During the cold war, glienicker bruecke became the site of three wellknown eastwest spy exchanges, which resulted it the name bridge of spies. The most famous name on the list this time is anatoly shcharansky, a civil rights activist who was. After arriving in west berlin, donovan made several crossings into. Find din rejse med spies ferier du ikke vil hjem fra spies. Riveting, meticulously researched and beautifully written, bridge of spies unlocks one of the most fascinating espionage mysteries of the cold war ben macintyre, author of agent zigzag and sas rogue heroes bridge of spies is a gripping, entertaining, hairraising and comical story, which moves effortlessly from the. Because the glienicke bridge was a restricted border crossing between the eastern bloc namely potsdam in east germany and territory affiliated with the western powers namely the american sector of west berlin, the americans and soviets used it for the exchange of captured spies during the cold war. This book covers only a chapter of the cold war, although a very important one, which had wideranging consequences for most of the world for many years to come. The name alex gerlis isnt likely to roll off the tongue. The dramatic events behind the oscarwinning film, bridge of spies, tracing the paths leading to the. From there youll get a view of the gothicstyle babelsberg palace as you make your way to the unesco world heritage site, neuer garten new garden.
Buy a cheap copy of spies beneath berlin book by david stafford. It used to be a fairly complicated procedure to walk across the glienicke bridge on the far western outskirts of berlin. During the cold war, an american lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested soviet spy in court, and then help the cia facilitate an exchange of the spy for the soviet captured. Bridge of spies is a 2015 historical drama film directed and coproduced by steven spielberg, written by matt charman and the coen brothers, and starring tom hanks, mark rylance, amy ryan, and alan alda. The bridge of spies is an actual place with an important role in berlin history. Berlins real bridge of spies telegraph the telegraph. There are no major surprises or splashy special effects in bridge of spies, the latest historical drama from former blockbuster maven steven spielberg. When james donovan went to berlin, to negotiate an exchange of rudolf abel for francis gary powers, he entered a city divided by a wall. He was used to trade for a russian spy in a delicate operation that took place on a lonely bridge in potsdam.
Interest in the cia and world intelligence operations is higher than it has been in years. Bridge of spies by steven spielberg with tom hanks berlin wall cold war frederic pryor will rogers. The cia summons donovan to help in the negotiation to exchange the two spies. Bridge of spies takes place in the past but speaks to today time. Bridge of spies is the true story of three extraordinary characters whose fate helped to define the conflicts and lethal. The movie bridge of spies starring tom hanks is very different than the book bridge of spies by giles whittell.
Bridge of spies is a gripping, entertaining, hairraising and comical story, which moves effortlessly from the hardware of highflying planes and new missiles to the geopolitics of the nuclear standoff and through. While she has turned to an ereader for reading at night or in the rain, nesbet. The history press spying in berlin during the cold war. A true story of the cold war is a 2010 nonfiction book by giles whittell. But if he keeps writing at the level he displays in his first four spy novels, thats going to change. Walk to the middle of the bridge and you can see where the boarder between east and west german ran. All these and many other stories can be traced in their fascinating detail at the german spy museum berlin. Set during the cold war, the film tells the story of lawyer james b. The bridge of spies history of the berlin wall and its fall. The swap took place at the berlin bridge connecting communist east berlin to the west thus the title.
We recommend booking glienicke bridge tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Glienicker bruecke bridge of spies glienicker bruecke glienicke bridge is located in germany and connects brandenburgs capital potsdam to berlins wannsee district. The berlin spies by alex gerlis meet your next favorite book. The reallife donovan was hired by the us government to defend russian spy rudolf abel mark rylance. On her reading list is aminas voice, a middle schoolers book about a pakistani american muslim girls challenge to blend in while staying true to her familys culture, by hena khan, and a postapocalyptic saga, the boy on the bridge, for adult readers. The prisoner exchange scene was filmed on the glienicke bridge the socalled bridge of spies, where the historical exchange actually took place in 1962. Potsdam day trip from berlin w bridge of spies tours4fun. With him walked rudolf ivanovich abel, master spy and for years the chief of soviet espionage in the united states. Glienicke bridge potsdam 2020 all you need to know. As steven spielbergs bridge of spies, starring tom hanks, hits theaters. Donovan, who is entrusted with negotiating the release of francis gary powersa u. The bridge was thus also nicknamed the bridge of spies. Bridge of spies is the true story of three extraordinary characters whose fate helped to define the conflicts and lethal undercurrents of the. Who were the three men the american and soviet superpowers exchanged at berlins glienicke bridge and checkpoint charlie in the first and most legendary prisoner exchange between east and west.
