A shadow over all our lives... clearly in this hugely informative and insightful overview. Unlike most Western writers, Mr de Bueky has lived behind the Iron Curtain. As a journalist he worked for Radio Free Europe, and he knows the meaning of freedom. He knows the meaning of communism too. So why did it all fall down? they lost, and thank the Lord for our liberties. From Berlin to Korea, Cuba to Afghanistan, from Yalta to the staggering events of 1989, it was a struggle all the way, as the year 1989 was not just the 'annus mirabillis' but the endgame in that struggle. This work details the how, the why and the when. researched, with a bibliography and index, this book is a need to read for students of history and political science, for those who have lived through the momentous changes of recent years, and for any of us who have lingering doubts about the collapse of communism.