
Cold War
Building for Nuclear Confrontation 1946-1989
Historic England (Publisher)
Published on 31. December 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
282 pages
978-1-873592-81-6 (ISBN)
Description
The historical and cultural aspects of the Cold War have been much studied, yet its physical manifestations in England - its buildings and structures - have remained largely unknown.
To the great landscape historian WG Hoskins writing in the 1950's they were profoundly alien: "England of the ... electric fence, of the high barbed wire around some unmentionable devilment.... Barbaric England of the scientists, the military men, and the politicians".
Now these survivors of the Cold War are, in their turn, disappearing fast, like medieval monasteries and bastioned forts before them - only with more limited scope for regeneration and reuse.
This book is the first to look at these monuments to the Cold War. It is heavily illustrated with photographs of the sites as they survive today, archive photographs (many previously unpublished), modern and historic air photographs, site and building plans, and specially commissioned interpretative drawings. It also endeavours look at the installations within the military and political context of what was one of the defining phenomena of the late 20th century.
To the great landscape historian WG Hoskins writing in the 1950's they were profoundly alien: "England of the ... electric fence, of the high barbed wire around some unmentionable devilment.... Barbaric England of the scientists, the military men, and the politicians".
Now these survivors of the Cold War are, in their turn, disappearing fast, like medieval monasteries and bastioned forts before them - only with more limited scope for regeneration and reuse.
This book is the first to look at these monuments to the Cold War. It is heavily illustrated with photographs of the sites as they survive today, archive photographs (many previously unpublished), modern and historic air photographs, site and building plans, and specially commissioned interpretative drawings. It also endeavours look at the installations within the military and political context of what was one of the defining phenomena of the late 20th century.
Reviews / Votes
'a model example of comprehensive research in modern, contemporary industrial heritage'ICON "This is excellent archaeology"
Antiquity "One could not imagine a better work on the subject"
Casemate
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Liverpool University Press
Illustrations
Illustrations, color; 275 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 275 mm
Width: 220 mm
Weight
1240 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-873592-81-6 (9781873592816)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Wayne Cocroft has recently retired as a Senior Archaeological Investigator with Historic England, where he specialised in the investigation and assessment of industrial and defence sites.
Content
1. Introduction
2. The Cold War: military and political background
3. MAD - 'Mutually Assured Destruction'
4. The United States 'umbrella'
5. Early warning and detections
6. Warning of ballistic missile attack
7. The response - air defence
8. Observation and monitoring
9. The home front
10. The 'white heat' of defence technology
11. The legacy of the Cold War - an international perspective
2. The Cold War: military and political background
3. MAD - 'Mutually Assured Destruction'
4. The United States 'umbrella'
5. Early warning and detections
6. Warning of ballistic missile attack
7. The response - air defence
8. Observation and monitoring
9. The home front
10. The 'white heat' of defence technology
11. The legacy of the Cold War - an international perspective