.
He has done nine U. N. tours of duty in Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, and
Syria, and was active in Ottawa-Hull during the FLQ crisis. Burke
retired to London, Ontario, with his wife, whom he met during his first
tour of Germany.
