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Tear Down This Wall: A City, a President, and the Speech that Ended the Cold War
On June 12, 1987, Ronald Reagan addressed a crowd of 20,000 people in West Berlin in the shadow of the Berlin Wall. The words he delivered that afternoon would become among the most famous in presidential history. "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate," Reagan said. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!" In this riveting and fast-paced book, Romesh Ratnesar provides an account of how Reagan arrived at his defining moment and what followed from it. The book is based on interviews with numerous former Reagan administration officials and American and German eyewitnesses to the speech, as well as recently declassified State Department documents and East German records of the president's trip. Ratnesar provides new details about the origins of Reagan's speech and the debate within the administration about how to issue the fateful challenge to Gorbachev. Tear Down This Wall re-creates the charged atmosphere surrounding Reagan's visit to Berlin and explores the speech's role in bringing about the fall of the Berlin Wall less than two years later. At the heart of the story is the relationship between two giants of the late twentieth Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Departing from the view that Reagan "won" the Cold War, Ratnesar demonstrates that both Reagan and Gorbachev played indispensable roles in bringing about the end of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry. It was the trust that Reagan and Gorbachev built in each other that allowed them finally to overcome the suspicions that had held their predecessors back. Calling on Gorbachev to tear down the Wall, in Reagan's mind, might actually encourage him to do it. Reagan's speech in Berlin was more than a good sound bite. Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we can now see the speech as the event that marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Elegant and dramatic, Tear Down This Wall is the definitive account of one of the most memorable speeches in recent history and a reminder of the power of a president's words to change the world.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2009
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May 31, 2019
Hail to the speechwriters!
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall in Germany and uttered words that have since become famous: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!” It is a speech that felt like a turning point in the Cold War between the US and the USSR, as well as an impossible pipe dream. And yet, only two years later, the barriers that had kept millions imprisoned in a totalitarian state actually did come down - including the Berlin Wall.
Ratnesar gives a somewhat compelling account of the speech and the wall, at least for those who are not already familiar with the history. (Ratnesar, a former managing editor of TIME magazine, would have turned 11 years old the day before the speech was given.) He gives some background on Reagan, Gorbachev, the Cold War and the Wall, as well as some of the speechwriters. Perhaps the most interesting part is the selection of the site itself - not exactly in front of the Brandenburg Gate, but off to the side where the graffiti-covered wall provided a more appropriate backdrop (with the gate still visible over the top of the wall) - and how speechwriter Peter Robinson met with a group of West Germans and incorporated some of their feelings. Ratnesar talks of the back and forth between different government elements who wanted to edit parts of the speech - and the many who feared that famous line would be seen as a provocation by the East. He tells of the day itself and the immediate and later impact of the speech, as well as the relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev.
Incidentally, this isn't the first book I've read about a speech by Reagan, having also read The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion, so even though the fact that speechwriters have been heavily utilized by all presidents and especially their most famous speeches (the most notable exception being The Gettysburg Address by Lincoln) is a little disappointing, I realize that's just the way it is. But what irked me about this book was Ratnesar's constant downplaying of everything Reagan did and giving the credit to others. Gorbachev "won the Cold War" while Reagan "played a supporting role," he tells us. According to his account, Reagan slept through all his meetings with foreign dignitaries and his contribution to the speeches was minimal. The only talent he had seems to be oratory - in other words, he was just a good actor. (At least, that's how it felt listening to the book). It's an argument those on the Left use when seeking to downplay Reagan's accomplishments (and I consider Reagan one of the better presidents we've had in my lifetime). Plus, in a really weird and inappropriate twist, the Epilogue makes comparisons to Barack Obama - who took office in 2009, the same year this book was published.
Honestly, it's not a completely bad book and I did enjoy parts of it, but it's not as balanced as it pretends to be. The best part was the inclusion in the audio book of the complete audio of Reagan's actual speech.
In 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall in Germany and uttered words that have since become famous: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!” It is a speech that felt like a turning point in the Cold War between the US and the USSR, as well as an impossible pipe dream. And yet, only two years later, the barriers that had kept millions imprisoned in a totalitarian state actually did come down - including the Berlin Wall.
