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The zookeepers' war : an incredible true story from the cold war / J.W. Mohnhaupt ; translated by Shelley Frisch.
"The unbelievable true story of the Cold War's strangest proxy war, fought between the zoos on either side of the Berlin Wall and unlike anything readers have heard before. This historical piece is an epic tale of desperate rivalries, human follies, and an animal-mad city."-- Publisher's description.
In the 1960s, the East Berlin zoo was spacious and lush, a socialist utopia where everything was perfectly planned-- but rarely successfully finished. Berlin's two zoos became symbols of the divided city's two halves. Eventually the head zookeepers on either side started an animal arms race: competing to have the most pandas and hippos. State funds were quietly diverted to give these new animals lavish welcomes worthy of visiting dignitaries. West German presidential candidates were talking about zoo policy on the campaign trail. Mohnhaupt tells a tale of desperate rivalries, human follies, and an animal-mad city in which zookeeping became a way of continuing politics by other means. -- adapted from jacket
Record details
- ISBN: 9781501188497
- ISBN: 1501188496
- Physical Description: 261 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (black and white) ; 22 cm
- Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019.
- Copyright: ©2017
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "Originally published in 2017 in Germany as Der Zoo der Anderen by Carl Hanser Verlag." Translation of: Der Zoo der Anderen : als die Stasi ihr Herz für Brillenbären entdeckte & Helmut Schmidt mit Pandas nachrüstete. ©2017. |
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-248) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Prologue: animal people -- War and crocodile tail soup -- The zoo on the other side -- The fourth man -- Pandas and prestige -- The zoo of the future -- Big plans, little fish -- Golden times in the golden cage -- The gray giant comes tumbling down -- Epilogue: old men, new era. |
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Available copies
- 2 of 2 copies available at Lehigh Valley Library System.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Allentown Public Library System. (Show)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown Public Library | 590.7343 MOHN (Text) | 34455006645713 | Adult Nonfiction 1st FL | Available | - |
| Bethlehem Main Library | 590.734 (Text) | 33062009229056 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
