The Black Effect. The day the Cold War turned Hot. Part 1.
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The Black Effect
The first novel in my ‘Cold War’ trilogy, The Red Effect, published by SilverWood Books, is now available. Thoroughly enjoyed writing it, as i do with all my novels. There will be three books in total, covering the hypothetical invasion of West Germany, the Federal Republic of Germany, by the Warsaw Pact in the mid 1980’s. Book 1, ‘The Red Effect’, encompasses part of the intelligence build up leading to the initial Warsaw Pact strike against the NATO forces lined up against them. The purpose of the next few posts is to give the reader some additional background information to enhance their reading experience.
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‘The Red Effect’ by Harvey Black – Available now. The Cold War that became a Hot War.
The Cold War era started very soon after the end of the second world war, when the communist east, led by the Soviet Union, and the Western world, led by the United States and its NATO allies, faced each across what became known as the ‘Iron Curtain’.
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The perception of a potential Third World War, was generally one of a nuclear war. It may have come to that. In reality we will never know. But, one scenario is that of a conventional war. The massed forces of the Warsaw Pact against the supposedly technically superior, but weaker, NATO armies, that may well have escalated into a nuclear exchange.
The Red Effect ended with a pre-emptive conventional military strike against the Federal Republic of Germany by the Warsaw Pact. NATO and the West’s lethargy during the 80s was well known. The Soviet Union’s major military exercises, held at least once a year, involved tens of thousands of troops, going through scenarios that incorporated an attack towards the West, under the premise that it was purely for the defence of the Soviet Union and its satellites. The Black Effect continues the trilogy that explores the what if…..
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The Black Effect front cover. The strap-line will be changed at some point. The novel is due out in four weeks time!
The draft Blurb is below.
An economy on the verge of collapse, demands from their allies for funding to continue the expansion of communism, and a conventional Army, Navy and Air Force costing the country 20% of its GDP… The Soviet Union is in trouble. Where should they turn for a solution?
Their answer: the capitalist West. On the 4th July 1984, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact launched a massive preemptive conventional strike against the West, sending the NATO forces reeling.
Follow Jacko and Bradley and their allies as they fight off the Soviet Union. Can the NATO forces recover and hold their ground? Will the Soviet Union succeed? Or will it end in an outright defeat? Follow the series of gripping events in The Black Effect, the second installment in Harvey Black’s Cold War trilogy.
The Blue Effect is already poised at the tip of my pen…..
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harveyblackauthor 
Really excited now! I’ve always had an interest in a Cold War ‘what-if’ scenario and this book’s easily one of the best I’ve come across – much better than Red Storm Rising. I’m intrigued by the colour-themed titles, though. Red, black and blue? Am I missing something really obvious? 🙂
Hi Andrew. It was a dark period in our history, when there was areal threat of WW 3 hanging over our heads. Thank you for your comment on The Red Effect. Titles? RED has always been associated with communism, Soviets (reds under the beds) and the USSR . So, book 1 is about the Soviet Union (Red) finally making that leap and launching an all out attack on the West. The other titles…? Wait and see… 🙂 thank you for your continued support. HB
Mr. Black when will The Black Effect be available for kindle?
Hi Steven. The target date is the 18th September. On target currently. Thank you for your support. HB
Hi Mr Black.
How long before “The Blue Effect”, is out?
Hi Spyros. The Blue Effect will be out in May. As it is the last in the trilogy, it will be longer than TRE and TBE. Thank you for visiting. HB
Hi, When do you anticipate releasing the final book?
Hi Trevor. It should be out in May. It will be longer than TRE and TBE. This is the last in the trilogy, so I wanted to go that extra mile. Thank you for visiting. HB
us navy special warfare vet of the 80s and 90s, qualified as an sadm jumper in 82, spent some tense days in scotland with a c130 in an HAS waiting for launch orders for a vomit filled ride over the german baltic coast to probably blast myself to atoms……………….love your trilogy, it is painful to try to explain to my 26yo usaf daughter what the 80s were like for us. Worked with your SBS, spent time in poole, and portsmouth. Also did mountain winter training in norway with RM and norweigan guardsmen. Would love to read some of your real life times in germany. Great work Mate
Hi Pat
Great to hear from you and glad you have enjoyed the trilogy so far. The Blue Effect will be 10,000 words longer and out in May.
More about MADMs in The Blue Effect, but i will say no more than that. 🙂 I have the same problem with people around me as well. People don’t realise how desperate those times were and what we would have been up against should the Warsaw Pact have come West.
Scotland, Baltic coast….very similar weather! Definitely an uncomfortable flight, but one way to get you to jump out. 🙂
It sounds like you should be writing a book about your time in the forces, I will lend you a pen…. HB