| The Berlin Wall - a world divided ; 1961 - 1989
(2007)
|
| Front Cover |
Book Details |
|
| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989; Cold War; Opposition (Political Science) - Germany (East) - History; Berlin (Germany) - History - 1945-1990; Germany (East) - Politics And Government - 1989-1990; Germany - History - Unification, 1990 |
| Publication Date |
6/1/2007 |
| Format |
Hardcover (9.2
x
6.5
mm)
|
| Publisher |
HarperCollins |
| Language |
eng |
|
|
| Description |
| On the morning of August 13, 1961, the residents of East Berlin found themselves cut off from family, friends and jobs in the West by a tangle of barbed wire that ruthlessly cut a city of four million in two. Within days the barbed-wire entanglement would undergo an extraordinary metamorphosis: it became an imposing 103-mile-long wall guarded by three hundred watchtowers. A physical manifestation of the struggle between Soviet Communism and American capitalism—totalitarianism and freedom—that would stand for nearly thirty years, the Berlin Wall was the high-risk fault line between East and West on which rested the fate of all humanity. Many brave people risked their lives to overcome this lethal barrier, and some paid the ultimate price. In this captivating work, sure to be the definitive history on the subject, Frederick Taylor weaves together official history, archival materials and personal accounts to tell the complete story of the Wall's rise and fall, from the postwar political tensions that created a divided Berlin to the internal and external pressures that led to the Wall's demise. In addition, he explores the geopolitical ramifications as well as the impact the wall had on ordinary lives that is still felt today. For the first time the entire world faced the threat of imminent nuclear apocalypse, a fear that would be eased only when the very people the Wall had been built to imprison breached it on the historic night of November 9, 1989. Gripping and authoritative, The Berlin Wall is the first comprehensive account of a divided city and its people in a time when the world seemed to stand permanently on the edge of destruction. |
| Personal Details |
| Store |
American Political Biography Press |
| Purchase Price |
$10.00 |
| Acquire Date |
2/4/2020 |
| Condition |
Very Good/Very Good |
| Rating |
0 |
| Links |
Library of Congress
|
|
| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
DD881 .T39 2006 |
| Dewey |
943/.1552087 |
| ISBN |
9780060786137 |
| Cover Price |
$27.95 |
| No. of Pages |
512 |
| First Edition |
No |
| Rare |
No |
|
| Notes/Review |
In my youth, the Berlin Wall was a thing that had always existed, and would always exist. To be fair, it was erected when I was 2, so it hadn't always existed. And nothing lasts forever, so it would have been reasonable for me to expect that it would cease to exist, even perhaps in my lifetime.
As a reader of Cold War spy stories, the Wall held a certain fascination for me. In high school, one proposed trip for our Russian language class included a visit to Checkpoint Charlie. I was perhaps looking forward to that as much as to the rest of the trip through Soviet Russia. That version of the trip never happened; a cheaper and shorter trip came into being, so I never actually laid eyes on the Wall.
So when this book was published it immediately went on my to-read list. Now, 13 years later, I finally got around to reading it.
I've grown to like history that takes the time to tell some personal stories instead of focusing wholly on the "movers and shakers", the Generals and Presidents. The stories of leaders are important, but you can't really understand history without seeing events through the eyes of the average participants. This book, I think, does a very good job on telling about events through the key figures but falls a bit short on the effects on the little guy.
I think the author did a good job of placing the Wall in its proper context. This isn't just about Berlin; to understand the forces in play, it's important to know a bit about the economic and political landscape of Germany as well as some Cold War politics. These topics are sufficiently covered, I think. |
|