Ratnesar gives a somewhat compelling account of the speech and the wall, at least for those who are not already familiar with the history. (Ratnesar, a former managing editor of TIME magazine, would have turned 11 years old the day before the speech was given.) He gives some background on Reagan, Gorbachev, the Cold War and the Wall, as well as some of the speechwriters. Perhaps the most interesting part is the selection of the site itself - not exactly in front of the Brandenburg Gate, but off to the side where the graffiti-covered wall provided a more appropriate backdrop (with the gate still visible over the top of the wall) - and how speechwriter Peter Robinson met with a group of West Germans and incorporated some of their feelings. Ratnesar talks of the back and forth between different government elements who wanted to edit parts of the speech - and the many who feared that famous line would be seen as a provocation by the East. He tells of the day itself and the immediate and later impact of the speech, as well as the relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev.
Incidentally, this isn't the first book I've read about a speech by Reagan, having also read The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion, so even though the fact that speechwriters have been heavily utilized by all presidents and especially their most famous speeches (the most notable exception being The Gettysburg Address by Lincoln) is a little disappointing, I realize that's just the way it is. But what irked me about this book was Ratnesar's constant downplaying of everything Reagan did and giving the credit to others. Gorbachev "won the Cold War" while Reagan "played a supporting role," he tells us. According to his account, Reagan slept through all his meetings with foreign dignitaries and his contribution to the speeches was minimal. The only talent he had seems to be oratory - in other words, he was just a good actor. (At least, that's how it felt listening to the book). It's an argument those on the Left use when seeking to downplay Reagan's accomplishments (and I consider Reagan one of the better presidents we've had in my lifetime). Plus, in a really weird and inappropriate twist, the Epilogue makes comparisons to Barack Obama - who took office in 2009, the same year this book was published.
Honestly, it's not a completely bad book and I did enjoy parts of it, but it's not as balanced as it pretends to be. The best part was the inclusion in the audio book of the complete audio of Reagan's actual speech.
Want to read
May 19, 2019I'll bypass age/date-related commentary & simply say that AB version of this book is upcoming freebie as part of 2019 SYNC Audiobook for Teens. It's paired with A Night Divided.
IMHO, SYNC is a great program to entice teens (and sometimes, adults) to 'read' via ABs—e.g., whilst waiting for pick up from whatever activity :D Entire 2019 SYNC title pairings @ https://www.audiobooksync.com/2019-sy...
IMHO, SYNC is a great program to entice teens (and sometimes, adults) to 'read' via ABs—e.g., whilst waiting for pick up from whatever activity :D Entire 2019 SYNC title pairings @ https://www.audiobooksync.com/2019-sy...
September 27, 2020
So interesting, though some of the politics were a little hard to follow on the audio. I thought the author did a good job in his treatment of Reagan. The speech writers, no doubt, deserve credit, but at the same time, who deserves more accolades? The speech writer who wrote “tear down this wall“ or the president who had the guts to get up and say it? Either way, it was a time of change and both Gorbachev and Reagan played interesting roles in this time of history.
October 18, 2021
YAWN. For all I hate Reagan (and it's a lot: I count Reagan almost up there with Stalin and Hitler in terms of genocidal megalomaniacs responsible for decades upon decades of suffering), I do think the "tear down this wall" speech was an important moment, and not only because I had a very personal connection to the literal fucking Wall. I was a kid for the Mauerfall, but I distinctly remember how it felt. But this is a very American approach to the end of the Cold War and Mauerfall, focusing more on a single speech by a single American man instead of the actual grunt work of ending the Cold War. The book mentions "files the Stasi had secretly kept on 6 million citizens," amongst which my family had a place, but there's little to no attention paid to the actual German effort to bring down the Wall. Most East Berliners desperately wanted the Wall to come down, Communist rule to end, Germany to be reunited. And yet here is a book focusing on what the USA did to oh-so-graciously help my country.
