On the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall, the daily beast sorts through the best new and old books on the cold war and the fall of communism. Among the voices gathered here are those of leading scholars, a dissident from a time when dissent required real bravery, and a journalist who was there when. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. On the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. The berlin wall may have fallen, but many divisions will take a longer time to heal. On november 9, 1989, in defiance of his communist bosses, he opened the largest checkpoint of the berlin wall to.
The ordinary people who lived and worked in the gdr and who attempted to escape its. Therefore, they had to cordon off all of west berlin. As the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall approaches, here are 10 books that best illustrate the damage it caused. Simple book production the rise and fall of the berlin wall. When the berlin wall fell on november 9, 1989, its destruction was nearly as instantaneous as its creation. President ronald reagans speech at the berlin wall 6121987.
The fall of the berlin wall turning points in history. All prices include worldwide shipping to most countries. The wall is a symbol of happiness and separation, of tear and laughter. Photograph of president reagan giving a speech at the berlin wall, brandenburg gate, federal republic of germany 6121987. The berlin wall 1961 1989 begins with a brief history of berlin, the origins of how the city came to be and the characters who ruled it before moving on to the purpose of the book the berlin wall from its inception, construction, operation and sudden fall on 9 november 1989. This book is perfect for people who like reading nonfiction books. Aridjiss debut novel takes as its main character a mexican girl, tatiana, who comes to modernday berlin and begins to trace the long and tortured legacy of the citys history. A good focused history on the construction of the berlin wall with an emphasis on the 1960s. People had excellent healthcare facilities and free public transport. The author captured the feel of the city and the tensions of the day. Excellent book, good account of the background and the events which caused the wall to be built by somebody who witnessed these events first hand. This intriguing city has a tumultuous past, but has been reborn as a youthfully vibrant centre for arts, culture and music. Berlin wall presentation by roberto garcia on prezi.
Delaney, 12, wisely says, it is a good book with heartbreak and courage, war and prison, but mostly adventure. When it fell, the event was celebrated around the world. In its final form, the 156 km 97 mi wall consisted of inner and outer concrete walls separated by a death strip some 15 m 49 ft to 150 m 490 ft wide. The author presented the germans who were responsible for the demise of the gdr and the opening of the wall. After the fall of the wall, tatiana experiences a city busy with reconstruction and activity, but. The wall cut off west berlin from surrounding east germany, including east berlin. Great book with photos that i thoroughly enjoyed and do heartily recommend for its historic content. The 20th anniversary of the fall of the infamous berlin wall offers a chance to reflect on the german capitals long and often troubled past. The significance of the wall simple book production. Engels edited volume is perhaps the singlebest introduction to the. Read cnn s berlin wall fast facts and learn more about the symbol of the cold war and eastwest relations. The berlin wall came to show the different ideologies between the different systems of governments, how they worked and what the people thought about them. The surprising human factors behind the fall of the berlin. The cold war was the name given to the relationship between the ussr and usa after the end of ww2.
The rise and fall of the berlin wall and why it matters today. A mass exodus of east germans into west germany began almost 15 years before the berlin wall was erected in 1961. Watchful communist border guard mans the berlin wall and keeps a constant lookout for persons attempting to escape from east berlin ca. With the anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall just around the corner, its time to read about how this divisive structure influenced the city. Once the wall went up in 1961 life for east berlin began to improve under the communist system. Construction of the wall was commenced by the german democratic republic gdr, east germany on august 1961. On the morning of august, 1961, the residents of east berlin fo. Nine surprising facts about the fall of the berlin wall. Only drawback was the references to names of government officials and other sources. This was the best book i have read about the berlin wall, and i have recently read a number of books on the wall and berlin. In postworld war ii germany, the berlin wall was erected on august 16, 1961, along the demarcation between the eastern sector of berlin controlled by the soviet union, and the western sectors occupied by the united states, france, and great britain.
