Description

An epic journey across 5,000 kilometres and through eight decades, to tell a new story about the old Cold War faultlines

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed that the old divisions between East and West had been consigned to history. But with tensions once again rising, the past has much to tell us about our present. Here Timothy Phillips undertakes a fascinating journey along the full length of the former Iron Curtain, from the Arctic Circle to Turkey’s eastern border, to meet the people who bore witness to this tumultuous era and those who continue to live in its shadow.

‘A first class analysis of Cold War history’ Sunday Independent

‘[Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which were vitally important in the east-west divide… Phillips is a good observer… [with] excellent powers of narrative’ Sunday Times

‘Narrated with energy and aplomb… Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters’ Times Literary Supplement

Publisher Review

An account not only of how the Cold War frontiers were drawn, guarded or penetrated by brave escapers, but – more importantly – of how often they were rendered discreetly porous by all kinds of compromise … fascinating — Neal Ascherson A brilliant book, not only based on an inspired idea, but also written with a keen eye for human hopes, fears and tragedies. … full of surprises — William Hague [Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which, nevertheless, were vitally important in the east-west divide… [He] can be very funny… Yet Phillips can also be sombre… Excellent * Sunday Times * Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters… These individual stories are narrated with energy and aplomb * TLS * At a time when we seem to be entering a new Cold War, here’s a book on the hangover from the original one… [Phillips] travels from the Arctic Circle to Turkey’s eastern border, tracing the history of the Iron Curtain and meeting the people who live with its legacy * Deskbound Traveller * An engaging blend of travel, history and politics, with much resonance for today * Bookseller * A first class analysis of cold war history… well researched * Sunday Independent *