The part I found most fascinating about this book was the unintended hilarity of the contrast between Reagan's outward speech and his actual politics. The author argues that Reagan "sought to avoid conflict through personal diplomacy," which is kind of like saying Stalin preferred to visit his detractors personallyand put a bullet in their heads. The book quotes from Reagan's speech at Moscow State University, in which Reagan proclaims that "every individual life is infinitely precious" and that "every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer," but that isn't reflected at all in Reagan's political career, which fucked over not only other countries but also first and foremost an enormous percentage of the American population. Reagan might have said that "a wall that is put up to confine people and keep them within their own country, instead of allowing them the freedom of world travel, has to be somehow wrong," but he certainly didn't feel that way about walls keeping people out, if his stance on immigrants and refugees are any indication. And let's be entirely clear: Reagan's speech did not end the Cold War. Reagan's speech did not even act as the primary catalyst for tearing down the Wall and reuniting Berlin. Reagan didn't go a goddamn thing except sit back and let hundreds of thousands of people die during his presidency. Fuck Reagan, and fuck this book.
The part I found most fascinating about this book was the unintended hilarity of the contrast between Reagan's outward speech and his actual politics. The author argues that Reagan "sought to avoid conflict through personal diplomacy," which is kind of like saying Stalin preferred to visit his detractors personally
June 11, 2019
This year marks the 30 year anniversary of the collapse of the Wall so I'm on a bit of reading spree on the topic...
This book is an insightful account of Reagan's famous "Tear down this Wall" speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987. The audiobook includes the full speech Reagan gave, which I'd never heard in its entirety.
The book is well researched and written in a cool, objective tone (as you'd expect from a Time Magazine editor), and presents a fascinating picture of the American (presidential) side of things surrounding the events unfolding in Germany in the 1980s. For once, I didn't get irritated with how life in East/West Germany was portrayed so that's a big plus!
The culmination of the book is, of course, the 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate but it includes details up to the collapse of the Wall and the end of the Cold War two years later. (It also features a rather disjointed epilogue comparing Obama with Reagan, which felt completely out of place. The book would have had a much stronger finish without this unnecessary epilogue.)
Not knowing really all that much about Reagan (beyond him having been an actor, conservative views, etc.), his interactions and negotiations with Gorbachev were quite fascinating to learn about. I didn't realise that Reagan would regularly nod off during meetings, and that, in fact, this was well known by the end of his time as president!
The audiobook is well read EXCEPT for the pronunciation of German names and phrases. Horrendous. It might have helped to get some instruction on how to pronounce the names of key German politicians at the time! I could barely grasp the meaning of any German phrases thrown in due to mispronunciation and his terrible stress patterns.
This book is an insightful account of Reagan's famous "Tear down this Wall" speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987. The audiobook includes the full speech Reagan gave, which I'd never heard in its entirety.
The book is well researched and written in a cool, objective tone (as you'd expect from a Time Magazine editor), and presents a fascinating picture of the American (presidential) side of things surrounding the events unfolding in Germany in the 1980s. For once, I didn't get irritated with how life in East/West Germany was portrayed so that's a big plus!
The culmination of the book is, of course, the 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate but it includes details up to the collapse of the Wall and the end of the Cold War two years later. (It also features a rather disjointed epilogue comparing Obama with Reagan, which felt completely out of place. The book would have had a much stronger finish without this unnecessary epilogue.)
Not knowing really all that much about Reagan (beyond him having been an actor, conservative views, etc.), his interactions and negotiations with Gorbachev were quite fascinating to learn about. I didn't realise that Reagan would regularly nod off during meetings, and that, in fact, this was well known by the end of his time as president!
The audiobook is well read EXCEPT for the pronunciation of German names and phrases. Horrendous. It might have helped to get some instruction on how to pronounce the names of key German politicians at the time! I could barely grasp the meaning of any German phrases thrown in due to mispronunciation and his terrible stress patterns.
October 24, 2020
Normally I don’t read nonfiction, but this period in history, and Reagan himself, fascinate me. The book itself was not gripping. It was slightly dry. The details I enjoyed. The best part for me was listening to Reagan’s entire speech in the audiobook version.
July 12, 2019
very interesting to hear the american perspective
June 3, 2019
I listened to this book as part of Audiofile's 2019 Sync program. The audio version starts with Reagan's iconic speech at the wall, which was very helpful in listening to the rest of the story. The book provided a brief overview of Reagan's life and career, including many details which I hadn't known about him. It also described the speechwriters and speechwriting process, which I found quite interesting. I learned a lot about Gorbachev and how good of a relationship he and Reagan had. This book is a great way for any young person to understand how change can be effected.
