History book reviews: East Germany recalled fondly but with warts too

Elsewhere, an outstanding history of IRA attempt to kill Thatcher, and two riveting books on louche killer Malcom Macarthur

The iconic ‘Trabi’ car in an exhibition that shows what everyday life was like in the former communist East Germany at the DDR Museum in Berlin, Germany. Picture: Maja Hitij/Getty

Anyone visiting the DDR museum in Berlin, dedicated to life in the old East Germany, will be struck by the spanking clean Trabant car that features at the beginning of the exhibit. 

It was beloved by East Germans and there was a three-year waiting list for one.