- Published: 30 January 2024
- ISBN: 9781847927804
- Imprint: Bodley Head
- Format: Trade Paperback
- Pages: 320
- RRP: $36.99
The Picnic
An Escape to Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron Curtain

















- Published: 30 January 2024
- ISBN: 9781847927804
- Imprint: Bodley Head
- Format: Trade Paperback
- Pages: 320
- RRP: $36.99
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*