Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, the Berlin Wall and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth
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- Create Date：2021-04-17 14:56:29
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Iain MacGregor
- ISBN：1472130596
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Summary
A powerful， fascinating， and groundbreaking history of Checkpoint Charlie， the famous military gate on the border of East and West Berlin where the United States confronted the USSR during the Cold War。
East Germany committed a billion dollars to the creation of the Berlin Wall in the early 1960s， an eleven-foot-high barrier that consisted of seventy-nine miles of fencing， 300 watchtowers， 250 guard dog runs， twenty bunkers， and was operated around the clock by guards who shot to kill。 Over the next twenty-eight years， at least five thousand people attempted to smash through it， swim across it， tunnel under it， or fly over it。
In November 1989， the East German leadership buckled in the face of a civil revolt that culminated in half a million East Berliners demanding an end to the ban on free movement。 The world’s media flocked to capture the moment which， perhaps more than any other， signaled the end of the Cold War。 Checkpoint Charlie had been the epicenter of global conflict for nearly three decades。
As the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Wall approaches in 2019， Iain MacGregor captures the essence of the mistrust， oppression， paranoia， and fear that gripped the world throughout this period。 Checkpoint Charlie is about the nerve-wracking confrontation between the West and USSR， highlighting such important global figures as Eisenhower， Stalin， JFK， Nikita Khrushchev， Mao Zedung， Nixon， Reagan， and other politicians of the period。 He also includes never-before-heard interviews with the men who built and dismantled the Wall; children who crossed it; relatives and friends who lost loved ones trying to escape over it; military policemen and soldiers who guarded the checkpoints; CIA， MI6， and Stasi operatives who oversaw operations across its borders; politicians whose ambitions shaped it; journalists who recorded its story; and many more whose living memories contributed to the full story of Checkpoint Charlie。
East Germany committed a billion dollars to the creation of the Berlin Wall in the early 1960s， an eleven-foot-high barrier that consisted of seventy-nine miles of fencing， 300 watchtowers， 250 guard dog runs， twenty bunkers， and was operated around the clock by guards who shot to kill。 Over the next twenty-eight years， at least five thousand people attempted to smash through it， swim across it， tunnel under it， or fly over it。
In November 1989， the East German leadership buckled in the face of a civil revolt that culminated in half a million East Berliners demanding an end to the ban on free movement。 The world’s media flocked to capture the moment which， perhaps more than any other， signaled the end of the Cold War。 Checkpoint Charlie had been the epicenter of global conflict for nearly three decades。
As the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Wall approaches in 2019， Iain MacGregor captures the essence of the mistrust， oppression， paranoia， and fear that gripped the world throughout this period。 Checkpoint Charlie is about the nerve-wracking confrontation between the West and USSR， highlighting such important global figures as Eisenhower， Stalin， JFK， Nikita Khrushchev， Mao Zedung， Nixon， Reagan， and other politicians of the period。 He also includes never-before-heard interviews with the men who built and dismantled the Wall; children who crossed it; relatives and friends who lost loved ones trying to escape over it; military policemen and soldiers who guarded the checkpoints; CIA， MI6， and Stasi operatives who oversaw operations across its borders; politicians whose ambitions shaped it; journalists who recorded its story; and many more whose living memories contributed to the full story of Checkpoint Charlie。
Reviews
Jindřich Čermák
，
"Pane Gorbačove， strhněte tu zeď"。 Zeď vydržela ještě dva a půl roku od tohoto Reaganova výroku， než ji definitivně odstřelila nezapomenutelná chyba soudruha Schabowského。Příběh studené války v německém hlavním městě přes pohledy aktérů různých národností。 Čtivé a napínavé， jak jen samotná historie může být。 "Pane Gorbačove， strhněte tu zeď"。 Zeď vydržela ještě dva a půl roku od tohoto Reaganova výroku， než ji definitivně odstřelila nezapomenutelná chyba soudruha Schabowského。Příběh studené války v německém hlavním městě přes pohledy aktérů různých národností。 Čtivé a napínavé， jak jen samotná historie může být。 。。。more
William
，
Excellent book with many different perspectives。 I learned a lot I previously didn't know。 The author made this part of Cold War history easy to read。 Excellent book with many different perspectives。 I learned a lot I previously didn't know。 The author made this part of Cold War history easy to read。 。。。more
Rami Yoakum
，
