1989: o ano que mudou o mundo: A verdadeira história da queda do muro de Berlim

by Michael R. Meyer

Em 9 de novembro de 1989, o Muro de Berlim foi abaixo, simbolizando o fim da era comunista. O então chefe da sucursal da Newsweek no Leste europeu assistiu a tudo de perto e entrevistou os principais atores envolvidos no cenário anterior à derrubada da Cortina de Ferro. Foi o último jornalista, por exemplo, a entrevistar Nicolae Ceaucescu, tendo assistido à execução do tirano romeno por sua própria polícia secreta.

Esse foi o ano que mudou o mundo, marcou o fim da Guerra Fria e o início de uma época de globalização e livre mercado. Mesmo naquele momento, Meyer já desconfiava de que não se via a história toda. Vinte anos depois, esse livro desconstrói os mitos que cercam o acontecimento, nos conta a verdadeira história por trás das notícias dos jornais e mostra seus efeitos nos dia de hoje. O ano de 1989 foi uma fantasia e agora vamos saber por quê.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Germany, Politics, European History, 20th Century, Poland

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2009

About the author

Michael Ryder Meyer is Dean of the Graduate School of Media and Communications at Aga Khan University's Nairobi, Kenya campus. He was previously the chief speechwriter for the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon.

Before his post at the United Nations, Meyer was at Newsweek Magazine for two decades. From 2001 to 2007 he was Europe Editor for Newsweek International, where he also oversaw the magazine's coverage of the Middle East and Asia.

He wrote The Year That Changed The World: The Untold Story of The Fall of The Berlin Wall. His previous book, The Alexander Complex was published by Times Books.

He has written for The New York Times.

Reviews

[LG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in high school in Japan when the wall came down. It felt like something very far away. And once I became aware of events, I started to pay attention. But I know that I missed much.
I remember being frustrated by the lack of a bigger picture.
Later, in 1992, I went to teach English in Poland.
It was interesting to see the transition. Even in 92 there seemed to still be a feeling of waiting and watching.

This book helps fill in that bigger picture for me.
It explains the path different countries (Hungary, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia) took to become more autonomous and move away from Soviet influence.
I appreciated the connection between larger public events and smaller steps. Although by focusing on the one year, the book underplays the violence that happened in years before.
Tiananmen Square was not the only boogeyman.
Some reviews complain about Meyer's connecting US hubris with the story of the fall of the wall and the Iraq War. I'm curious and almost feel the book could use a part 2 with recent 2016 & 2020 election events. I think there is much to consider with where we are now. Meyer closes the book saying that the US is better than most countries in taking stock of our mistakes and course correcting. Unfortunately, I do not see that dialogue happening. I see few people speaking or even acknowledging difficult truths.
Ultimately, I found the book uplifting. It tells the story of a small group of people dedicated to bringing change in their world.
Also, the book reminded me that revolution needs art. Art that speaks truth.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of events that led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989. Meyer's position is that the US had almost nothing to do with these events. Instead he focuses on Gorbachev's reforms and his repudiation of the Brezhnev Doctrine--the USSR would no longer intervene in the bloc's affairs. He also highlights the Hungarian vanguard, young Turks within the Communist party who carefully and secretly engineered the destruction of communism not only in their own country but throughout Eastern Europe by, among other things, opening a detour to the west for East Germans, through Hungary.

I certainly remember the collapse of the wall; a classmate of my daughter's was in Berlin by chance at the time and brought back pieces of concrete for all the other kindergartners. But much of the rest I remember little about, and Meyer explains part of the reason: it happened in the same year as Tiananmen Square and the death of Ayatollah Khomeini. Plus, much of the story took place in private meetings and politburo meetings. Meyer pieces it together from his own reporting, from interviews years later and from other documentation.

Another strength of Meyer's work is that he was the only Newsweek reporter for Germany and the whole Eastern bloc at the time, so he covered the whole story. He shuttled from one hot spot to the next, and observed most of the key events himself. He gives you first hand versions of meetings with the Hungarians, Honnekar, Ceaucescu, Havel, and dozens more of the men (all men, in his version) who nudged revolution forward, at hyperspeed.

Another strength is that he covers not only the political environment but describes the economic disaster that pervaded almost all of these countries. In Poland and Hungary, for example, the looming economic disaster prompted the ruling party to take steps toward reform or collaboration with the opposition. The book ends with brief descriptions of changes that didn't go so well, in particular Romania, with a few paragraphs on Yugoslavia.

