The Picnic by Matthew Longo

The Picnic by Matthew Longo

A gripping reconstruction of the daring escape to freedom of hundreds of East Germans in the summer of 1989 - and how it led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

‘Beautifully written . . . The Picnic reads like a thriller’ Peter Frankopan
'Exhilarating' Observer
'Intensely moving' Sunday Times
'Engrossing and dramatic' William Boyd

In August 1989, a group of activists did the unthinkable: they entered the forbidden militarised zone of the Iron Curtain - and held a picnic. On wisps of rumour, thousands of East German 'holiday-makers' had made their way to the border, 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, Matthew Longo reconstructs this world-shaping event and its tumultuous aftermath.

‘Revelatory . . . adds a new, captivating chapter to the history of the Cold War’ New Statesman

‘Gripping . . . refreshingly fast-paced, effortlessly moving the reader from one place and moment to another’ History Today

'Evoke[s] the dramatic events in vivid colour . . . fascinating' Katja Hoyer, Telegraph *****

‘A great story . . . this is history told from the point of view of those who make it’ Ben Rogers, Times Literary Supplement

*WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2024*

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWN*

Exhilarating. . skilfully dramatises the extraordinary chain of events at a summer party in Hungary that led to the end of Soviet power [and] became a catalyst for the dramatic peaceful revolutions that reunited the continent . . . gripping -- Tim Adams * Observer *
Evoking the dramatic events in vivid colour . . . providing an insight into how deeply this history still matters today . . . fascinating -- Katja Hoyer * Telegraph ***** *
Revelatory . . . Longo's engrossing and dramatic book adds a new, captivating chapter to the history of the Cold War -- William Boyd * New Statesman *
This little gem of a book tells the story of . . . a key Cold War moment . . . Longo’s vivid narrative captures the tension of the moment . . . an intensely moving story that explores the nature of freedom -- Victor Sebestyen * Sunday Times *
Gripping . . . refreshingly fast-paced, effortlessly moving the reader from one place and moment to another . . . should be required reading * History Today *
Beautifully written . . . The Picnic reads like a thriller -- Peter Frankopan, Chair of the Judges of the Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Brisk and engaging . . . It’s an uplifting tale, but Longo takes care not to oversentimentalise it -- Houman Barekat * Guardian *
Captivating . . . Longo recounts the drama in a vivid, fast-paced narrative [which] never lacks verve * The New York Times *
Elegantly crafted . . . He tells a gripping tale . . . relating to both timeless questions of struggle and agency, and topics in the headlines today * Boston Globe *
A great story . . . this is history told from the point of view of those who make it -- Ben Rogers * Times Literary Supplement *

Matthew Longo is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Leiden University and the award-winning author of The Politics of Borders. He lives in The Netherlands.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781529920987
ISBN 10	1529920981
Title	The Picnic
Author	Matthew Longo
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Vintage Publishing
Year published	2025-02-06
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.