Has it's ups and downs as far as being interesting goes。 Some of the chapters offer a really interesting look back at this lynchpin of the Cold War， but in some parts it gets a bit slow。。。 Has it's ups and downs as far as being interesting goes。 Some of the chapters offer a really interesting look back at this lynchpin of the Cold War， but in some parts it gets a bit slow。。。 。。。more
Stefan Bjelosevic
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Very well researched。 Excellent anecdotes from people intricately affected by the Wall。 Touch difficult to read in places - but otherwise has inspired me to pay greater attention at Berlin on my next visit！
Greg M
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Very concise history of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie。 I really liked that the author mixed in real-life stories of the American， British and French soldiers who were stationed at the Wal。
Connor Green
，
This is a terrificly written account of not just Checkpoint Charlie， but events in Berlin and the Cold War at large。 Through both personal accounts and historical analysis， MacGregor weaves a riveting and powerful story about Berlin， its people， and its significance in such a tense era。 He goes in depth about experiences from all sides: the allies， soviets， East and West Germans， giving a full sense of feeling throughout Berlin from 1961 to 1990。 Highly recommend！
Robert
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Detailed history of the Cold War， focused on Berlin。 Author makes maximum use of first hand material including many of his own interviews。 At times the desire to wedge this material into the account actually muddied the flow a bit。 It felt like citations stitched together with only a bit of narrative when it was its worst。 But many of the reminisces were impactful and lent great color so I’d call this a wash。
Joseph
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The compelling story of the long-overlooked border crossing in Berlin， this volume deserves a place on your Cold War short list。 The author does a fantastic job of incorporating firsthand accounts into the narrative。 Along the way， we meet many everyday citizens of Berlin living through some extraordinary times。 Although the story is briefly chronicled， it would be great to see more lengthy studies of this important point in world history。
Gonzaga Escauriaza
，
No me ha conseguido enamorar a pesar de que es un tema que me fascina y que estuve en Check Point Charlie solo meses antes de la caída del muro。 Lo he encontrado desordenado， no tiene un hilo conductor e incluso las anécdotas no son demasiado interesantes。 Me he llevado una pequeña decepción。
Kerry
，
I was in the Army and stationed in Berlin during the time period covered by this book，so to me it was a revelation of what happened before I arrived， and what I missed by leaving in 1986。 I don't know if it would fascinate a reader without that some connection。。。some portions were pretty heavy on names and details， and the narrative in the first half of the book was not always chronological。 However， like any good history book there are parallels and patterns to be observed， and warnings to be h I was in the Army and stationed in Berlin during the time period covered by this book，so to me it was a revelation of what happened before I arrived， and what I missed by leaving in 1986。 I don't know if it would fascinate a reader without that some connection。。。some portions were pretty heavy on names and details， and the narrative in the first half of the book was not always chronological。 However， like any good history book there are parallels and patterns to be observed， and warnings to be heeded。 The most important takeaway， in my opinion， was that the wall fell not because of military might， but because of its expense。 。。。more
Doug
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I visited Berlin in 1980 and again in 2012。 I remember the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie。 This book brings the struggle to life。
Heather
，
This was a fascinating overview of the Cold War， from beginning to end。 The events and activities surrounding Checkpoint Charlie were the focus， and the personal stories a nicely added touch。
Jim Blessing
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This book was mildly interesting。
Jim Milway
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I'm always interested in reading about the Cold War and I expected to love this book。 But I found it to be uneven。 In some cases， I was gripped - the story of the last escape was exciting。 And the early deaths on the fence were sad。 But the events that led to the wall's coming down - the famous press conference - seemed to be lacking background。 And I did not feel like I got to know the military people who I think were meant to be the centre of the story。 I'm always interested in reading about the Cold War and I expected to love this book。 But I found it to be uneven。 In some cases， I was gripped - the story of the last escape was exciting。 And the early deaths on the fence were sad。 But the events that led to the wall's coming down - the famous press conference - seemed to be lacking background。 And I did not feel like I got to know the military people who I think were meant to be the centre of the story。 。。。more
