Underground Structures of the Cold War: The World Below

Books on the history of fortifications are plentiful. Medieval castles, the defensive systems of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the trenches and bunkers of the First World War, the great citadels of the Second World War – all these have been described in depth. But the fortifications of the Cold War – the hidden forts of the nuclear age – have not been catalogued and studied in the same way. Paul Ozorak's Underground Structures of the Cold War: The World Below fills the gap. After the devastation caused by the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the outbreak of the Cold War, all over the world shelters were constructed deep underground for civilians, government leaders and the military. Wartime structures were taken over and adapted and thousands of men went to work drilling new tunnels and constructing bunkers of every possible size. At the height of the Cold War, in some countries an industry of bunker-makers profited from the public's fear of annihilation. Paul Ozorak describes when and where these bunkers were built, and records what has become of them. He explains how they would have been used if a nuclear war had broken out, and in the case of weapons bases, he shows how these weapons would have been deployed. His account covers every sort of facility – public shelters, missile sites, command and communication centres, storage depots, hospitals.

Review :
With secrecy regarding plans for the Cold War now coming to an end, there is much information that is beginning to surface. This includes details of the numerous bunkers and installations created to serve military purposes. Ozorak has created an incredibly detailed world wide directory of those underground structures. While the UK, US, France, Germany and Russia are well represented there are also unexpected countries such as New Zealand, Lesotho and Qatar. It is amazing how much information is available about these buildings - and the number that now lie useless and empty. Some admittedly have been put to use as data storage centres for internet businesses, or turned into tourist attractions. Ozorak looks at how these installations were intended to be used, the people and volunteers which would have manned them. Then there are difficulties which people working in these bunkers actually experienced for example in Canada many bunkers faced the risk of becoming swimming pools from melted snow. In Tokyo there are even hints of James Bond scenarios with the creation of secret underground train networks. Unusual and different. Anyone interested in military history, buildings and architecture will be fascinated by this book. - Monsters and Critics This is a most interesting book for those who want to find out more of the secrets of the Cold War. Including details about how the West planned a "scorched earth" policy in Germany if Russian tanks had crossed the border. Bridges were built with space underneath where explosives could be placed for blowing them up as the enemy approached. The book also reveals what many of the structures are now being used for. - Dover Express & Folkstone Herald