'From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. . .' With these words Winston Churchill famously warned the world in a now legendary speech given in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946.

Launched as an evocative metaphor, the 'Iron Curtain' quickly became a brutal reality in the Cold War between Capitalist West and Communist East. Not surprisingly, for many years, people on both sides of the division have assumed that the story of the Iron Curtain began with Churchill's 1946 speech. In this pioneering investigation, Patrick Wright shows that this was decidedly not the case. Starting with its original use to describe an anti-fire device fitted into theatres, Iron Curtain tells the story of how the term evolved into such a powerful metaphor and the myriad ways in which it shaped the world for decades before the onset of the Cold War.

Along the way, it offers fascinating perspectives on a rich array of historical characters and developments, from the lofty aspirations and disappointed fate of early twentieth century internationalists, through the topsy-turvy experiences of the first travellers to Soviet Russia, to the theatricalization of modern politics and international relations.

Ultimately, as Wright reveals, the term captures a particular way of thinking about the world that long pre-dates the Cold War. In reality, the iron curtain was never just a frontier - it was a psychological state, and it did not simply disappear with the Berlin Wall.

Readership: All those interested in the history of the Cold War, twentieth century international politics, and cultural history.

Patrick Wright, Professor at the Institute for Cultural Analysis, Nottingham Trent University

"An insightful book about a formidable metaphor we thought we knew so well." - Jessica Gienow-Hecht, Journal of American History

"Very well written, interesting, and full of stimulating digressions." - Fraser J. Harbutt, American Historical Review

"Magnificent" - Fred Inglis, The Independent

"Wright's style carries the reader into hearfelt sympathy with one personality or episode after another." - Tom Nairn, London Review of Books, 23

"It is insightful, anecdotal and episodic." - Alex Danchev, THES

"Superbly written... An exhilarating journey which captivates the reader's attention from beginning to end." - Marcus Papadopoulos, Tribune

"Wright is a witty and imaginative writer." - Lewis Jones, Financial Times Magazine

"A profoundly moral work...fine work of cultural history" - Andrew Roberts. First Post

"I have read it from cover to cover, and have enjoyed every page" - Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph

"Sprightly and readable... the great strength of Wright's quietly inspiring book is that it hums with contemporary relevance" - David Schneider, Sunday Times

"...stimulating, amusing... fascinating adventure ride of a book." - Frederick Taylor, Literary Review

"A work of impressive scholarship that adds much to our understanding of the roots of cold war rhetoric and attitudes" - P. D. Smith, Guardian Review

"A work of wit, style and waggish erudition. I was informed and delighted by its originality." - John le Carre

"intriguing anecdotes" - Eleanor Lee, New Statesman

Introduction: Paths Cross on the Jaroslaw Dabrowski
Part I: CARRYING ON IN MISSOURI
1: Bullet's big day
2: In the name of the common people
3: Prophecy and hindsight
Part II: FROM DRURY LANE TO THE THEATRE OF THE WEST (1914-1918)
4: First call
5: Dividing Europe's horizon
6: The Belgian variation
7: In defence of otherness
Part III: WRAPPING RED RUSSIA (1917-20)
8: First delegation
9: Not just a frontier
10: Relocating the Allied blockade
11: Fact-finding with limousines
Part IV: THE BROKEN INTERNATIONAL (1921-1927)
12: The view from Locarno
13: Snapshots from a land of contrasts
14: Comrade Bukharin's version
Part V: STALIN'S RING OF TRUST (1927-1939)
15: No end to the Potemkin complex
16: Friends against famine
17: Steeled minds and the God that failed
Part VI: SUCCESSION AND AFTERLIFE
18: Sliding back to Churchill
19: After the crossing
Afterword: Gone with the Berlin Wall?
Acknowledgements
Appendix 1: 'Bach's Christmas Music in England and in Germany', by Vernon Lee
Appendix 2: 'The Refreshment Room at Narva', by Charles Roden Buxton
Notes
Index