January 23, 2021
Not my typical read, but I enjoyed learning about our history that I didn't learn when I was younger.
September 22, 2019
I found this book very interesting and really enjoyed reading it. I learned so much about the Berlin Wall, the Cold War, and especially about President Reagan. I grew in respect for Reagan a lot while reading this. I had never actually heard the entire speech before, either, and was very glad they included it before the audiobook. It was amazing to think about how much work and history went into the speech. Oh how things have changed.
Some favorite lines:
"We just think that a wall that is put up to confine people and keep them within their own country, instead of allowing them the freedom of world travel, has to be somehow wrong." -Reagan
"Noonan told an interviewer about her last meeting with Reagan in the Oval Office: 'I had the sense for the first time of his aging,' she said, 'and the fact that he's an old man. An old man in a job that isn't an old man's job.'"
"Freedom is the right to question, and change the established way of doing things. It is the continuing revolution of the marketplace. It is the understanding that allows us to recognize shortcomings and seek solutions. It is the right to put forth an idea, scoffed at by the experts, and watch it catch fire among the people. It is the right to stick - to dream - to follow your dream, or stick to your conscience, even if you're the only one in a sea of doubters.
Freedom is the recognition that no single person, no single authority of government has a monopoly on the truth, but that every individual life is infinitely precious, that every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer." -Reagan's speech at Moscow State University
"...made the world a better, safer, and saner place. None would have been possible without Gorbachev. In this drama, Reagan was the supporting actor."
"...the files the Stasi had secretly kept on 6 million citizens--one-third of the country's population."
"[Reagan] sought to avert conflict through personal diplomacy."
Some favorite lines:
"We just think that a wall that is put up to confine people and keep them within their own country, instead of allowing them the freedom of world travel, has to be somehow wrong." -Reagan
"Noonan told an interviewer about her last meeting with Reagan in the Oval Office: 'I had the sense for the first time of his aging,' she said, 'and the fact that he's an old man. An old man in a job that isn't an old man's job.'"
"Freedom is the right to question, and change the established way of doing things. It is the continuing revolution of the marketplace. It is the understanding that allows us to recognize shortcomings and seek solutions. It is the right to put forth an idea, scoffed at by the experts, and watch it catch fire among the people. It is the right to stick - to dream - to follow your dream, or stick to your conscience, even if you're the only one in a sea of doubters.
Freedom is the recognition that no single person, no single authority of government has a monopoly on the truth, but that every individual life is infinitely precious, that every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer." -Reagan's speech at Moscow State University
"...made the world a better, safer, and saner place. None would have been possible without Gorbachev. In this drama, Reagan was the supporting actor."
"...the files the Stasi had secretly kept on 6 million citizens--one-third of the country's population."
"[Reagan] sought to avert conflict through personal diplomacy."
November 17, 2016
The history behind of the world's great speeches. A lot of behind the scenes history. I was amazed how much goes into a speech like this one.
June 18, 2019
I've never been much of a news junkie but I am a history buff. I do remember the fall of the Berlin Wall and the thrill of hope and optimism that gave me. I only kind of, sort of remember Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech. I wasn't a Reagan fan so I know that if I saw it, it was only in news clips, not its entirety. This book explores the end of the Cold War as symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall through the lens of Reagan's speech. Other factors are definitely included but, in a typically American approach to world history, the focus is primarily on Reagan and the American impact leading up to the event. Unusually for an audiobook, it opens with the supplemental material of an interview with the author and a full recreation of Ronald Reagan giving the speech. Those interested in how speeches come about may be intrigued by the in-depth back and forth and multitude of individuals and agencies who all contributed to it though I found it a bit tedious after awhile. I did gain a greater insight into Reagan's character and his strengths and weaknesses as a president. I also particularly enjoyed learning more about Gorbachev and his background and character. The epilogue which contrasts and compares Reagan with the newly elected Obama seems to unnecessarily date the book. I personally would have enjoyed a broader not-US-focused perspective but that, of course, wasn't the point of the book.
June 10, 2019
I didn't know much about Ronald Reagan or his role during the Cold War prior to this book. While it starts off with his speech, the book provides a deeper context around the Berlin Wall and the political situation before it got erected, during the 28 years of its existence, and the circumstances under which it finally was torn down.
