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This classic of modern reportage by one of Britain's most distinguished non-fiction writers describes what happened when he got access to the file on him kept during his years in East Germany by the Stasi, the infamous secret police. In 1978 a romantic young Englishman took up residence in Berlin to see what that divided city could teach him about tyranny and freedom. Fifteen years later Timothy Garton Ash - who was by then famous for his reportage of the downfall of communism in Central Europe - returned. This time he had come to look at a file that bore the code-name 'Romeo'. The file had been compiled by the Stasi, the East German secret police, with the assistance of dozens of informers. And it contained a meticulous record of Garton Ash's earlier life in Berlin. In this memoir, Garton Ash describes what it was like to rediscover his younger self through the eyes of the Stasi, and then to go on to confront those who actually informed against him to the secret police. Moving from do
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When Timothy Garton Ash graduated from Oxford in 1978, he went to live in Berlin, ostensibly to research and write about Nazism. But once there, he gradually immersed himself in a study of the repressive political culture of East Germany. As if to return the favor, that culture--in the form of the dreaded East German secret police, the "Stasi"--secretly began studying him. As was Stasi's practice, over the years its study produced a considerable paper trail. After the fall of the East German communist regime, a government apparatus was established to allow those targeted to see their Stasi files, and Garton Ash discovered and pored over his. He then set about to interview the people who made this gross intrusion possible, the several case officers, and the numerous regular-citizen informers. The result is nothing short of a journey into the darkest recesses of the totalitarian mind, taking its place honorably alongside 1984 and Darkness at Noon.
From the Inside Flap:
"Eloquent, aware and scrupulous . . . a rich and instructive examination of the Cold War past." --The New York Times
In 1978 a romantic young Englishman took up residence in Berlin to see what that divided city could teach him about tyranny and freedom. Fifteen years later Timothy Garton Ash--who was by then famous for his reportage of the downfall of communism in Central Europe--returned. This time he had come to look at a file that bore the code-name "Romeo." The file had been compiled by the Stasi, the East German secret police, with the assistance of dozens of informers. And it contained a meticulous record of Garton Ash's earlier life in Berlin.
In this memoir, Garton Ash describes what it was like to rediscover his younger self through the eyes of the Stasi, and then to go on to confront those who actually informed against him to the secret police. Moving from document to remembrance, from the offices of British intelligence to the living rooms of retired Stasi officers, The File is a personal narrative as gripping, as disquieting, and as morally provocative as any fiction by George Orwell or Graham Greene. And it is all true.
"In this painstaking, powerful unmasking of evil, the wretched face of tyranny is revealed." --Philadelphia Inquirer
From the Trade Paperback edition.
In 1978 a romantic young Englishman took up residence in Berlin to see what that divided city could teach him about tyranny and freedom. Fifteen years later Timothy Garton Ash--who was by then famous for his reportage of the downfall of communism in Central Europe--returned. This time he had come to look at a file that bore the code-name "Romeo." The file had been compiled by the Stasi, the East German secret police, with the assistance of dozens of informers. And it contained a meticulous record of Garton Ash's earlier life in Berlin.
In this memoir, Garton Ash describes what it was like to rediscover his younger self through the eyes of the Stasi, and then to go on to confront those who actually informed against him to the secret police. Moving from document to remembrance, from the offices of British intelligence to the living rooms of retired Stasi officers, The File is a personal narrative as gripping, as disquieting, and as morally provocative as any fiction by George Orwell or Graham Greene. And it is all true.
"In this painstaking, powerful unmasking of evil, the wretched face of tyranny is revealed." --Philadelphia Inquirer
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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- PublisherAtlantic Books
- Publication date2009
- ISBN 10 1848870884
- ISBN 13 9781848870888
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages256
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. In 1978 Timothy Garton Ash went to live in Berlin to see what that divided city could teach him about tyranny and freedom. Fifteen years later, by then internationally famous for his reportage of the downfall of communism in Central Europe, he returned to look at his Stasi file which bore the code-name 'Romeo'. Compiled by the East German secret police, with the assistance of both professional spies and ordinary people turned informer, it contained a meticulous record of his earlier life in Berlin.In this memoir, he describes rediscovering his younger self through the eyes of the Stasi, and then confronting those who had informed against him. Moving from document to remembrance, from the offices of Britain's own security service to the living rooms of retired Stasi officers, The File is a personal narrative as gripping, as disquieting, and as morally provocative as any fiction by George Orwell or Graham Greene. And it is all true. Timothy Garton Ash lived behind the Berlin Wall and joined the millions spied on by the Stasi. In 1993, he gained access to his Stasi file. Here he tells his story, in a classic memoir of dictatorship and betrayal.'A chilling portrait of treachery and compromise. bravely and beautifully written' John le Carre Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781848870888
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Book Description Condition: New. 2009. Main. Paperback. A reportage by one of Britain's most distinguished non-fiction writers that describes what happened when he got access to the file on him kept during his years in East Germany by the Stasi, the infamous secret police. Num Pages: 256 pages. BIC Classification: BG; HP; JKSW1. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 194 x 130 x 21. Weight in Grams: 228. 256 pages. A reportage by one of Britain's most distinguished non-fiction writers that describes what happened when he got access to the file on him kept during his years in East Germany by the Stasi, the infamous secret police. Cateogry: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. BIC Classification: BG; HP; JKSW1. Dimension: 194 x 130 x 21. Weight: 232. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9781848870888
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The File: A Personal History
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Book Description Condition: New. 2009. Main. Paperback. A reportage by one of Britain's most distinguished non-fiction writers that describes what happened when he got access to the file on him kept during his years in East Germany by the Stasi, the infamous secret police. Num Pages: 256 pages. BIC Classification: BG; HP; JKSW1. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 194 x 130 x 21. Weight in Grams: 228. 256 pages. A reportage by one of Britain's most distinguished non-fiction writers that describes what happened when he got access to the file on him kept during his years in East Germany by the Stasi, the infamous secret police. Cateogry: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. BIC Classification: BG; HP; JKSW1. Dimension: 194 x 130 x 21. Weight: 232. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9781848870888
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