The Picnic

A fascinating reconstruction of the extraordinary moment in 1989 when the spontaneous actions and inactions of a few individuals made history swing wide open on its hinges

Philip Gourevitch

Matthew Longo's writing reanimates the heady days of freedom of 1989 and reflects on what was missed in that extraordinary year

Samuel Moyn, author of Humane

Full of insight and empathy, The Picnic is beautifully written and ingeniously plotted. Like all the best books about the past, it brings the present compellingly to life

Patrick McGuinness

A compelling, poignant, beautifully textured retelling of the collapse of communism culminating in a heartfelt rethinking of the meaning of 1989 for the world today

Stephen Holmes, coauthor of The Light that Failed

Exhilarating . . . A gem of a book, filled with timely and compelling insights into the power of ordinary people

Clarissa Ward, author of On All Fronts

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

Kirkus Best of Non-fiction 2023

Stunning ... Longo traces the heart-wrenching stories of these freedom-seekers ... impressive research ... This captivating narrative brings an underreported Cold War turning point into focus

Publishers Weekly

Brilliantly researched and endlessly fascinating, The Picnic is history at the human level. A compulsive and compelling read

Giles Milton, author of Checkmate in Berlin

Captivating . . . Longo recounts the drama in a vivid, fast-paced narrative [which] never lacks verve

The New York Times

The true charm of Mr Longo’s book, and its greatest historical value, lies in his accounts of ordinary citizens – mostly East German – who sought to throw off their Communist shackles by fleeing west at great personal peril. We also owe him a debt for resuscitating . . . the Picnic that changed the world

Wall Street Journal

Elegantly crafted . . . He tells a gripping tale . . . relating to both timeless questions of struggle and agency, and topics in the headlines today

Boston Globe

A terrific work of history that also becomes a meditation on what freedom means and how tyrannies fall

Slate 10 Best Books of 2023

Exhilarating . . . skilfully dramatises the extraordinary chain of events at a summer party in Hungary that led to the end of Soviet power [and] became a catalyst for the dramatic peaceful revolutions that reunited the continent . . . gripping

Tim Adams, Observer

This little gem of a book tells the story of . . . a key Cold War moment . . . Longo’s vivid narrative captures the tension of the moment . . . an intensely moving story that explores the nature of freedom

Victor Sebestyen, Sunday Times

Evoking the dramatic events in vivid colour . . . providing an insight into how deeply this history still matters today . . . fascinating

Katja Hoyer, Telegraph *****

Brisk and engaging . . . It’s an uplifting tale, but Longo takes care not to oversentimentalise it

Houman Barekat, Guardian

Revelatory . . . Longo's engrossing and dramatic book adds a new, captivating chapter to the history of the Cold War

William Boyd, New Statesman

Gripping . . . refreshingly fast-paced, effortlessly moving the reader from one place and moment to another . . . should be required reading

History Today

A great story . . . this is history told from the point of view of those who make it

Ben Rogers, Times Literary Supplement

Beautifully written . . . The Picnic reads like a thriller

Peter Frankopan, Chair of the Judges of the Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Longo perfectly captures the idealism of the time and its echoes today

Christina Lamb, judge of the Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Told through interviews, this unreported moment in history unspools the role of ordinary citizens in ending the Cold War

Tortoise Media, *Best Nonfiction of 2024*