I have no doubt that a different writer would have carved up the credit and blame differently, but for this reader Meyer crafted a compelling story and a politically congenial attitude toward the disastrous mis-reading of the meaning of the end of the Cold War (US hegemony--we have only to will change for it to happen).

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist Michael Meyer gives a comprehensive account of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, beyond the infamous fall of the Berlin Wall. I appreciated his firsthand reporting throughout Germany, Hungary, Romania, the former Czechoslovakia and beyond, showing just how their respective Communist governments were ended. I had wanted to learn more about the Berlin Wall specifically, but learned so much more through this book! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Cold War and the end of Communism throughout Europe.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first-hand account of events leading up to and during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism across Eastern Europe from a reporter who was on the ground at the time.

[Gianluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

“È una povera memoria quella che guarda solo all’indietro” (Lewis Carroll).
Resoconto giornalistico dettagliato degli eventi del 1989 VISSUTI direttamente da un inviato nell’Europa dell’Est.
Una occasione per conoscere la Storia, come punto di partenza per ripensare il futuro dell’Europa.
Consigliatissimo!!

[Shawn Brace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, offering a lot of interesting details and analysis of what led up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. It really provides a needed balance to the common American perspective, which is highly reductionist, of what precipitated these events (and America's role in it all). My two big complaints, which still don't cause me to lower my rating, is that there is absolutely no discussion of Pope John Paul II's role in the fall of Communism. This, to me, is incredibly negligent.

Secondly, I could have really done without Meyer's insistence on trying to connect history with modern (at least 2008) events contained in the opening pages and in the epilogue. I'm fine with a purely historical work, without feeling the need to make it relevant to the contemporary context. The reader can make the connections himself/herself if so desired without the author trying to do it for them.

But, again, this was just a minor part of the book, mostly addressed in the opening and closing pages - which the reader can breeze over or skip altogether.

[Michelle Taufmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The incredible story of the final year (or so) of the Soviet Union, with a focus on the events that led to fall of the Berlin Wall, from a Newsweek reported who covered what was happening. Especially interesting to learn what happened in Hungary to expidite opening to the West. I knew Poland led in challenging Soviet leadership through the union movements, but I had know idea how young, progressive communist party leaders, and one in particular, cleverly played Gorbachev to open the border to Austria. Fascinting all around from someoe who was there and witnessed these events.

[Al Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on the fall of the Eastern bloc states by a journalist who lived through it; which ads a personal touch you don’t often see such as the author touring the bedroom of Ceausescu finds a report on an analysis of the assassination of Sadat and he’s not sure if it is legitimate or planted for him to see after Ceausecu’s death on Christmas Day.

Book is harmed by the author trying to draw parallels to the Iraq War and present times.

[Michael Gerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concise yet great read, this book reveals the events that led to the democratic revolutions that toppled Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, as seen from a correspondent's eyes.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable eyewitness account and explanation of events surrounding he fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain by a journalist who was on the ground in Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania in 1989.

[Carlos Alberto Ledezma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling, first-hand recount of the events that brought upon the fall of the Berlin Wall and of comunism in Eastern Europe.
I believe the book works as a reality check on who were the key players in this very confusing time. It also does a great job at arguing that the misconception of how things unfolded in 1989 mis-shaped the USA's foreign policy for the years to come.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous first hand account of the fall of Communism from the perspective of Michael Meyers. At the time, Meyers was based in Germany for Newsweek covering Germany and Central Europe in the years leading up to and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. We all remember Vaclav Havel in Prague and the "Velvet Revolution" and the Solidarity movement in Poland, but we don't always remember how it all fit together and the lesser known leaders and individuals that put into motion the reform that ultimately lead to the fall of Communism; individuals such as Miklos Nemeth of Hungary and Lech Walesa in Poland. He also dispels the role the United States played during the Reagan and Bush I Administrations to facilitate the fall of Communism. Many would like to think that when Reagan said to Gorbachev "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" that was the impetus of the reform to come in the region. He shows us how very little a role the US actually played and how change was occurring so rapidly there wasn't time for the US to react or be involved. These Soviet Statelite countries proceeded with the understanding that Gorbachev would be tolerant of change and not do anything drastic to prevent these nations from moving forward. It also shows how this distorted self view of the US role and foreign diplomacy lead Bush II to think the "War on Terror" could be "won" as easily as the "Cold War" and why the US is still struggling with some of their international conflicts today.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only got about 100 pages in and quit. The author hardly talks about what happened and focuses on what he thinks is going through peoples minds. It is all a romanticized version of events of which I quickly got tired of. I'm sure if the events were written by another author I would be completely engrossed in it.

