Set in an RAF base in West Germany in the mid1950s, The Camp is a raw look at military life from the conscript's viewpoint, subject to the whim of their CO, no matter how erratic. When he wrote the The Camp, Gordon Williams had the benefit of a newsman's eye for detail and the immediacy of his own ex-conscript's experiences at the sharp end of the Cold War. He was stationed at RAF Gutersloh — the closest RAF airbase to the East German border. This was Gordon Williams first book and he hit the ground running. He went on to write From Scenes Like These (Booker listed), Big Morning Blues, and The Siege of Trencher's Farm (filmed as Straw Dogs).
First published in 1966, the novel was received with disquiet by the military, but praised by the critics.
"The Camp earns high honours", Sunday Times. "Impressive", Times Literary Supplement. "A talent at one so harsh, and so controlled." The Spectator.
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