The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989

By Frederick Taylor

Categories: History

Historian Frederick Taylor tells the story of the Berlin Wall from its overnight construction in August 1961 to its fall in November 1989. He describes the political decisions behind it, the daily lives of people separated from families and friends, and the escapes, shootings and tensions it caused. Taylor shows how the wall became the central symbol of the Cold War and how its sudden fall reshaped Europe.

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• Shane Parrish: “When the Berlin Wall went up on August 13, 1961, it divided all aspects of life, including parents from their children, and employees from their places of work. What started as a barbed wire fence grew into a complex, multi-layered structure that was designed to stop the flow of people, goods, and ideas.”