[Spencer Braatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading “The Year That Changed the World” by Michael Meyer. This story was about the fall of the Berlin wall and all of the events and stories surrounding it. The majority of the story focuses on the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall. It tells about Hungary and Romania and their reforms. It tells about the leadership in the GDR and how it crumbled in a way.
This book kind of reminds me of current events that are happening in the world today. For example, The Berlin wall was at one time guarded much like the DMZ between North and South Korea. The only difference is that border doesn’t seem like it will open up anytime soon. North Korea is in a way similar to the Communist GDR. The people are hungry, they can’t leave the country, and everything is censored.
I really liked the way the author added in first person encounters and used conversation to make the story come to life. My favorite part of the book is when Germans are protesting and about to riot on both sides of the wall and the security guard just shrugs and opens the gates. One thing I think the author could have done better is make a few parts more interesting. Sometimes the story got a little slow and it was a little dry. Other than that, the story was really good and I learned a lot by reading it too. I would recommend this to a friend.

[diwili · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more readable history books I've come across. In the sense that it's riveting, being a history book written by a journalist who was on the ground for the events being discussed. In this way, it's something of a unique mixture of travel writing, journalism, and history. For instance, Meyer weaves into the narrative his interviews with major players, including Václav Havel and Nikolai Cousteau, and the backstory to how we ended up in the room with these fellas. The book was published in 2009, however, so with plenty of retrospect and further research to firm up the telling of events.
Analysis aside, I really enjoyed reading this book. Perhaps I got a lot out of it because right before reading this one, I read Doug Rossinow's The Reagan Era: A History of the 1980s, which, chronologically, set me right up for this romp through 1989 geopolitics.

I suppose next I'll have to take up a book on the '90s (Chuck Klosterman's?), or on the Yugoslav Wars (Michael Parenti's To Kill a Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia?), just to keep the chronological ball rolling. Seems like a good way to study history—one book leading into the next—although I am open to jumping through wormholes in my personal timeline.

No wormholes in this book. A page-turner gathers no pests.

[Andrés Pertierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably going to be my go-to rec for people looking for an accessible but still serious history of the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe.

Like Timothy Garton Ash’s classic book “The Magic Lantern: The Revolution of '89 Witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague”, Meyer’s is a look at the collapse of Eastern European socialism shaped by his own eyewitness account and work as a journalist in the region at the time. Unlike Ash’s book, however, Meyer’s book was written two decades later and with the benefit of not just hindsight but decades of academic work and numerous memoirs on this era which flesh out our understanding a great deal.

If in Ash’s book the narrative focuses on dissidents and civil society actors, unsurprisingly given that this is who he spoke with, Meyer’s book gets to peel back the curtain on the secret infighting within the halls of power that nobody would have a clear picture of for years after the fact.

I would have loved for just a tad more discussion of the structural economic crisis of the Eastern bloc countries in the 80s but I also realize that this is meant as an introductory text for non-academics and that may be a bit too in the weeds for everyday readers.

Would recommend for sure.

[Nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a class on political conflict as a poli sci novice without a ton of knowledge of the specifics of this particular set of events, but if you are looking for an informed and captivating explanation of them, this one does not disappoint. You could scarcely imagine someone more in the thick of these events then Micheal Meyer, who seems to have been blessed to be at almost all the most pivotal place at the pivotal moments, from being at the right hand and confidence of the various reformers to present at the first rush through the Wall and the demonstrations of the Velvet Revolution. He paints a highly compelling and artful description of them all, and maps out what is a pretty complicated series of events very effectively. Though this was class reading, I found myself tearing though this book.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 14 when the Berlin Wall "fell" and I remember feeling like it happened out of nowhere. Having grown up with the Cold War, "evil" Soviets, and the threat of nuclear annihilation my whole life, I was just astounded that it seemed to end with a whimper.

So I was pretty excited to stumble across this book, written by an American journalist who lived in Germany during that pivotal time, which explains all that went on "behind the scenes" (or at least that wasn't covered by American media) that led to the demise of Communism in Eastern Europe. This was a very eye-opening read. Funny to think that a sea change can come about simply because a few key people decide it needs to and a few other key people decide not to stop it.

I thought the prose was a bit dense at times but overall I really enjoyed it.

