Post Wall, Post Square: Rebuilding the World After 1989

Historian Kristina Spohr provides a new interpretation of the revolutionary upheaval of 1989 and the formation of a new world order in her book "Post Wall, Post Square." She argues that a small cohort of international leaders, including US President George H. W. Bush, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and President François Mitterrand of France, were instrumental in the transformation. The book also explores the global context, contrasting events in Berlin and Moscow with the story in Beijing, where the pro-democracy movement was brutally suppressed by Deng Xiaoping.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 784 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2020
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

A gripping and compelling account of a pivotal moment in history, this landmark global study forces us to reexamine the events that transpired when the Cold War came to an end and our present era was born. The world underwent a seismic shift as the Berlin Wall crumbled and peaceful protests in Tiananmen Square descended into violent clashes. In this groundbreaking work, historian Kristina Spohr presents a bold and innovative interpretation of the revolutionary upheaval of 1989 and the subsequent formation of a new world order without significant conflict.

The Post-Wall world, as Spohr argues, was largely shaped by the determined diplomacy of a select group of international leaders. They engaged in tough but cooperative negotiations, working together to reinvent the institutions of the Cold War. By exploring this extraordinary historical moment, Spohr offers a significant reappraisal of US President George H. W. Bush, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and President François Mitterrand of France.

However, the transformation of Europe must be understood in the broader context of global events. Spohr skillfully weaves together the Western and Asian timelines, contrasting events in Berlin and Moscow with the story in Beijing, where the pro-democracy movement was brutally suppressed by Deng Xiaoping. Post Square, he pushed through China's distinct Communist reinvention.

Meticulously researched and brilliantly original, Post Wall, Post Square provides an authoritative contemporary history of those crucial hinge years of 1989-1992 and their profound implications. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of the post-Cold War world and the forces that shaped its evolution.

Weight: 542g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 53 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008280116