Guy
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Readable history。 It's a collection of anecdotes。 They're well-told， not page-turning but very much real people。 The collection is nicely structured so the whole is a history of The Wall， from beginning to end。 It's probably not a comprehensive history， but it's an enjoyable way for a layman to get an overview。 Readable history。 It's a collection of anecdotes。 They're well-told， not page-turning but very much real people。 The collection is nicely structured so the whole is a history of The Wall， from beginning to end。 It's probably not a comprehensive history， but it's an enjoyable way for a layman to get an overview。 。。。more
Bates Bland
，
Checkpoint CharlieNot many people can even imagine the horror that comes when your city is split in half。 The Berlin Wall divided a city overnight。 In the middle of the Wall was the formidable Checkpoint Charlie。 People who were desperate for freedom tried to break through the wall and make it to the West。 Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War， The Berlin Wall， and The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Iain Macgregor tells the stories of these brave individuals。 The book dives into how East German cit Checkpoint CharlieNot many people can even imagine the horror that comes when your city is split in half。 The Berlin Wall divided a city overnight。 In the middle of the Wall was the formidable Checkpoint Charlie。 People who were desperate for freedom tried to break through the wall and make it to the West。 Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War， The Berlin Wall， and The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Iain Macgregor tells the stories of these brave individuals。 The book dives into how East German citizens fought to make it to freedom and safety， but to understand these stories some background information is needed。 In the early 1960s， the stream of intellectuals and the wealthy fleeing East Germany for the capitalist west turned into a flood。 Almost 2，000 people were leaving East Germany every day。 The East German government and the Soviet Union decided that they had to stop people from leaving。 To do this East Germans constructed a 155-kilometer long wall。 In the middle of the night， people were thrown out of their homes and cut off from their families。 Almost immediately people tried to escape back into West Germany。 Many of these people ended up making it， causing panic in the East Germans。 In response， the East Germans constructed two walls separated by a no man's land filled with mines， guards， and traps。 Checkpoint Charlie tells stories of bravery of German citizens and shows the horror caused by the wall。 One of the main aspects of Checkpoint Charlie is the background on what was happening at the time of the Berlin Wall。 While the people and the stories might be the face of the wall， there were always the backroom players。 The Soviet Union was built on treachery and lies。 While they claimed to be a country for the lower classes， in the end， it was high up wealthy individuals in Moscow who made all of the decisions。 Nikita Krushev and Walter Ulbright， the leaders of the Soviet Union and East Germany（respectively）， jointly controlled the power in East Germany。 At least that is what the East Germans thought。 As the book demonstrates， the East German government was really just a puppet government of the Soviet Union。 They did what the Soviets wanted them to do。 This is important because in the end when the Berlin Wall finally did come down it played a large impact on the entire Soviet Union。 This small group of people ended up affecting millions of lives， including the people who tried to cross the Wall。 While some of Checkpoint Charlie is dedicated to the background and politics of the Berlin Wall， most of it revolves around the ordinary German citizens。 A few stories stand out。 One of the most interesting stories in the book was about a group of tunnelers who tried to escape with family and friends to the other side of the wall。 While the escapees were busy tunneling， the Stasi was getting closer all the time。 I will not say what happens， but the action is tense。 There are escape attempts using cars， planes， boats， trains， tanks， and even hot air balloons。 When people are desperate to get out of the totalitarian country that was East Germany they would do anything。 Another key aspect of the book was the fact that Berlin was the “City of Spies”。 The KGB and the Stasi spied on the West and Mi6 and the CIA spied on the East。 There was an interesting story in the book about a Rutgers journalist who would leave a clip of his hair on a table。 Every day he would come back to find it gone， taken by the Stasi。 However， the Stasi also used to spy on their own citizens。 