More than 2 million men were conscripted to serve in Britain's armed forces during the period of National Service, which began after the Second World War and was phased out by 1963. Aged just eighteen, these individuals, many of whom had never left their home towns, were put in uniform to serve their nation. It was an experience that left a profound mark on the post-war generations, as described, using first-hand accounts and official documents in this detailed, entertaining and hugely informative account of the National Service Years. Foreword; Introduction; Our Guards and Garrisons; You're in the Army Now; This Seat of Mars; Officers and Gentlemen; Even the Bad Times Were Good; Is Your Journey Really Necessary?; The National Servicemen's Wars; No More Soldiering; The End of an Old Song; Summer Soldiers and Sunshine Patriots.