Serge Schmemann was the Bonn (Germany) bureau chief for the New York Times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This riveting account of the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, provides both historical and political context for the event that changed the world. Schmemann weaves a cogent account of the rise and fall of communism in Eastern Europe into a commentary that captures the excitement and frenzy surrounding the Wall’s fall, which he witnessed firsthand, as well as the challenges that a reunified Germany faced. Numerous photographs and original New York Times articles written by Schmemann and others before, during, and after the fall are also featured, along with a helpful timeline and extensive list of articles for further reading. (Age 11 and older)

This compelling, first-person narrative recounts the events leading up to the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and its fall in 1989. Well-chosen articles and black-and-white and color photographs from the archives of the New York Times bring the story to life. Maps, a time line of twentieth-century events, suggestions for further reading, and an index supplement the text. NYPL Books for the Teen Age. The author received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting of the reunification of Germany.

Originally published by Kingfisher Great Britain, in 2006.

This is history as only an eyewitness can tell it. In 1989, veteran journalist Serge Schmemann was in his hotel room when his assistant from East Germany burst in with some incredible news: the Berlin Wall was open. Serge jumped into the first cab he could find and raced to the wall in time to witness one of the great moments of European history.

Including articles from the archives of The New York Times, this gripping narrative tells the whole story, from the division of Germany after World War II, to life in the Communist East, to the massive protests that brought an end to the Eastern Bloc, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.