Bridget Kendall presents an oral history of the Cold War. Stories from an English village which played host to American nuclear weapons; perestroika; the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Bridget Kendall tells the stories of four crucial episodes from the later decades of the Cold War through the memories of those who were there, in an omnibus edition of episodes from this week's programmes in Radio 4's Cold War series.
The New Cold War: Bridget Kendall hears how, in the 1980s, US nuclear weapons came to English villages - and how this shaped the lives of a local farmer, a peaceful protestor and a US pilot.
Gorbachev's Perestroika: The memories of three witnesses to Mikhail Gorbachev's precarious balancing act.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall and German Reunification: Bridget Kendall hears how the lives of three East Germans took an unexpected turn when their country dissolved. While a journalist and a manager of a theatregoer club from West Berlin tell us about strange encounters and the joy of embracing the whole city again.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union: Bridget Kendall hears from three people who remember the events of 1991 that led to the fall of the USSR.
Readings by Samuel James and John Norton.
Producers: Phil Tinline and Martin Williams.
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Broadcast
- Fri 21 Jul 2017 21:00±«Óãtv Radio 4
Podcast
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Cold War: Stories from the Big Freeze
Bridget Kendall presents an oral history tracing decisive moments of the Cold War.
