Bibliograph

The zookeepers' war, an incredible true story from the Cold War, J.W. Mohnhaupt ; translated by Shelley Frisch

Type

Label

The zookeepers' war, an incredible true story from the Cold War, J.W. Mohnhaupt ; translated by Shelley Frisch

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-248) and index

Illustrations

platesillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The zookeepers' war

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1085214676

Responsibility statement

J.W. Mohnhaupt ; translated by Shelley Frisch

Sub title

an incredible true story from the Cold War

Summary

"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 descriptionIn 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

Table Of Contents

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

Classification