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Checkmate in Berlin

The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World

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Checkmate in Berlin

By: Giles Milton
Narrated by: Giles Milton
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About this listen

A compulsive listen about the battle for Berlin and control of the Western world in the aftermath of the Second World War from 'the master of narrative history'.

Berlin was in ruins when Soviet forces fought their way towards the Reichstag in the spring of 1945. Streets were choked with rubble, power supplies severed and the population close to starvation. The arrival of the Soviet army heralded yet greater terrors: the city's civilians were to suffer rape, looting and horrific violence. Worse still, they faced a future with neither certainty nor hope.

Berlin's fate had been sealed four months earlier at the Yalta Conference. The city, along with the rest of Germany, was to be carved up between the victorious powers - British, American, French and Soviet. On paper, it seemed a pragmatic solution; in reality, it fired the starting gun for the Cold War.

As soon as the four powers were no longer united by the common purpose of defeating Germany, they reverted to their pre-war hostility and suspicion. Rival systems, rival ideologies and rival personalities ensured that Berlin became an explosive battleground. The ruins of this once-great city were soon awash with spies, gangsters and black-marketeers, all of whom sought to profit from the disarray.

For the next four years, a handful of charismatic but flawed individuals - British, American and Soviet - fought an intensely personal battle over the future of Germany, Europe and the entire free world.

Checkmate in Berlin tells this exhilarating, high-stakes tale of grit, skullduggery and raw power. From the high politics of Yalta to the desperate scramble to break the Soviet stranglehold of Berlin with the greatest aerial operation in history, this is the epic story of the first battle of the Cold War and how it shaped the modern world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Giles Milton (P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Europe Germany Military Western Europe War Cold War City Imperialism Espionage

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Compelling

Very compelling arrangement of the historical record into an excellent narrative. Conveyed the drama of the moment along with the experiences of the people who lived through it.

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Excellent modern history

I new about the blockade and the airlift but this book brought this historical monumental event to life.

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Interesting

I learned a lot about a fascinating era. The division of Berlin was a nail-biting event and the world has been affected by the outcome.

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Loved it

After reading a few books on WW2, this book really engaged an insight into the post-war happenings of Berlin, the political espionage and intelligence gathering of both the allies and the Russians. Great book for gaining an overall understanding.

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Poorly performed

The author’s read is hard to listen to. The story is too detailed for a broad audience, and unlikely to be new enough for a specialist audience do it’s hard to say who this is for. It’s an interesting topic but the discussion misses too much of the experience of ordinary folk and the geopolitical discussion is weak, while the ideological drivers causing the parties to take positions they did are not really investigated adequately at all. However there are redeeming moments of drama.

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