When this book first fell into my
hands, I thought, "Wow. This is a big book! How will I ever get
through it?" Although it was bigger than I had expected, I was
pleasantly surprised at how interesting and gripping it was. I went
through it fairly slowly but I didn't lose interest one time!
The book is about the Berlin Wall
crisis as a whole, but specifically focusing on the tunneling
attempts. The tunnels that were built are a dramatic pictur
e of how
desperate the people of Berlin were to have their freedom. This book
reads like a thriller and is filled with suspense and complex
characters and the missions and the risks that brave men and women
took for their families and loved ones.
This was a truly riveting book and I
enjoyed it thoroughly! One thing I look for in a book about history
is that it tells a story. Many history books are somewhat dry and
filled with details and honestly, I quickly lose interest because of
the writing style of the author. But Mitchell did a great job telling
a story – the story of those who were passionate to have freedom.
In the acknowledgments, Mitchell
writes: “When I started this book, I had no idea how many of the
key tunnelers, couriers, and escapees were still living, or if they
would be reachable, and if so, would be willing to speak with me. I
made a list and, surprisingly, I was able to arrange lengthy
interviews with nearly all of them, and then some.” It is evident
when reading this book that his eyewitness interviews made all the
difference in the world. He did a very thorough job and all of the
interviews he conducted add an incredible depth to this book. It is
almost as if he is writing down their story on their behalf. This
book gave all the different perspectives from citizens of east and
west Germany, members of the press, members of the government, etc. I
appreciated how it showed all the different sides of the story.
I was definitely impressed by this book
and although I do not appreciate the occasional language, I would
definitely recommend this book to someone interested in this topic.
“The Tunnels” definitely left me with a greater respect for the
freedom that I have.
I received this book from Blogging for
Books for this review. But the opinion is completely and entirely my
own.
Author's website:
http://www.gregmitchellauthor.com/
Author's bio:
http://www.gregmitchellauthor.com/bios/greg-mitchell