EAN: 9781847927804

THE PICNIC - MATTHEW LONGO KARTONIERT (TB)

A gripping reconstruction of the escape to freedom of hundreds of East Germans in the summer of
1989 and its momentous  world-changing aftermath. 'A pivotal - and exhilarating - moment in
20th century history. . . gripping' Observer 'Intensely moving' Sunday Times 'Engrossing and
dramatic' William Boyd  New Statesman FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2024
In August 1989  a group of Hungarian activists did the unthinkable: they entered the forbidden
militarised zone of the Iron Curtain - and held a picnic. Word had spread of what was going to
happen. On wisps of rumour  thousands of East German 'holiday-makers' had made their way to the
border between Hungary and Austria  awaiting an opportunity  fearing prison  surveilled by
lurking Stasi agents. The stage was set for the greatest border breach in Cold War history. The
fall of the Berlin Wall  the end of the Soviet Union - the so-called end of history - all would
flow from what happened next. Drawing on dozens of original interviews with those involved -
activists and border guards  escapees and secret police  as well as the last Communist prime
minister of Hungary - Matthew Longo reconstructs this world-shaping event and its tumultuous
aftermath. 'Evoke[s] the dramatic events in vivid colour . . . fascinating' Katja Hoyer 
Telegraph ***** 'Captivating . . . a vivid  fast-paced narrative' New York Times * A GUARDIAN
BIGGEST FICTION AND NON-FICTION FOR 2024 * A WATERSTONES 'BOOK YOU NEED TO READ IN 2024' * A
FOYLES TOP TEN READ FOR JANUARY 2024 *

Aktuelle Preise zur EAN 9781847927804

Produktinformationen zur 9781847927804