Praise for Tear Down This Wall

Mr. Ratnesar's book...gives us both an accurate and detailed picture of our cumbersome governmental policymaking process and a remarkable re-creation of the last days of the Soviet empire, with East Germany as the culmination of the Marxist dialectic, and the wall the perfect symbol for that strange alternate universe.
—John R. Coyne Jr.

"Time magazine deputy managing editor Ratnesar has mined American and East German archives to produce a lively, impressively detailed history of the iconic speech."
—Publishers Weekly

"Romesh Ratnesar has produced a riveting account of one of the greatest speeches in modern times, which would have been enough. But along the way he has also written a brilliant and incisive history of the end of the Reagan Presidency and the Cold War. Tear Down this Wall affirms the power of words."
—David Grann, Author of The Lost City of Z

"Romesh Ratnesar's absorbing, fine-tuned account offers a valuable behind-the-scenes view of the Reagan White House at work -- and, on the other side of the Berlin Wall, of the world of the democratic dissidents whom Reagan uplifted. It is an important addition to the growing library on the Reagan era."
—Sean Wilentz, Princeton University, author of The Age of Reagan

"More than most presidents, Ronald Reagan governed through his speeches--never to greater effect than in his 1987 Berlin summons to 'Tear down this wall.' With the perspective of time, access to newly available papers, and a Reaganesque flair for storytelling with a point, Romesh Ratnesar gives us the ultimate insider's account of the history that unfolded when those around him, sometimes reluctantly, let Reagan be Reagan. No future discussion of the Cold War and how it ended will be complete without reference to this riveting book."
—Richard Norton Smith, author of The Colonel

"The four words that Ronald Reagan hurled at Mikhail Gorbachev were an exhortation, even a demand, but they were also part of a dialogue, a partnership, and a friendship that changed the world. It is high time for a focused study of how that speech came to be written and why it was so consequential. Romesh Ratnesar has told the story with narrative verve, brilliant political and personal insight, and a combination of concision and pithiness worthy of the Great Communicator himself."
—Strobe Talbott, author of The Great Experiment

"Among the fascinating challenges facing historians are figuring out how Ronald Reagan's mind worked and assessing the factors that led to the end of the Cold War. Romesh Ratnesar weaves these together brilliantly. This is an exciting narrative that explains a critical moment in history and brings to life the amazing players in a great drama."
—Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein

"Romesh Ratnesar has written a smart and deeply illuminating history of Ronald Reagan at the zenith of the Cold War. Tear Down This Wall helps clarify a lot of misnomers about Reagan's most enduring speech. This is a fine, important, and admirable study. Highly recommended!"
—Douglas Brinkley, author of Wilderness Warrior

"A well-balanced look at a key moment in Reagan’s presidency."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Ratnesar captures the full historical context and bricks-and-mortar development of Ronald Reagan's memorable yet controversial1987 speech at the Berlin Wall."
—Library Journal