Description

A gripping reconstruction of the world-changing day when hundreds of East Germans broke across the border to the West, leading to the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

‘Engrossing and dramatic . . . captivating’ William Boyd, New Statesman

‘Intensely moving’ Sunday Times

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.

‘A pivotal – and exhilarating – moment in 20th century history. . . gripping’ Observer

‘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 *

Publisher Review

Revisits in captivating detail the actions of ordinary people during that heady summer of 1989 . . . Longo recounts the drama in a vivid, fast-paced narrative [which] never lacks verve * The New York Times * An elegantly crafted account of an extraordinary but largely forgotten gathering ... He tells a gripping tale ... relating to both timeless questions of struggle and agency, and topics in the headlines today * Boston Globe * A terrific work of history that also becomes a meditation on what freedom means and how tyrannies fall * Slate 10 Best Books of 2023 * The true charm of Mr Longo's book, and its greatest historical value, lies in his accounts of ordinary citizens - mostly East German - who sought to throw off their Communist shackles by fleeing west at great personal peril. We also owe him a debt for resuscitating . . . the Picnic that changed the world * Wall Street Journal * Extensively documented, well written, and thoughtful in its consideration of what freedom means, this book is an informative and engaging history of the event, its origins, and the aftermath ... A much-needed reminder of the inexhaustibility of the human quest for personal and collective freedom * Kirkus Best of Non-fiction 2023 *