No one knew who to trust and people were suspicious of everyone。 It was this suspicion that eventually led to the downfall of the Soviet Union。 Checkpoint Charlie is about what it means to be a city， and what the inhabitants will do to try and make it whole again。 It tells the stories of the hundreds of people who tried to cross the border， and it tells the stories of the guards， civilians， and escapees who were killed by the wall。 It talks about the politics， the corruption， and the dictators who built the wall and eventually looked on as it was knocked down。 Checkpoint Charlie is an amazing read。 Iain MacGregor really does an amazing job describing the events that took place。 If you ever want to be able to really put yourself into the shoes of the people who lived in Berlin then you need to read Checkpoint Charlie。 。。。more
KB
，
When I put this book on hold at work， I didn't bother checking any details about it because the premise seemed interesting enough。 So I was surprised to find， when it came in for me， that it was such a slim volume。 Checkpoint Charlie is about 300 pages overviewing the history of the Berlin Wall from its beginnings in 1961 right until 1989。I'll start with what I liked。 In a way I guess I do appreciate that this book wasn't super long。 Sometimes with lengthy histories it's easy to get lost in the When I put this book on hold at work， I didn't bother checking any details about it because the premise seemed interesting enough。 So I was surprised to find， when it came in for me， that it was such a slim volume。 Checkpoint Charlie is about 300 pages overviewing the history of the Berlin Wall from its beginnings in 1961 right until 1989。I'll start with what I liked。 In a way I guess I do appreciate that this book wasn't super long。 Sometimes with lengthy histories it's easy to get lost in the details and you might also deal with many， many dry chapters。 Although some chapters were more interesting than others， overall the book reads very easily and is mostly quite engaging。 The Bruce Springsteen concert， the opening of the border， and some of the escapes from East Berlin were personal highlights。 I also liked that it was a very human story。 There's tons of personal accounts in here， from regular people to police and military men。 But in the end， I think I just wanted more。 I didn't feel like the book gave that strong of a history of the wall。 While MacGregor does structure things chronologically， there's huge gaps between the dates he looks at。 While I wasn't looking for a 700-page history， this seemed a bit too spotty。 I was lucky enough to visit Berlin， although that was 7 years ago now。 Checkpoint Charlie was a few blocks down the road from my hotel， so reading this brought back some good memories from that trip。 MacGregor's book， while maybe not being everything it could have been， was still an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Nabanita Dutta
，
https://bibliophile4ever。blogspot。com。。。Checkpoint Charlie by Iain MacGregor tracks the history through the Narration and lives of the People who witnessed it， from either side of the Wall。 The timespan he covered in this book is from the 1950s to the Fall of the Wall- 1989-90。 He narrated some of the successful escape attempts and the horror that came with it。 How the wall was overnight built and lives were separated。 The tension， the power struggle， the fight against communism- his writing is https://bibliophile4ever。blogspot。com。。。Checkpoint Charlie by Iain MacGregor tracks the history through the Narration and lives of the People who witnessed it， from either side of the Wall。 The timespan he covered in this book is from the 1950s to the Fall of the Wall- 1989-90。 He narrated some of the successful escape attempts and the horror that came with it。 How the wall was overnight built and lives were separated。 The tension， the power struggle， the fight against communism- his writing is crisp and portrayed these beautifully。I， however， have one slight issue with this book。 The political strategies and diplomatic tension could have been a bit more explained and discussed。 It wasn’t there as much as the effect of Cold War！Having said that， MacGregor has done an impressive amount of research and the end result is effective and enjoyable both。 。。。more
Jim Stennett
，
Very， very close to five stars， but I think he could have covered at least a few more escape attempts and successes。 A few are covered in detail， but there are plenty more interesting stories to tell。 Also， there’s nothing about Reagan’s speech and its place in the history of The Wall。 Overall， a very pleasant read that keeps you turning pages like a novel。 A must for students of the Cold War。
Craig
，
Not very well-written， unfortunately。
Sarah Ewald
，
