Reviews

Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall by Helena Merriman

saltyseaghost's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

domenicar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

karostl's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

scwoodyard's review

3.0

Very good book. I am a bit biased because I do love history. Recent history like this is really important to be aware of particularly because of current events going on now and witnessing history repeating itself. My only quibble is that the book couldn't decide if it was a straight up biography/history book or a fictionalized story of true events. I feel like it would have been stronger if they picked one. But overall, a very good read. I learned a lot.

sannekwakernaak's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

duparker's review

4.0

Pretty cool story. This is an era I never learned enough about. Fascinating to see what people went through and to wonder what you'd do in the same place and time. In some ways it felt like a podcast, but I don't know that I'd say that if I hadn't known it was one.

tmarsh's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

3.0

babyskillet's review against another edition

Good it just wasn’t grabbing my attention like my other books right now. I’d like to read it later at some point. 

worldwidewebb's review

5.0

If I could give this more stars I would.

Incredibly researched, deeply informative but reads like a thriller. I genuinely couldn't put it down - I was reading it at the computer, thanking my lucky stars I still work from home.

I knew things would end relatively well for at least some of the principal subjects of the book (given that the author interviewed them decades later) but I was still petrified as I read about the extreme risks these students - who were practically still teenagers! - took to help loved ones and strangers escape East Berlin. The book presented an absolutely fascinating insight to the different perspectives in Berlin during the '60s, and I found the Stasi communications that were sprinkled through the later chapters both interesting and deeply eerie.

I'll be very annoying over the next few months as I recommend this book to anyone who sits still for long enough.

margaret21's review against another edition

5.0

This is the story, much of it seen through the eyes of one young ex-East Berliner, of what it was like to live in East Berlin, particularly during the period of The Berlin Wall. It describes the privations, limitations, securities and insecurities of this society which made itself responsible for you from cradle to grave. It describes the reach of the Stasi, which recruited its informers even in West Berlin, and then goes on to describe the story of one group who strive to build an escape tunnel. This is a story full of suspense, anxiety and heartache. Despite our knowing that the wall is no more, and that many of the characters described survive to tell the tale, this book is a real page turner. And in among, we learn about the Stasi and its methods and their prisons. A real must-read.