What if the Berlin Wall never fell ... This "compelling" series (Fiona Rintoul) is set in an East Germany that didn't end in 1990. 1993. After forty years of communist rule it's time for change: participatory democracy, citizen's movements and de-centralization are part of a new political landscape in East Berlin. But when a politician's crushed body is found, a constitutional crisis erupts. Ex-dissident Martin Grobe turns detective and his investigations point towards the Stasi, the KGB and the West Germans—has he uncovered a putsch against the new GDR, or is it just a conspiracy to murder? ‘An authentic atmosphere of tension and uncertainty … The brilliance of Stealing the Future lies in the honest portrayal of a young country and its idealistic inhabitants struggling to keep alive their dream of freedom, justice and equality in the face of international and domestic opposition.’ (Jo Lateu, New Internationalist) ‘A compelling re-imagining of East Germany’s peaceful revolution in 1989—exploring what might have been. As Europe grapples with the consequences of austerity, this novel poses questions both about the lost chances of 1989, and about how we organise our society—questions that are becoming more relevant with each passing day.’ (Fiona Rintoul, author of The Leipzig Affair) ‘Creates the perfect atmosphere that existed around the fall of the wall: the sense of hope dashed by the awful reality of reunification.’ (Peter Thompson, The Guardian) ‘An intriguing and gripping page-turner of a thriller—believable and exciting. More than that, though, it's an exploration of power – political, economic and electric power; and what it might be like, day to day, to put our ideals and hopes for self-determination into practice.' (Clare Cochrane, Peace News) ----------------------------- Keywords: East Germany, DDR, GDR, East Berlin, Berlin Wall, Iron Curtain, Cold War, Stasi, MfS, secret police, Volkspolizei, Soviet, KGB, GRU, crime, spy, espionage, procedural, counter-factual, alternate history, speculative fiction, 1989, revolution, die Wende, Eastern Europe, Eastern Bloc, hope, alternative society, consensus decision making, democracy, direct democracy, punks, direct action, anarchy, communism.

'The fragmented stories and haunted photographs in Paul Scraton and Eymelt Sehmer's In the Pines feel like field recordings from the shadow forest of their imaginations, transcribed into the pages of an old Explorer's Journal. I felt like I had gone into the forest, rucksack packed with Binoculars, Compass, Penknife, Whistle, Magnifying glass, Notebook, Pencil... and this haunting, collodion-eerie book..' – Jeff Youngl, author of Ghost Town In the Pines is author Paul Scraton's story of an unnamed narrator's lifelong relationship with the forest and the mysteries it contains, told through fragmented stories that capture the blurred details and sharp focus of memory.. Accompanied by eerie images created using a 170-year-old technique of collodion wet plate photography by Eymelt Sehmer, In the Pines is a powerfully evocative collaboration between image and text

Berlin is a city that visionary architects, city planners, social revolutionaries, and ruling kaisers have all tried to reshape. As a result, it is sheathed in layers of modern history, each providing a chapter in the city's story of constant change. Its rich atmosphere of energy made it the intellectual hub of early twentieth-century Europe: its lively theaters, cafes, and bawdy street life drew visitors from around the world. The four intimate walking tours in this book reveal Berlin's breathtaking history as a small medieval commercial town; as the capital of a nineteenth-century Prussia; as the modern dreamscape of the Weimar Republic; as the "new Rome" of the Third Reich; as a divided city, and now, as the capital of a reunited Germany. Readers will be taken through Merlin Mitte, site of the Brandenburger Tor and the dismantled Wall; past the old stones and new synogogues of the Jewish Quarter; among the working-class neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg; and into the politically vibrant Kreuzberg. Berlinwalks also explores the city's cultural development through the creations of its artists, architects, and novelists, among them Bertolt Brecht, Christopher Isherwood, and Kathe Kollwitz. The book also features maps, more than forty black-and-white photographs, general advice and information, and a select list of restaurants, hotels, and shops. Like the other volumes in this series, Berlinwalks is written for people who want to learn when they travel, not just see.

BERLIN--East and West, day and night--in the 80s before the Wall fell. Through the eyes of a U.S. philosophy student. And Jewish, which makes for moments awkward, poignant, crass, funny, and always lurking. A city was divided, America the occupier, and the cigarettes not named Salem because it sounds too Jewish. The debut memoirs from the author of Moral Clarity, a N.Y. Times "2008 Notable Book."

