Rocking the Wall explores the epic Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin on July 19 1988
and how it changed the world. Erik Kirschbaum spoke to scores of fans and concert organizers on
both sides of the Berlin Wall including Jon Landau Springsteen's long-time friend and manager
to unearth this fascinating story. With lively behind-the-scenes details from eyewitness
accounts magazine and newspaper clippings TV recordings and even Stasi files as well as
photos and memorabilia this gripping book transports you back in the middle of those heady
times shortly before the Berlin Wall fell and gives you a front-row spot at one of the biggest
and most exciting rock concerts ever anywhere. It takes you to an unforgettable journey with
Springsteen through the divided city to his hotel and his dressing room at the open air
concert grounds in Weissensee where The Boss live on stage delivered a courageous speech
against the Wall to a record-breaking crowd of more than 300 000 delirious young East Germans
full of joy and hope. Their thunderous reaction to his speech was so intense that it even
briefly brought tears to Springsteen's eyes. And their tremendous powerful cry for freedom
became the "final nail in the coffin" of the Communist regime and subsequently helped fuel the
uprising that brought down the Wall. Inside this book is as clear a statement of the power of
this music as anyone ever has come up with." -Dave Marsh Rolling Stone music critic "An
illuminating and impressively detailed examination of a frequently overlooked moment in the
nexus of rock music and political liberation. I learned a great deal and enjoyed doing so."
-Eric Alterman author of It Ain't No Sin to Be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce
Springsteen Berlinica Publishing LLC offers English-language books from Berlin German
fiction non-fiction travel guides history about the Wall and the Third Reich Jewish life
art architecture and photography as well as travel guides and cookbook. It also offers
documentaries and feature films on DVD as well as music CDs. Berlinica caters to history buffs
Americans of German heritage travelers and artists and young people who love the cutting-edge
city in the heart of Europe. Berlinica cooperates with Berlin-based publishing houses.
Berlinica's current and upcoming titles include "Our West Berlin " by various authors also
five translated books by famed Weimar author Kurt Tucholsky as well as Harold Poor's landmark
biography of Tucholsky two translated plays by Ernst Toller and two American travel stories
by Alfred Kerr and Roda Roda soon to be followed by Egon Erwin Kisch's "Paradise America".
In the non-fiction department we have "Rocking the Wall " the Bruce-Springsteen-book and
"Burning Beethoven " about German Americans in World War I both by Erik Kirschbaum also "Mark
Twain in Berlin " by Andreas Austilat "Berlin 1945: World War II: Photos of the Aftermath " by
Michael Brettin "The Berlin Wall Today " a full-color guide to the remnants of the Wall by
Michael Cramer "Berlin in the Cold War " about post-World War II history the comprehensive
guide "Jews in Berlin " by Andreas Nachama Julius Schoeps Hermann Simon and "A Place they
Called Home " edited by Donna Swarthout about Jews returning to Germany. We also offer "The
Berlin Cookbook " a full-color collection of traditional German recipes by Rose Marie Donhauser
the picture book "Wings of Desire " by Lothar Heinke "Martin Luther's Travel Guide " by
Cornelia Dömer "Leipzig! The City of Books und Music " by Sebastian Ringel and "Berlin For
Free " a guide for the frugal traveler by Monica Maertens.