Excellent history of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie （one of the main access points from West to East Berlin）。 From Eisenhower to Reagan， from fencing and barbed wire to an actual wall （erected in the overnight hours）， to its fall in November 1989。 It has an awful history of separating families and friends。 West Berliners could visit the East but not the other way around。 Desperation led to some trying daring escapes， often with deadly results。 There were even some attempts at underground Excellent history of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie （one of the main access points from West to East Berlin）。 From Eisenhower to Reagan， from fencing and barbed wire to an actual wall （erected in the overnight hours）， to its fall in November 1989。 It has an awful history of separating families and friends。 West Berliners could visit the East but not the other way around。 Desperation led to some trying daring escapes， often with deadly results。 There were even some attempts at underground escapes。 I vividly remember the scene from the movie， The Bridge of Spies， as the Tom Hanks' character watches in horror from the elevated train as someone attempts to escape。 Excellent telling of this Cold War period。 。。。more
Jan Tan
，
I read Berlin 1961 before this so some of the information in this book definitely isn't new but I enjoyed the personal accounts。 Reading them brought about a whirlwind of emotions， from fear， to excitement and shock。 One of my favourite books about the Cold War！ I read Berlin 1961 before this so some of the information in this book definitely isn't new but I enjoyed the personal accounts。 Reading them brought about a whirlwind of emotions， from fear， to excitement and shock。 One of my favourite books about the Cold War！ 。。。more
Scott Martin
，
This work， while titled Checkpoint Charlie， is more a history of Berlin during the building and destruction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War。 There is a great mix of personal stories， and I came to learn about various US/British/French/West German military elements， as well as East German/Soviet actors and actions。 Berlin was the ultimate flashpoint during the Cold War and the Wall was brutal for the citizen of Berlin， dividing families and leading to the death of many Berliners on both si This work， while titled Checkpoint Charlie， is more a history of Berlin during the building and destruction of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War。 There is a great mix of personal stories， and I came to learn about various US/British/French/West German military elements， as well as East German/Soviet actors and actions。 Berlin was the ultimate flashpoint during the Cold War and the Wall was brutal for the citizen of Berlin， dividing families and leading to the death of many Berliners on both sides （especially East Berlin citizens wanting to escape to the West）。 Yet， the Wall actually proved a point of stability， and demonstrated that the East， rather than being a paradise， was actively trying to keep out the West and keep its people trapped。 When it fell in 1989 （which I can vaguely remember） it came suddenly， and it was fascinating to read how the world's media （in the days before social media） reacted to this story of a lifetime。 It was a very readable book and offered a good combination of personal stories and general history。 A reader will get a lot of this book。 Worth the time to read， either via hard/e-copy or audiobook。 。。。more
Doug
，
Interesting stories about people involved in and around Checkpoint Charlie。
Coleen
，
This book really helped me to understand all the events associated with the Wall。 It would be a great book to have High School listen to， then discuss。。。 listen to again etc。
Jennifer Dunwoody
，
This isn't just a dry， informative book about The Berlin Wall。 This is a well written biography of that edifice and the many people， political， military and civilian， that witnessed its construction and the horrors the East Berliners faced on a daily basis。 This isn't just a dry， informative book about The Berlin Wall。 This is a well written biography of that edifice and the many people， political， military and civilian， that witnessed its construction and the horrors the East Berliners faced on a daily basis。 。。。more
Daniel Kukwa
，
If you're familiar with Cold War history， some of this might feel same-old/same-old， but as someone who has visited Berlin， I found this more intimate look at the circumstances surrounding the construction， life & fall of the Berlin wall to be extremely fascinating。 Lots of heroes to cheer for and villains to hate in this lovely book。 If you're familiar with Cold War history， some of this might feel same-old/same-old， but as someone who has visited Berlin， I found this more intimate look at the circumstances surrounding the construction， life & fall of the Berlin wall to be extremely fascinating。 Lots of heroes to cheer for and villains to hate in this lovely book。 。。。more
Andy53
，
Stories from the people who lived with the wall。 Terrific。
Arthur
，
This book covers a broader area than merely happenings at the checkpoint itself， it gives snippets of life in east and west Berlin， spycraft on both sides （including dangers faced by both military and civilians）， even discusses rock and roll concerts that took place。 The part that dealt with the fall of the wall was of particular interest。
Jess
，