[Ed Zirkwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

1989 was a pivotal political year in communist eastern Europe. The Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989 but much more happened that year and leading up to that year that got much less attention. In the summer of 1988 Michael R. Meyer became Newsweek's Bureau Chief for Germany
and Eastern Europe. He operated out of West Berlin and interviewed and wrote about political leaders
and events. During 1988 and 1989 communist regimes fell in Hungary, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania. For its time, this had profound implications for the world as a whole that literally did change the world. This is a must read for history buffs for the time and geographical sphere and politics to find out what really happened. This definitely changed the world in so many ways.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meyer was assigned as a Newsweek bureau chief, to Eastern Europe. He recounts his experiences interviewing various Communist leaders and the revolutionists from multiple countries that worked to bring down the Iron Curtain. From Hungary, to Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania, Meyer's introduces the American public to the real history of the fail of communism... not the dressed up remembrances of popular culture and political agendas.

Why I started this book: I've been on a Berlin kick and when this popped up as an Overdrive audio, I put myself on the wait list.

Why I finished it: Fascinating to have read this so close to Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor/Hiroshima/9-11/Iraq because both books pointed out the major blunders of Rumsfeld and Cheney. In 1989, they and many Americans believed that the Cold War would continue for years and so were unprepared and surprised when it crumbled. And because they failed to imagine this possibility, they also failed to see just how many people had worked behind the scene to accomplish it... making their belief that things would just fall into place after their invasion of Iraq understandable, if not also incredibly naive.

[Neal S · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much that I did not know that was behind the wall coming down. There must have been so much that the author had to leave out to make this a readable work with just enough detail. A little dry at times, the book is filled with history, the personality of world leaders, and a glimpse into the world of a reporter.

Important as it is to see things in hindsight, it is equally important to think of these events from the perspective of today (2018) with our influence (the relatively good kind) waining, as our government retracts towards isolation and our president continues his attempts to grab the brass ring of authoritarianism.

[Cindie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to finish my 2020 reading. We didn’t learn much about the Cold War in high school history, and what we did learn now seems much more like the US patting itself on the back than what first-hand accounts like this reveal.

As an audiobook, it was well-structured and an easy listen. With clear shifts from one country to the next, I never got bogged down or lost track of key players as I sometimes do with history books on audio.

The only downside? Now I want to read books about the waning days of communism in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and the GDR...I just don’t have enough time or space on my to-read pile for all of the curiosity Meyer’s book has piqued!

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.65 stars

i need to stop being surprised every time i read non fiction and enjoy it,, but you know to my surprise i really liked this!! full disclosure, the fall of communism in eastern europe is honestly not my cup of tea when it comes to history i'm invested in. still though, i think meyer writes the revolutions from a really interesting perspective and has a great style. it also didn't hurt that i had to take excruciatingly detailed notes for my class that forced me to be engaged in the reading.

[Abby Sharkis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book I had to read for class. So much about the fall of the Berlin Wall was entirely false and I learned so much about reformers and revolutions in east bloc countries. My only comment would be that sometimes the timeline gets a little jumbled but overall not too hard to follow.

[Julia Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and informative book about the Cold War and the Eastern European country’s path out of communism. I read it for my political conflict class and skipped a few chapters cause I didn’t have time to read it all but I would still recommend it since it address common misconceptions and most of this is stuff that schools never cover in our regular education.

[John Bastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gave wonderful insight to the domino effect of Eastern Europes revolutions and the imminent fall of the Soviet Union.

This book highlights how Americas role in the fall of The Berlin Wall has been greatly overstated and gives an on the ground look into the revolutions that were led by Patriots in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and ultimately, East Germany.

[Kyle Norweg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read from a unique perspective. While many books have been written about the fall of the Berlin Wall, very few tell the critical roles of other countries from behind the Iron Curtain (outside of the USSR and East Germany) that directly contributed to the Fall, and thus the course of modern history. Short, easy to follow, and riveting. Highly recommend!

[Don Gubler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is real history based on personal observations on the scene and on personal interviews with the newsmakers. It fills in a lot of the gaps left from contemporary news reports. It is a compelling narrative. The epilogue is not as valuable or as predictive as could be hoped.
My favorite incident… I liked the end when he was done and got himself home so expeditiously.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, mostly firsthand look at the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent collapse of the Iron Curtain, told in an easy to follow narrative. I found it informative, and would definitely recommend it.

[Samuel Otten · Rating 3 out of 5]

TL;DR
The Soviet Union didn't collapse b/c the USA stood strong against "evil." It collapsed b/c Gorbachev loosened grip on Eastern bloc, USA embraced these reforms, and popular movements w/in various soviet nations took it from there.