The first English translation of a lost classic that reinvents the flaneur in Berlin. Franz Hessel (1880–1941), a German-born writer, grew up in Berlin, studied in Munich, and then lived in Paris, where he moved in artistic and literary circles. His relationship with the fashion journalist Helen Grund was the inspiration for Henri-Pierre Roche's novel Jules et Jim (made into a celebrated 1962 film by Francois Truffaut). In collaboration with Walter Benjamin, Hessel reinvented the Parisian figure of the flaneur. This 1929 book—here in its first English translation—offers Hessel's version of a flaneur in Berlin. In Walking in Berlin, Hessel captures the rhythm of Weimar-era Berlin, recording the seismic shifts in German culture. Nearly all of the essays take the form of a walk or outing, focusing on either a theme or part of the city, and many end at a theater, cinema, or club. Hessel deftly weaves the past with the present, walking through the city's history as well as its neighborhoods. Even today, his walks in the city, from the Alexanderplatz to Kreuzberg, can guide would-be flaneurs. Walking in Berlin is a lost classic, known mainly because of Hessel's connection to Benjamin but now introduced to readers of English. Walking in Berlin was a central model for Benjamin's Arcades Project and remains a classic of “walking literature” that ranges from Surrealist perambulation to Situationist “psychogeography.” This MIT Press edition includes the complete text in translation as well as Benjamin's essay on Walking in Berlin, originally written as a review of the book's original edition. “An absolutely epic book, a walking remembrance.” —Walter Benjamin

The Rough Guide to Berlin is the ultimate travel guide to this extraordinary city. In full color throughout and with dozens of photos, this updated guidebook will show you the best the city has to offer, illustrating Berlin's historic sights, world-class museums, cutting-edge galleries and architecture, and pulsating nightlife. The "Things Not To Miss" section will help you choose where to go and what to see. "Author Picks" highlight special recommendations, and critical listings point you to the best places to eat, drink, sleep, and party for all budgets. Color-coded maps accompany every chapter and are keyed with accommodation, eating and drinking options, nightlife venues and shops. Read expert background on everything from the enduring Reichstag to Eastern Berlin's cultural scene, and find comprehensive information on Berlin's history, politics, and traditions. Find practical advice on a greatly expanded selection of day trips from the city into Brandenburg, with ideas for visiting Potsdam and Park Sanssouci, Sachsenhausen, and the Spreewald. Whether you have time to browse detailed chapters or need fast-fix "Top 5" picks for city highlights you won't want to miss, The Rough Guide to Berlin will help you make the most of your time in the city. Now available in ePub format.

Taking you to the historic city of Berlin, to hikes outside the city, and to every museum in town, this updated guide is the ideal companion whether you're on a city break, beach vacation, or road trip. The locally based Rough Guides author team introduces the best places to stop and explore, and provides reliable insider tips on topics such as driving Berlin's roads, visiting the Berlin Wall's remains, and shopping for beer and sausage. You'll find special coverage of German history, art, architecture, and literature, and detailed information on the best markets and shopping for each area of the city. The Rough Guide to Berlin also unearths the best restaurants, nightlife, and places to stay, from backpacker hostels to beachfront villas and boutique hotels, and color-coded maps feature every sight and listing. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Berlin.

The first English translation of a lost classic that reinvents the flaneur in Berlin. Franz Hessel (1880–1941), a German-born writer, grew up in Berlin, studied in Munich, and then lived in Paris, where he moved in artistic and literary circles. His relationship with the fashion journalist Helen Grund was the inspiration for Henri-Pierre Roche's novel Jules et Jim (made into a celebrated 1962 film by Francois Truffaut). In collaboration with Walter Benjamin, Hessel reinvented the Parisian figure of the flaneur. This 1929 book—here in its first English translation—offers Hessel's version of a flaneur in Berlin. In Walking in Berlin, Hessel captures the rhythm of Weimar-era Berlin, recording the seismic shifts in German culture. Nearly all of the essays take the form of a walk or outing, focusing on either a theme or part of the city, and many end at a theater, cinema, or club. Hessel deftly weaves the past with the present, walking through the city's history as well as its neighborhoods. Even today, his walks in the city, from the Alexanderplatz to Kreuzberg, can guide would-be flaneurs. Walking in Berlin is a lost classic, known mainly because of Hessel's connection to Benjamin but now introduced to readers of English. Walking in Berlin was a central model for Benjamin's Arcades Project and remains a classic of “walking literature” that ranges from Surrealist perambulation to Situationist “psychogeography.” This MIT Press edition includes the complete text in translation as well as Benjamin's essay on Walking in Berlin, originally written as a review of the book's original edition. “An absolutely epic book, a walking remembrance.” —Walter Benjamin