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.
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.
Life behind closed and guarded borders was carefully hidden, but information leaked out. News from the outside world was sent in by Radio Free Europe, and courageous men and women on both sides kept some contact alive. The dreaded secret police, the KGB, became famous for brutality, and exile to Siberia, the punishment for not adhering to the party line, became a slang term for the worst case scenario.
Communist ideals of abolishing capitalistic exploitation and class distinctions did not survive the greed of those in power. While most people toiled in state factories or worked on communal farms, stood in long lines to get scarce necessities, and lived in fear of government scrutiny, party members became the new elite. They could attend university, practice a profession, shop in well-stocked stores, and vacation on the Black Sea at resorts the other ninety percent of the population never saw.
The literature can be grim, but inspirational tales of the endurance of the human spirit also abound. People took great risks to gain freedom. Others risked their lives to smuggle Bibles into regions where religion was illegal. People continued to help others although government watchers were stationed 'on every corner' to discourage this sort of humanity.
Both sides tried to influence the world, either by spreading communism or halting it. The US supported resistance efforts successfully in Greece, with partial success in Korea, and unsuccessfully in China and Viet Nam. Russia's attempts to gain a foothold in Latin America strained relations, especially when the conflict involved the Suez Canal. Cuba came under the rule of Castro, a communist dictator, and open war was very close when Russian missiles were turned back from that island by the US Navy.
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.
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.
Life behind closed and guarded borders was carefully hidden, but information leaked out. News from the outside world was sent in by Radio Free Europe, and courageous men and women on both sides kept some contact alive. The dreaded secret police, the KGB, became famous for brutality, and exile to Siberia, the punishment for not adhering to the party line, became a slang term for the worst case scenario.
Communist ideals of abolishing capitalistic exploitation and class distinctions did not survive the greed of those in power. While most people toiled in state factories or worked on communal farms, stood in long lines to get scarce necessities, and lived in fear of government scrutiny, party members became the new elite. They could attend university, practice a profession, shop in well-stocked stores, and vacation on the Black Sea at resorts the other ninety percent of the population never saw.
The literature can be grim, but inspirational tales of the endurance of the human spirit also abound. People took great risks to gain freedom. Others risked their lives to smuggle Bibles into regions where religion was illegal. People continued to help others although government watchers were stationed 'on every corner' to discourage this sort of humanity.
Both sides tried to influence the world, either by spreading communism or halting it. The US supported resistance efforts successfully in Greece, with partial success in Korea, and unsuccessfully in China and Viet Nam. Russia's attempts to gain a foothold in Latin America strained relations, especially when the conflict involved the Suez Canal. Cuba came under the rule of Castro, a communist dictator, and open war was very close when Russian missiles were turned back from that island by the US Navy.
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.
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.
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