Hardcover. US, Taschen, 1st, 2014, Book: Very Good, Hardcover, 904 pages, illustrated in color, b&w. Includes 56 page facsimile of a GDR family scrapbook. This is an absolutely amazing chronicle of life in the German Democratic Republic, from its establishment in 1949 up through the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and subsequent reunification of the two Germanys. LIfe in East Germany is completely and accurately summarized and represented: everything from menus in restaurants, to shopping, transportation, education, home life, the State Security Service (Stasi), etc. Even what was available to drink and smoke is described and illustrated. It's as if the Wende Museum - the book's publisher - has take the entire collection of its East German and Cold War archives and put it into a coffee table book. But be careful, you'll need a strong coffee table: this publication weighs over eleven pounds. If you're interested in German history, particularly of the Cold War years, this book is a must.
