The Call Up : A Study of National Service in Peacetime Britain

The Call Up or National Service existed in Britain from 1947 until the 1960s. It was the only time that young men were expected to serve in the Armed Forces in peace time. It was a traumatic and revolutionary time for many, giving them experiences, sights and emotions that they would otherwise never have seen or felt. It was a social experiment as much as anything else and there are still men alive today who are able to comment on the experience and to tell the story. This will not be the case in 20 or 30 years-time and so a book like this, relying primarily on first-hand accounts is an important addition to our history.