If you want to read a thrilling book, find a Cold War author. There are factual accounts, philosophical evaluations, biographies of key players, and a host of fiction based on nuclear threat, espionage, and life in the USSR. The dates of this virtual stand-off between two superpowers are roughly 1947 to 1989, but there are fascinating discussions of events that paved the way to the struggle and events after the USSR collapsed.
The grip of tyranny imposed on Eastern Europe was called the Iron Curtain by the West. The countries of the Soviet bloc were virtually isolated from the rest of the world. Their news was structured by the state, their lives rigidly controlled, their economy socialized, and their movements curtailed. People who tried to resist were imprisoned or killed, and failed escape attempts had terrible consequences.
Although the regime tried to hide conditions behind the Curtain and prevent contact with the outside world, courageous informers smuggled information out and organizations like Radio Free Europe sent information in. Chilling stories emerged of the secret police, the KGB, and their brutal suppression of dissent. Defying the party line could result in exile to Siberia, one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
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.
It was not without romance, either. The James Bond novels romanticize the world of espionage by giving us a suave hero, very nasty villains, and beautiful female allies or antagonists. Many authors celebrated the themes of young love, familial loyalty, resistance to tyranny, and refusal to give up devout belief because of persecution.
It's a good time to search out a Cold War author who earned critical acclaim at the time of publication. Read the stories of people who watched or experienced the struggle between tyranny and democracy. Modern accounts that might be revisionist history can easily be balanced against period literature; make your own evaluation.
The grip of tyranny imposed on Eastern Europe was called the Iron Curtain by the West. The countries of the Soviet bloc were virtually isolated from the rest of the world. Their news was structured by the state, their lives rigidly controlled, their economy socialized, and their movements curtailed. People who tried to resist were imprisoned or killed, and failed escape attempts had terrible consequences.
Although the regime tried to hide conditions behind the Curtain and prevent contact with the outside world, courageous informers smuggled information out and organizations like Radio Free Europe sent information in. Chilling stories emerged of the secret police, the KGB, and their brutal suppression of dissent. Defying the party line could result in exile to Siberia, one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
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.
It was not without romance, either. The James Bond novels romanticize the world of espionage by giving us a suave hero, very nasty villains, and beautiful female allies or antagonists. Many authors celebrated the themes of young love, familial loyalty, resistance to tyranny, and refusal to give up devout belief because of persecution.
It's a good time to search out a Cold War author who earned critical acclaim at the time of publication. Read the stories of people who watched or experienced the struggle between tyranny and democracy. Modern accounts that might be revisionist history can easily be balanced against period literature; make your own evaluation.
About the Author:
Check out the award-winning cold war author at www.war-author.com. You can also read the published content here on http://www.war-author.com.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar