Tunnel 29 cover art

Tunnel 29

Love, Espionage and Betrayal: the True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall

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Tunnel 29

By: Helena Merriman
Narrated by: Helena Merriman
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About this listen

 Acclaim for the TUNNEL 29 podcast:

'Combining the fun of a thriller that we know will end happily with grim perspective on history and tyranny... stunning' New Yorker

'Reminiscent of a savvy Netflix block buster series' Evening Standard

'A truly exciting yarn... creates a sense for the listener of being right there in the tunnel, experiencing the dangers.' Observer

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The true story of the most remarkable escape tunnel under the Berlin Wall, from the creator of the acclaimed BBC podcast.

He's just escaped from one of the world's most brutal regimes.

Now, he decides to tunnel back in.

It's summer, 1962, and Joachim Rudolph, a student, is digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. Waiting on the other side in East Berlin - dozens of men, women and children; all willing to risk everything to escape.

From the award-winning creator of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 podcast, Tunnel 29 is the true story of the most remarkable escape tunnel dug under the Berlin Wall. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with the survivors, and thousands of pages of Stasi documents, Helena Merriman brilliantly reveals the stranger-than-fiction story of the ingenious group of student-diggers, the glamorous red-haired messenger, the American News network which films the escape, and the Stasi spy who betrays it. For what Joachim doesn't know as he burrows closer to East Germany, is that the escape operation has been infiltrated. As the escapees prepare to crawl through the cold, wet darkness, above them, the Stasi are closing in.

Tunnel 29 is about what happens when people lose their freedom - and how some will do anything to win it back.

(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2021 Hugely Ltd 20th Century Espionage Europe Germany Modern True Crime Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant
Tunnel 29 is one of the most compelling audiobooks I’ve heard. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, Helena narrates the story with a warmth and intensity that is perfectly pitched to capture the danger and the hope surrounding this extraordinary rescue mission, placing you in that moment. I listened in five-minute bursts because I didn’t want it to end. I hope Helena writes and narrates more about Berlin and the Berlin Wall.

An extraordinary true story elevated by the author's standout narration

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I loved this book - finished in two sittings! The story was really incredible, with fantastic supporting nutrition by the author Helena.

An incredible story well told!

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I first became aware of this story via a BBC audio drama and decided to read the book but eventually picked the audio version instead. The book does an excellent job of laying the backstory before delivering the account of digging the tunnel and escape, which is then drawn to a neat conclusion with some after story. The fact that it is read by the author makes it all the more engaging to listen too and I thoroughly recommend it.

An excellent presentation of events

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this is a must listen. puts some reality to the events of the cold war. these people are heroes. the author does a great job of the narration

excellent!

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I finished this audiobook in 3 days. I was captivated by the phenomenal story and presentation. I felt I was there with the characters and learnt a great deal about the Berlin Wall and this horrific time in human history. 100% recommended

A phenomenal piece of history eloquantely presented

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