It finally gives the real story behind the falling of the wall. In the fall of the berlin wall, renowned author and conservative pioneer william f. Top 10 books about the berlin wall as the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall approaches, here are 10 books that best illustrate the damage it caused. It was there in the rows of iron poles that marked where it used to stand. The history books say the wall opened on one strange night. An east german citizen holds a piece of the wall to east german border guard when moving into the west at wollankstrasse passage in west berlin s district of wedding, nov. Taylors writing is engaging and flows well, and he does a great job telling the walls compelling. The system of walls, electrified fences, and fortifications extended 28 miles through berlin and extended a further 75 miles around west berlin. It was more of a tension between the us and the ussr and their differing capitalist and communist views. List of books and articles about berlin wall online.
Berlin wall, barrier that surrounded west berlin and prevented access to it from east berlin and adjacent areas of east germany during the period from 1961 to 1989. Among his books simple stories, adam and evelyn, one more story the best example of this transmutation is in his 2005 novel new lives. Suzanne munshower profiles her ten favourite books about the berlin wall at 1 am on august 1961, barbed wire was rolled out in the first step of building a wall that would split a city for more than quarter of a century. This book is an excellent account of the berlin wall that separates east and west berlin. Life behind the wall east berlin simple book production. If you read this book about the berlin wall and the families trapped inside, it will change the way you look at war. Book of clouds delves into berlin s dark past as the key to its future direction. Taylor is especially good on the political machinations within the gdr and germany as well as the. First it s very interesting how the berlin wall fail because people want to know why the berlin wall failed. The berlin wall was built in 1961 during the cold war and separated east and west berlin.
In fact, east germany wanted to cut off all access that east germans had to west berlin. Then, we crossed the street to the memorial, and started walking the berlin wall. The berlin wall, like the much longer inner german border between east and west germany, was designed with two purposes in mind. The berlin wall was erected more than 15 years into the cold war.
They are available for purchase through our affiliate partner, the book depository at low prices. As the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall approaches, here are 10 books that best illustrate the damage it caused suzanne munshower tue 25 aug 2009 08. Top 10 books about the berlin wall books the guardian. The book design is like a magazine, with many photographs, quotes, and boxed insets, and the bibliography. The berlin wall by norman gelb goodreads share book. However, after such a great buildup, the fall of the wall is dealt with far too quickly and the whole book suffers from not including a single map of berlin, meaning. A world divided, 19611989 reprint by frederick taylor isbn. The best thing about the book for me anyway, is the human side of it.
The berlin wall is commonly thought of as a wall between east and west berlin. These brilliant books about the cold war offer not just an insight into life behind the iron curtain but. East germany, officially the german democratic republic gdr, was a communist state that existed from 1949 to 1990 in the former. This textbook outlines the rise and fall of the berlin wall and the key themes around the time. List of books and articles about berlin wall online research.
These books can provide a better understanding of the geography of, the history behind and the collateral damage caused by this monument to humankinds perversity. For 28 years, the berlin wall had been a symbol of the cold war and the iron curtain between sovietled communism and the democracies of the west. People, in a desire to gather with their significant others, years after years never stop thinking of ways to cross the line. It incorporates primary sources, including videos and pictures, to help you understand this significant topic in world history. Purchasing your cold war books through these links is a great way to support alpha history while saving money. Books that offer perspective on the fall of the berlin wall, 30 years.
Ive now read several remarkable books about how and why it collapsed, steeping myself in the dark history before that miraculous. The berlin wall completely surrounded the democratic half of the city. It was there in the bricks on the floor, running across where it used to be. The berlin wall the cold war was started immediately after ww2 1945 and lasted all the way to 1991. For the fifth of our ten great books set in series, we have chosen berlin. It is a great book going from the time almost directly after world war 2 and goes up to the time that the wall fell and the soviet union disbanded. Nielsen, edge of eternity by ken follett, cloud and wallfish by anne nesbet, black dogs by i. Berlin wall, 196189, a barrier first erected in aug. The berlin wall has now been down as long as it was up. More than 2 million east germans, most of them skilled laborers and professionals, fled to the west between 1949 and 1961.
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