The bridge was used several times for the exchange of captured spies. Willie fisher, alias rudolf abel, was a soviet spy in the finest traditions of the bolshevik illegals named in comparison to legals, who had diplomatic cover as. Since the division of berlin, the border between sovietoccupied east berlin and the usoccupied western sector of berlin ran right through the center of the bridge. Do you need to book in advance to visit glienicke bridge. Strangers on a bridge book by james donovan, jason. Donovan began his walk toward the center of the glienicke bridge, the famous bridge of spies that then linked west berlin to east.
Bridge of spies pdf download full download pdf book. The capital of spies in cold war berlin german spy. This book and subsequent movie is the story behind the trade of spies and alleged spies that were traded between russia and the united states on a bridge connecting east and west berlin in 1962. On a tour of berlins cold war locations, our correspondent meets a former cia agent exchanged at the glienicke bridge in 1985 and channels his inner bond at the spy museum. Disney dreamworks fox own the s of this small video clip and no infringement is intended and only uploaded for non commercial use. We will enter potsdam by walking over the bridge of spies, once used to swap spies between us and soviet forces during the cold war. The dramatic events behind the film bridge of spies. The currently standing structure comes from 1907 and it the fourth one on its place.
The subtitle a true story of the cold war is misleading, because this is not a story of the cold war. This image depicts an exchange of spies, between east and west, on the glienicke bridge. Bridge of spies is partly based on the book strangers on a bridge by james donovan, inspired by that accounts record of the famed prisoner exchange. The dramatic events behind the oscarwinning film, bridge of spies, tracing the paths leading to the first and most legendary prisoner exchange between east and west at berlin s glienicke bridge and checkpoint charlie on february 10, 1962. The last exchange of spies to take place on glienicke bridge is also the first to happen in public. In 1960, a u2 spy plane was shot down over the soviet union and the pilot miraculously survived the crash. Bridge of spies is the true story of three extraordinary characters whose fate helped to define the conflicts and lethal undercurrents of the most dangerous. When donovan learns that the american student frederic pryor was arrested in the border of east berlin while trying to bring his german girlfriend to the west berlin, he decides to include the student in the negotiation.
Bridge of spies new hampshire state library overdrive. In spies beneath berlin, david staffordwhom the new york times book. Germanys glienicke bridge has a shady history of clandestine meetings, espionage, and spycraft. This image depicts construction of the berlin wall during august of 1961, about six months before donovan arrived in berlin. A story of the cold war must cover the whole period from the beginning ca. Interpreted as a sign of thawing relations between east and west, the event on what will now forever be known as the bridge of spies plays out in front of the worlds press. Because it was the only place which had westerncontrol on one end the americancontrolled sector of berlin and easterncontrol potsdam, east germany on the other end, this bridge of spies was an ideal location. Bridge of spies and millions of other books are available for instant access. Use our interactive tool to search more than 6,500 tried, tested and. Due to its isolated location, the bridge was used to exchange highranking spies between the eastern and western powers. Walls, spies, east berlin and the california book award.
Most of the individuals are names long lost to history except for gary powers who was the u2 spy plane pilot that was shot down over russia several years earlier. The bridge straddled the border between east and west berlin and, right in the middle of the bridge, a white border line was drawn. The berlin spies is the fourth novel gerlis has written since he left his job teaching journalism at the bbc in 2011. Bridge of spies by steven spielberg steven spielberg, tom. The new movie bridge of spies is based on a true story.
The bridge spans the havel narrows between berlin and potsdam, and was closed to traffic for filming over the last weekend of november. Glienicker bruecke bridge of spies walled in berlin. See the bridge of spies with tom hanks and you will appreciate this place even more. In the early morning of february 10, 1962, james b. The book documents prisoner exchanges between the united states. In the movie, the storyline centers around james donovan tom hanks. The movie represents only a very small portion of the book. The film, unlike the sides involved in the cold war, immediately puts all of its cards on the table, but in a manner thats showy without ever being melodramatic. Further high points of the cold war were the three exchanges of agents between east and west made on glienicke bridge close to potsdam and the subject of major media interest.