This 27^th publication of the ‘Europe at War’ series was of particular interest to me personally. I lived in northern Germany in the years leading up to and including the Fall of the Berlin Wall and had many direct encounters – most of them not good – with East German authorities.

Andrew Long of Great Britain is a military history researcher. His interest in the Cold War begin with a trip to West Berlin in 1986 (perhaps he and I crossed paths and didn’t even know it!). He traveled through Check Point Charlie to visit East Berlin. Andrew makes sense of this very complex period of history by intertwining stories of politics, ideology, personalities, technology and geography. He has also written Cold War Berlin: An Island City, Volumes 1 & 2 as well as ‘Secrets of the Cold War’.

At the end of the Second World War, Germany was divided into three occupation zones. Berlin was divided into four sectors, each controlled by the Americans, British, French and Soviets. This book discusses in particular how the American garrison began as a short-term occupation force and transformed into a sizeable, self-sustaining military force. It aslo details the organization of the peacekeeping forces, supported combat forces, and how West Berlin citizens were empowered to run their own lives and no longer be controlled. The book also discusses lesser-known forces such as the US Constabulary --- the last active horse platoon in the US Army and the civilian 6941^st Guard Battalion.

The Chapters:

• Governing Post war German and Berlin
• US Headquarters in Berlin
• Policing and Guarding West Berlin
• Other Units
• US Air Force, Berlin
• Refugees and Spies
• Garrison Life
• Conclusion

From a modeler’s perspective, this book has a lot of amazing photos which would translate into fascinating dioramas. The color photographs and color plates of aircraft, armor and uniforms provide an invaluable resource to model builders who are interested in the time period.

I am eager to now read the other volumes of the ‘Cold War Berlin’ series. Andrew Long has done an amazing job. I highly recommend this book to be added to your collection!

Thank you to Casemate Publishers for providing this copy and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it