In August 1989, a group of Hungarian activists organized a picnic on the border of Hungary and Austria. But this was not an ordinary picnic—it was located on the dangerous militarized frontier known as the Iron Curtain. Tacit permission from the highest state authorities could be revoked at any moment. On wisps of rumor, thousands of East German "vacationers" packed Hungarian campgrounds, awaiting an opportunity, fearing prison, surveilled by lurking Stasi agents. The Pan-European Picnic set the stage for the greatest border breach in Cold War history: hundreds crossed from the Communist East to the longed-for freedom of the West.
An elegantly crafted account of an extraordinary but largely forgotten August 1989 gathering ... The way that Longo tells the tale also, however, makes it natural to ponder what-if questions that go far beyond the event itself. He tells a gripping tale ... Illuminates the curious alchemy through which structural forces, personalities, contingency, minor miscalculations, and lucky little choices can combine to lead to unusual results. Longo’s focus could hardly seem more microscopic, returning continually to what happened in a few hours on a small piece of ground in an obscure borderland ... Poignant.
Captivating ... Longo recounts the drama in a vivid, fast-paced narrative ... Longo aims high ... It’s an admirable goal, and he comes close to achieving it. Yet his cast is so large that one yearns for a key, and he oddly favors the paraphrase over a quote ... Amid the rush of events, the analysis occasionally stumbles.
Extensively documented, well written, and thoughtful in its consideration of what freedom means, this book is an informative and engaging history of the event, its origins, and the aftermath. A much-needed reminder of the inexhaustibility of the human quest for personal and collective freedom.
