Quantity:

More Buying Choices

17 used & new from �8.95

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

The Fall of the GDR (Themes In Modern German History)

See larger image

Share your own customer images

Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Fall of the GDR (Themes In Modern German History) (Paperback)

by David Childs (Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Price:	�16.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, November 12? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

12 new from �16.99 5 used from �8.95

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover			Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Lives Of Others [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ Martina Gedeck

4.7 out of 5 stars (127) �3.98

› Explore similar items

Product details

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Longman (19 Feb 2001)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0582315697
ISBN-13: 978-0582315693
Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.5 x 1.3 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 867,647 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

(What is this?)

The Themes opens new browser window

www.Ask.com - Search for The Themes Find The themes

Product Description

Review

"a well-written narrative history...should be read by anyone who is interested in the decline and fall of communism" Contemporary Review, vol. 281, no. 1638, July 2002

Product Description

The book charts the dramatic months leading to one of the most profound changes of the 20th century, the opening of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the restoration of German unity in 1990. The author analyses the nature of Communist rule in the GDR over 40 years, its few strengths and its many weaknesses, and the myths which grew up around it. This book places the GDR in its international setting as the proud ally of the Soviet Union in the Warsaw Pact. It examines the reactions abroad to the unfolding revolution.

The text is based on a wide variety of written sources and many interviews with leading Communist figures, such as Krenz and Modrow, and with their opponents and successors, and former Stasi officers and the dissidents they tried to crush. It greatly benefits from the author's decades of involvement with East Germany, including personal friendships there, before 1989 and his eye-witness accounts of many of the events during Die Wende. It should be of interest not only to students of German politics, contemporary history and the Cold War, but to all who are curious about the momentous times through which we have lived.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	59% buy the item featured on this page: The Fall of the GDR (Themes In Modern German History) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �16.99
	41% buy Anatomy of a Dictatorship: Inside the GDR 1949-1989 (New Oxford History of England) 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) �25.84

Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An emminently readable account of the end of the GDR regime, 17 May 2002

By A Customer

David Childs has produced a comprehensive but highly readable account of the fall of communism in the GDR. My initial concern (not being a graduate in politics) was that I would find the book informative but dry and that it was designed more for a reference study for students than a history book for the quasi-historian. However, quite the contary was the case with the book being divided in to easily defined chapters on specific events/topics. There is much anecdotal evidence drawn upon with the author having consulted a number of german language biographies written by members of the fallen regime. His own account of his visits to the GDR in the preface are interesting for those who have had the experience in visiting a highly unusual but complex country. Highly embarassed must Chancellor Schroder now be that his stance on the GDR in the 1980s has not been forgotten although it is clear that the majority of Germans might now secretly endorse his apparent acceptance of the GDR as a permanently separate state.
I hope Mr Childs will write a similarly readable book on the life of Honecker. Certainly I would recommend the book to anybody wishing to understand the reasons behind the fall of what appeared at the time to be an enduring but cruel regime. It also appraises the role of Krenz in a balanced and interesting way, citing Krenz's removal from the axis of power on an enforced holiday to keep him from plotting against the aged but obviously cunning Honecker...

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

4.0 out of 5 stars The Fall of the DDR, 5 Sep 2009

By	Mordred (Swansea, UK) - See all my reviews

David Childs is an excellent author and he knows his subjects - he doesn't pinch other people's ideas and trot out the usual view. He has visited the DDR on a number of occasions so obviously he cannot be accused of not knowing anything about the Deutsche Democratic Republic. His description of the events that caused the sad end of East Germany is intelligent, logical, and his style is very readable.

I visited the DDR on a few occasions in the 70's, and although it is easy to criticise the DDR and point out its faults, it provided full employment, accommodation, decent health and education systems. As a Marxist I deplore the dog eat dog mentality of capitalism, which is especially personified by the USA where you have the very very rich, and the very very poor.

David's book is excellent. It is not too heavy or too long and contains all the basic facts. Although I would have preferred it to be slightly more positive and sympathetic to the DDR, it is a good read and a good buy.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 2 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jqOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jqOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jqOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jqOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; }