Walking through the Wall

by Kevin J. Shay

Long before reality television shows like Survivor, some people walked across the United States and Europe to Russia on real-life, Survivor-like projects. This is the inside story of one of those break-down-the-walls projects during the height of the 1980s Cold War by a journalist trained to be as objective as possible. The walk was covered by more than 2,000 newspapers and other media outlets. The participants met officials in all countries, including Russia, in an effort to get them to reverse the arms race and work together for the good of humanity. Walking through the Wall details the sometimes intense internal conflicts of this project and others. The book covers the dangers that included one participant of a 1987-88 march in India being hit by a bus and almost dying. It is a timeless story of not just trying to walk through barriers like the Berlin Wall, but of attempting to break through internal walls, unseen walls between fellow human beings, walls between one's self.

524 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2012

About the author

Kevin James Shay has worked or written for more than 45 newspapers, blogs, and magazines, including The Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post Co.'s Gazette, Minority Business News USA, and NewsBreak.

His books include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Trip: On the Road of the Longest Two-Week Family Road Trip in History, Death of the Rising Sun: A Search for Truth in the JFK Assassination, Walking through the Wall, And Justice For All: The Untold History of Dallas, and A Parent's Guide to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Shay has received awards from numerous professional and community organizations, including Lincoln University's Unity Awards in Media, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, Dallas Press Club, Bethesda Literary Festival, Texas Press Association, American Cancer Society, Local Media Association, Suburban Newspapers of America, Medium, and Mental Health Association.

An avid traveler, he drove his kids through 22 states and 6,950 miles across the United States and back in 17 days. He also walked some 5,000 miles across the United States and Europe in 1984 and 1985 as part of a group that set a record for the longest group walk for a cause.

Reviews

[Kevin Shay]

"A courageous story.... You have made an important contribution to the cause of peace."
- Robert Ellsberg, publisher, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY

"An inspiring personal account of a remarkable commitment to peace.... [Shay's] journey's urgent purpose and the stories he tells of breakthroughs call all of us today to try much better to avert nuclear war."
- Dr. Dick Bennett, founder, Omni Center for Peace, Justice, & Ecology, retired English professor, University of Arkansas

"A wonderful book.... Fascinating.''
- Denise M. Coopwood, author, Coopwood and Fields Wedding Planning Guide

[Kevin Shay]

"A courageous story.... You have made an important contribution to the cause of peace."
- Robert Ellsberg, publisher, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY

"An inspiring personal account of a remarkable commitment to peace.... [Shay's] journey's urgent purpose and the stories he tells of breakthroughs call all of us today to try much better to avert nuclear war."
- Dr. Dick Bennett, founder, Omni Center for Peace, Justice, & Ecology, retired English professor, University of Arkansas

"A wonderful book.... Fascinating.''
- Denise M. Coopwood, author, Coopwood and Fields Wedding Planning Guide