The picnic

£22.00

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 and packed the nearby camping sites, awaiting an opportunity, fearing prison, surveilled by lurking Stasi agents. The highest state authorities were choosing to turn a blind eye – but that could change at any moment. The stage was set for the greatest border breach in Cold War history: that day hundreds would cross from the Communist East to the longed-for freedom of the West. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union – the so-called end of history – all would flow from those dramatic hours.

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SKU: 9781847927798 Category: Tags: ,

Description

A narrative reconstruction of the greatest border breach in Cold War history and its tumultuous aftermath.

‘Longo’s engrossing and dramatic book adds a new, captivating chapter to the history of the Cold War’ William Boyd, New Statesman

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

‘This little gem of a book . . . intensely moving’ Sunday 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 *

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: that day hundreds would cross from the Communist East to the longed-for freedom of the West. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union – the so-called end of history – all would flow from those dramatic hours.

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. Freedom had been won but parents had been abandoned and families divided. Love affairs faltered and new lives had to be built from scratch.

The Picnic is the story of a moment when the tide of history turned. It shows how freedom can be both dream and disillusionment, and how all we take for granted can vanish in an instant.

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

‘Captivating . . . a vivid, fast-paced narrative’ New York Times

Additional information

Weight 0.536 kg
Dimensions 24 × 16.2 × 3.1 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

xiv, 304

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

909.825 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K