Granta Books The Curtain and the Wall.

by Timothy Phillips

An epic journey across 5,000 kilometres and through eight decades, to tell a new story about the old Cold War faultlines

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, it seemed that the old divisions between East and West had been consigned to history. But with tensions once again rising, the past has much to tell us about our present. Here Timothy Phillips undertakes a fascinating journey along the full length of the former Iron Curtain, from the Arctic Circle to Turkey's eastern border, to meet the people who bore witness to this tumultuous era and those who continue to live in its shadow.

'A first class analysis of Cold War history' Sunday Independent

'[Phillips] visited strange places that very few people have ever heard of but which were vitally important in the east-west divide... Phillips is a good observer... [with] excellent powers of narrative' Sunday Times

'Narrated with energy and aplomb... Phillips has a good ear for historical anecdotes and writes with empathy and acuity about the people and places he encounters' Times Literary Supplement

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History

480 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2023

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this a comprehensive history of the iron curtain or a comprehensive travelogue about a journey along its borders? No it’s not and if you are looking for either of those things it’s best to go elsewhere but for me it was a hugely entertaining read, providing titbits of history from each of the places that Phillips visits - generally things that even relatively informed readers have probably not come across. Definitely one to provide lots of ‘did you know?’ moments over dinner!

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me longer to finish, partly because my appetite to consume all things related to the Cold War has waned in recent months as the world turns to shite, and partly because it was deceptively longer than I first anticipated. The premise of the book sees the author following the route of the Iron Curtain, beginning in Finland and ending up at the border with Turkey and Armenia. The writer does an excellent job of describing not just the geopolitical situation between then and now, but also imparting the cultural and societal impacts the Cold War has had. There are personal stories and history lessons to be had throughout the journey. I’ve read more about Germany during this period than any other time, but what was particularly fascinating were the stories from places like Finland who had Russia knocking loudly on the door as a neighbour, and the impact of the Soviet Union on the other side of the Europe. I did not appreciate quite how brutal the Albanian regime had been. Really well written and researched and I fully felt I had been on the journey alongside the author.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating journey along the old borders created during the cold war. Places I know and many I didn't know of before reading this book. The best tales come from the unexpected meetings Phillips has with locals. Who ever knew about the British involvement of the 100's of graves on a remote Greek island.
This book stays on my bookshelf for re-reading again and again.

[Stephen Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read on journey through the old Iron curtain divided countries

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book quite a difficult read
It covers so many different atrocities that took place along the Iron Curtain. It was interesting though and I found out lots of things I didn't know about

[rhianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

forgot about goodreads but i loved this, i got a tad lost at the end but that's because i knew less in general about the more southern areas of the iron curtain so that's my fault