The book is well written and the audio version includes the entire speech and interview with the author, which I found a treat.
Prior to reading the book, I only vaguely knew the Wall's history, though I've visited Check Point Charlie, and a few other spots and museums dedicated to the Wall's history in Berlin.
Thanks to this book I now have more historical context. The part of the book that describes how Ronald Reagan's speech was written gave a fascinating peak behind the scenes of political diplomacy. The most mind-boggling thing was how at the time of the speech - in 1987 - no one believed the Wall would go down within their lifetime. Some hoped, but no one could have predicted that within 2 years it would be torn down.
The book is well written and the audio version includes the entire speech and interview with the author, which I found a treat.
Prior to reading the book, I only vaguely knew the Wall's history, though I've visited Check Point Charlie, and a few other spots and museums dedicated to the Wall's history in Berlin.
Thanks to this book I now have more historical context. The part of the book that describes how Ronald Reagan's speech was written gave a fascinating peak behind the scenes of political diplomacy. The most mind-boggling thing was how at the time of the speech - in 1987 - no one believed the Wall would go down within their lifetime. Some hoped, but no one could have predicted that within 2 years it would be torn down.
June 23, 2019
I downloaded this book for free from the Sync Audiobook program for Teens. It’s an interesting choice for that program because, essentially, it’s a microhistory of this speech. I enjoyed the interview with the author and the audio from the original speech. I also enjoyed the larger historical context and background about that time, world relations, and biographical information on Reagan and Gorbachev. My problem is that it drills down so much on the actual speech. Like “Robinson wrote a script. He delivered it to Noonan. Noonan took out these lines. Robinson was upset.” (That didn’t actually happen just like this. Noonan had already left the press office). It doesn’t help that I began reading another microhistory at the same time and this type of drilling down needs to be spread out amongst my reading.
If you’re super into Reagan, speeches, microhistory, etc., check this out. Maybe even check it out if you get a free download. It wasn’t terrible, I just checked out after awhile.
If you’re super into Reagan, speeches, microhistory, etc., check this out. Maybe even check it out if you get a free download. It wasn’t terrible, I just checked out after awhile.
February 29, 2020
This was another freebie audiobook. Wasn’t sure what to expect nor where the author stands politically.
The book details all the finer points of Reagan’s speech to Gorbachev “tear down this wall.” It started rather slowly. Gave a brief, very brief intro to Reagan. Guessing the author is not a huge conservative fan, but he did a good job all the way through the book of keeping it fairly unbiased and more like the rare journalistic article with facts rather than feelings. I pushed through so I could finish the book. I did find a lot of the history interesting because although I lived through this time period, I was too single-focused on my little high school issues half a world away to appreciate the details or ramifications. The book gives the glory ultimately to Gorbachev for his willingness to set a different course, a course that he knew would ultimately end in the death of the Cold War and the communist regime.
The book details all the finer points of Reagan’s speech to Gorbachev “tear down this wall.” It started rather slowly. Gave a brief, very brief intro to Reagan. Guessing the author is not a huge conservative fan, but he did a good job all the way through the book of keeping it fairly unbiased and more like the rare journalistic article with facts rather than feelings. I pushed through so I could finish the book. I did find a lot of the history interesting because although I lived through this time period, I was too single-focused on my little high school issues half a world away to appreciate the details or ramifications. The book gives the glory ultimately to Gorbachev for his willingness to set a different course, a course that he knew would ultimately end in the death of the Cold War and the communist regime.
July 22, 2018
Good read on the history of the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It's mostly a balanced look at Reagan and his presidency, though you can tell the author is somewhat biased. Also, the Epilogue contains a comparison of Obama to Reagan that is just strange. I appreciated the insights from the speechwriter Peter Robinson, who the author interviewed extensively and was given access to his journal notes from the times. An excellent companion book on the fall of the Wall, from the East German perspective is "The Collapse," by Mary Elise Sarotte, reviewed herein.
August 7, 2019
I like that the audiobook starts with the actual speech. I don't remember if I heard it in full back when it was originally given, but I certainly remember hearing "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" I got goosebumps when the book got to the point of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember that being all over the news and watching the people chipping off bit by bit until the wall collapsed. I have a small piece of the wall somewhere. The event made a lasting impression on me. It was a major event from my senior year in high school.
