The Battle of Dorking: Reminiscences of a Volunteer was first published in 1871, following the
decisive German victory in the Franco-Prussian war and the unification Germany and the
formation of the German Empire and asks “what if” the new leading military power in Europe
invades Britain. Red Storm Rising was first published in 1986, in the final stages of the Cold
War, and during a time of heightened tension between the West and East. It asks “what if” a
Third World War breaks out in Europe and the Atlantic between NATO countries and the
Warsaw Pact. The works were both exceedingly popular at the time of their release, Red
Storm Rising a New York Times Best-Seller, and The Battle of Dorking printed in six editions
and selling 110 000 copies. They reflect cultural pressures at the time of their publication, and
were received differently by literary critics, the public and politically. While The Battle of
Dorking criticised the established government policy and was negatively received by that
same establishment, Red Storm Rising’s approval of the established government is reflected
by the endorsement it received in return. Literary reviews of the works mirrored somewhat the
political reception, while military circles accepted both works in different, yet similar ways.