AUTHOR EVENT: Donald Smith

Meet Donald Smith, author of Steinstuecken: A Little Pocket of Freedom.

Steinstuecken: A Little Pocket Of Freedom

Steinstuecken, a West Berlin neighborhood, was part of the American Sector in Berlin during the Cold War. However, Steinstuecken was COMPLETELY surrounded by Communist-controlled territory. The Americans couldn’t even send soldiers or supplies to the village without risking a confrontation (and possible combat) with the Soviets or East Germans.

Yet, for more than 20 years, American soldiers and diplomats kept Steinstuecken out of Communist hands. The village’s residents showed determination, and even courage, in resisting Communist pressure. They also managed to live relatively normal lives, and build a bond with the Americans that stays strong to this day. At the same time, the Americans and Soviets managed the village's situation in a way that kept tensions down and prevented a crisis.

This book tells how they did it. It’s an interesting, even inspiring story that deserves to be remembered.

Don Smith is a retired U.S. Army Reserve officer. He spent ten years in the active forces, three of those in Germany at the end of the Cold War. While visiting Berlin he toured Steinstuecken and never forgot it. After his active service he worked at a variety of jobs within the Department of Defense. He currently teaches Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelors' degree in history from the University of Virginia and a masters' degree in strategic intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College, now the National Intelligence University. He has been published in Military History, World War II, and Civil War Times magazines and the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin. His most recent article is Military History's cover story on the Berlin Airlift, featuring Gail Halvorsen. Steinstuecken: A Little Pocket of Freedom is his first book.