August 19, 2019
2019 Audiobook Sync Pick!
I would have never listened to this had it not been an Audiobook Sync pick.
This book and its pairing A Night Divided made me realize how much a public school education deprived me of modern history. I was born before and never taught about The Cold War.
I feel like I got the Mesopotamia, Ancient Rome, Founding Fathers and the Civil War history. But absolutely nothing else past World War II, except a blip on civil rights each Black History Month.
I firmly wish history since the 1960s has been taught to me in my formal education more.
I would have never listened to this had it not been an Audiobook Sync pick.
This book and its pairing A Night Divided made me realize how much a public school education deprived me of modern history. I was born before and never taught about The Cold War.
I feel like I got the Mesopotamia, Ancient Rome, Founding Fathers and the Civil War history. But absolutely nothing else past World War II, except a blip on civil rights each Black History Month.
I firmly wish history since the 1960s has been taught to me in my formal education more.
March 21, 2024
I learned so much from this book. It is fascinating to think how much President Reagan did to better the relations between the US and Soviet Union. He and Gorbechev worked well together and the Wall eventually came down. It is so sad to think about what the situation with Putin is now.
The first time I was eligible to vote was in 1981, when Reagan ran against Carter. However, since I was only 18 and did not keep up with politics, there are many things I did not know about the subject of the book. It is very interesting and eye-opening.
The first time I was eligible to vote was in 1981, when Reagan ran against Carter. However, since I was only 18 and did not keep up with politics, there are many things I did not know about the subject of the book. It is very interesting and eye-opening.
July 31, 2019
Surprisingly interesting for focusing on a speech and the speech writers. I think I would have found a book that focused more on the Berlin wall and the history of what happened in East Germany more fascinating rather than Reagan and his speech. But that would be my bad book selection—nothing against this book. I enjoyed the audio version because it was nice to listen to Reagan’s speech in its entirety before even beginning the book.
March 19, 2024
This was an interesting view of the world around this time. Often called the feel good era. And we certainly did. There's always those who don't like whatever presidents are in the White House at any given time, but during this era it really was the fall of communism and that cold war that we always seem to be under threat.
June 1, 2019
This is a very interesting book about Reagan, and the Berlin Wall. I found it very informative!
Highly recommended! I remember when the wall came down. It was a cool day!
Thank you Ronald Reagan, for all of your faults and imperfections, you still were a great president!!
Highly recommended! I remember when the wall came down. It was a cool day!
Thank you Ronald Reagan, for all of your faults and imperfections, you still were a great president!!
June 4, 2019
Really solid description of the events and speach writing drama leading up to the famous speech, plus an account of how it led to actual change. Recommended for fans of the West Wing who love the behind the Oval Office drama, but probably not super gripping to anyone else.
June 9, 2019
I listened to the audiobook on the SyncAudio free summer audiobook program. A clear and easy to understand history of the Berlin Wall with a focus on Reagan’s speech. Written by a journalist, not an historian—a plus in my book ;)
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July 9, 2019Part of the 2019 SYNC summer audiobook giveaway. Interesting to hear the backstory of the speech, Reagan, and the relationship between Reagan and Gorbachev. So hard to believe it’s been 30 years... Man, that makes me feel old.
July 28, 2019
Well written but mostly seems to be propaganda and/or the myth of Regan piece. All is successes and good point are made larger than life and his bad points and failures are dismissed and glossed over.
April 10, 2020
This is definitely not something I would normally have picked up, but I got the audiobook free from last years AudioSync and finally got around to reading it. It was really interesting - I enjoy history, and I seem to be able to read it best by listening to it!
May 18, 2020
Very interesting piece of history. To have the author acknowledge the reality of roles that Reagan and Gobechov played in ending the Cold War and not simplify it into a contest that was won and lost was satisfying. Well written and researched.
March 30, 2021
I think this was a great way to present a historical non-fiction book. I tend to get overwhelmed with long non-fiction books, so I liked how this book told a brief history of the cold war through the lens of Reagan's Tear Down This Wall speech.
August 29, 2018
I wondered how a whole book could be written about one line in a speech. It is fascinating, and I even wanted to read more.
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