The Stasi, the first English-language account of the East German secret police, tells the story of the Stasi from its origins in the dreaded Cheka, the notorious Russian secret police, to its abolition in 1989. Based on years of personal experience with the Stasi, interviews with members of the German parliament, and street interviews conducted in several East German towns, David Childs and Richard Popplewell uncover a fascinating yet horrifying story of unbridled power, misguided idealism, treachery, widespread opportunism, and the occasionally courageous dissenter.