Berlin Journal, 1989-1990 [Paperback]

Darnton Robert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1993

Spending the 1989-1990 academic year in Eastern Germany, the historian Robert Darnton found himself caught up in the dramatic events in Berlin and Leipzig which eventually forced the re-unification of Germany. This eye-witness account by a distinguished historian of the French Revolution traces a revolution of a different kind where there were no barricades, no storming of the Bastille and no guillotines. Robert Darnton also wrote "The Kiss of Lamourette".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

These firsthand but uneven reports from respected scholar Darnton describe the momentous events (public demonstrations, the crumbling of the Berlin Wall) that led to Germany's reunification.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Well-known historian Darnton ( The Great Cat Massacre , LJ 12/1/83) was spending an academic year in Berlin when he decided to temporarily set aside his 18th-century historical research in order to monitor closely the momentous events taking place around him. The result is this journal which, aside from being a chronology of the months before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, delves deeply into the mindset of the soon-to-be-liberated East Germans. Despite the obvious cultural and linguistic similarities shared by the two Germanies, the author discovers remarkable differences as well. The strength of this book, as of John Borneman's similar account After the Wall ( LJ 2/15/91), is in its immediacy and its portrayal of revolutionary events through the eyes of those most af fected by them, the East Germans.-- Ian Wallace, Agriculture Canada Lib., St.
Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc. (July 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393310183
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310184
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #544,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but lacking in depth, September 27, 2003

By 

doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Berlin Journal, 1989-1990 (Paperback)

Robert Darnton, am 18th century historian was on sabbatacal in Berlin during the momentous changes of 1989 - 1990. His observations, thoughts and eyewitness accounts of the "change" are contained in his _Berlin Journal_. It is tepid at best.

My primary issue is with Darnton in the role of "historian" as journalist - neither should meddle in the affairs of the other. I also have issues with his lack of perspective and understanding of comtemporary German culture, politics and society. This lack of understanding is a major obstacle in putting the events in their proper perspective. Furthermore, very little attention is given to the slow groundswell of anti-Communist sentiment and the frequency of demonstrations in cities other than Berlin and Leipzig - like Chemnitz (aka "Karl-Marx Stadt" in DDR times), Schwerein and Rostock. Darnton also misses the importance of the "middle classes" and "middle aged" in making the "revolution" happen (it certainly would have failed were it only a "youth movement.")

While it is an interesting read of a magical time, it really lacks the depth and perspective a better informed witness could have brought the book.