Tony Dawson’s memoirs of his National Service years in the fifties are an interesting read. Taking him from his British home to places round the world, he found himself in Korea, Malaya and many other locations on the way.

This is a memoir, and so written in an extremely colloquial style. That said, there are still grammar errors, although I spotted few outright spelling mistakes. The main issue is my constant bugbear of speech and commas, and a good proof reader could have done a lot for readability. Note that I said proof reader, not editor. The events covered are interesting enough to keep me reading the book in one sitting.

As an audience, readers of biography and memoirs might look this out as there are few covering the period of the Korean war or focusing on National Service. For today’s students, to whom National Service is part of the past, it might be an interesting resource for its tales and firsthand knowledge. For older readers, it may well stir a few memories.

Covering the whole of his national service from start to end, there’s a lot packed into the book’s length. At times I did wish it would slow down or go into more depth about events as the years seemed to whistle by, and there are a few asides I’d love to have expanded on. However, as the author’s note at the end says, this is what he is prepared to divulge about his national service, so it would not be polite to ask for more. I’d like to.

I was left with a faint feeling of memories, and the impression that the author has a personal dislike for mosquitoes. The warning that they’ll eat you alive if you don’t have a net was given on a few occasions.

Despite the odd few grammar issues, this is an interesting read and definitely something for people curious about National Service and the post-war years.