Synopses & Reviews
"A riveting cultural history."
— Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
"Equal parts terrifying and exhilarating, Burning Down the Haus is a fabulously alive history that shows how even the most formidable forms of oppression can be shaken by highly motivated kids with riotous rage and a driving beat. A thrilling, inspiring read."
—Rob Spillman, editor of Tin House and author of All Tomorrow's Parties
“The best punk book since Please Kill Me.”
— Legs McNeil, author of Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk
SAY IT, SPEAK IT, SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!
It began with a handful of East Berlin teens who heard the Sex Pistols on a British military radio broadcast to troops in West Berlin in 1980, and it ended with the collapse of the East German dictatorship. Punk rock was a life-changing discovery. The buzz-saw guitars, the messed-up clothing and hair, the rejection of society and the DIY approach to building a new one: In their gray surroundings, where everyone’s future was preordained by some communist apparatchik, punk represented a revolutionary philosophy — quite literally, as it turned out.
But as the East German punks became more numerous, more visible, and more rebellious, security forces — including the dreaded secret police, the Stasi — targeted them. They were spied on by friends and even members of their own families; they were expelled from schools and jobs; they were beaten by police and imprisoned. Instead of backing down, the punks fought back, playing an indispensable role in the underground movements that helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
The story of East German punk rock is about much more than music; it is a story of extraordinary bravery in the face of one of the most oppressive regimes in history. Rollicking, cinematic, deeply researched, highly readable, and thrillingly topical, Burning Down the Haus brings to life the young men and women who successfully fought authoritarianism three chords at a time — and is a fiery testament to the irrepressible spirit of resistance.
Review
“Berlin has always been a crazy city, and a dramatic stage for the epic struggle between powerful ideological forces and the individual desire to be free. In case you weren’t sure just how political music, fashion, and a certain attitude can be: read this book. Burning Down the Haus is wonderful.” Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed
Review
“You say you want a revolution? Tim Mohr's spellbinding Burning Down the Haus reveals how a bunch of young East German punks in the 1980s made their wild music into a clarion loud enough to topple the Berlin Wall. With a sharp eye for the prosaic brutality of the repressive state and an ear locked on the furies in the music, Mohr has crafted an unforgettable story that is part cultural history, part political thriller and entirely true.” Peter Ames Carlin, author of Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon
Review
“Lively...compelling...a front-row seat to the events of the ’80s. This take on punk evolution is engaging, enlightening, and well worth checking out.” Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
“In East Germany, where non-conformity meant jail time, punks’ ripped clothes and spiked hair were a show of courage and defiance. Squatting in derelict apartments and burning their lyrics before the secret police could get ahold of them, these teenagers wrote the soundtrack for a rebellion that helped bring down the Berlin Wall. Tim Mohr tells the story of their DIY revolution with the thoroughness of a historian and the panache of a cultural insider. Burning Down the Haus is a riveting cultural history that also serves as a rallying call against authoritarianism everywhere.” Ruth Franklin, author of the NBCC Award-winning Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life
Review
“Burning Down the Haus is not just an immersion into the punk rock scene of East Berlin, it’s the story of the cultural and political battles that have shaped the world we live in today. Tim Mohr delivers the soundtrack for the revolution that we’ve all been waiting for.” DW Gibson, author of The Edge Becomes the Center: An Oral History of Gentrification in the Twenty-First Century
Synopsis
"A thrilling and essential social history that details the rebellious youth movement that helped change the world." --Rolling Stone
"Original and inspiring . . . Mr. Mohr has writ-ten an im-por-tant work of Cold War cul-tural his-tory." --The Wall Street Journal
"Wildly entertaining . . . A thrilling tale . . . A joy in the way it brings back punk's fury and high stakes."--Vogue
It began with a handful of East Berlin teens who heard the Sex Pistols on a British military radio broadcast to troops in West Berlin, and it ended with the collapse of the East German dictatorship. Punk rock was a life-changing discovery. The buzz-saw guitars, the messed-up clothing and hair, the rejection of society and the DIY approach to building a new one: in their gray surroundings, where everyone's future was preordained by some communist apparatchik, punk represented a revolutionary philosophy--quite literally, as it turned out.
But as these young kids tried to form bands and became more visible, security forces--including the dreaded secret police, the Stasi--targeted them. They were spied on by friends and even members of their own families; they were expelled from schools and fired from jobs; they were beaten by police and imprisoned. Instead of conforming, the punks fought back, playing an indispensable role in the underground movements that helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
This secret history of East German punk rock is not just about the music; it is a story of extraordinary bravery in the face of one of the most oppressive regimes in history. Rollicking, cinematic, deeply researched, highly readable, and thrillingly topical, Burning Down the Haus brings to life the young men and women who successfully fought authoritarianism three chords at a time--and is a fiery testament to the irrepressible spirit of revolution.
Synopsis
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Rolling Stone * BookPage * Amazon * Rough Trade
Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence " A] riveting and inspiring history of punk's hard-fought struggle in East Germany." --The New York Times Book Review
"A thrilling and essential social history that details the rebellious youth movement that helped change the world." --Rolling Stone
"Original and inspiring . . . Mr. Mohr has written an important work of Cold War cultural history." --The Wall Street Journal
"Wildly entertaining . . . A thrilling tale . . . A joy in the way it brings back punk's fury and high stakes."--Vogue
It began with a handful of East Berlin teens who heard the Sex Pistols on a British military radio broadcast to troops in West Berlin, and it ended with the collapse of the East German dictatorship. Punk rock was a life-changing discovery. The buzz-saw guitars, the messed-up clothing and hair, the rejection of society and the DIY approach to building a new one: in their gray surroundings, where everyone's future was preordained by some communist apparatchik, punk represented a revolutionary philosophy--quite literally, as it turned out.
But as these young kids tried to form bands and became more visible, security forces--including the dreaded secret police, the Stasi--targeted them. They were spied on by friends and even members of their own families; they were expelled from schools and fired from jobs; they were beaten by police and imprisoned. Instead of conforming, the punks fought back, playing an indispensable role in the underground movements that helped bring down the Berlin Wall.
This secret history of East German punk rock is not just about the music; it is a story of extraordinary bravery in the face of one of the most oppressive regimes in history. Rollicking, cinematic, deeply researched, highly readable, and thrillingly topical, Burning Down the Haus brings to life the young men and women who successfully fought authoritarianism three chords at a time--and is a fiery testament to the irrepressible spirit of revolution.
About the Author
Tim Mohr is an award-winning translator of authors, including Alina Bronsky, Wolfgang Herrndorf, and Charlotte Roche. He has also collaborated on memoirs by musicians Gil Scott-Heron, Duff McKagan of Guns n’ Roses, and Paul Stanley of KISS. His own writing has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, New York Magazine, and Inked, among other publications, and he spent several years as a staff editor at Playboy magazine, where he edited Hunter S. Thompson, John Dean, and Harvey Pekar, among others. Prior to starting his writing career he earned his living as a club DJ in Berlin.