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Located at the heart of Europe between east and west, Czechoslovakia was the pivot of twentieth-century European history. Created in 1918 out of the ruins of an empire, it remained a beacon of democracy in a continent darkened by fascism and communism. But unable to resist the machinations of greater powers, it succumbed to Nazi invasion and partition on the eve of World War II. After that conflict it underwent a communist dictatorship, which was lightened only briefly by the Prague Spring of 1968. Finally, the Czechoslovaks reclaimed liberty and democracy in the Velvet Revolution of 1989. LMaria Dowling's history of Czechoslovakia engages with themes of perennial interest--nationalism, democracy, and authoritarian rule--and as well as guiding the reader through the particularly rich and varied experiences of Czechoslovakia, illuminates the nature of government, power, and culture in twentieth-century Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

a competent job
Telling ninety years of a national history is no joke.You can fill up hundreds of pages about a single individual after all.So, when you set out to tell the modern history of a nation that has not been peripheral to 20th century history, but rather, right spang in the middle of it, you have to make a lot of hard choices.If you plan to confine your history to 167 pages, then you REALLY have to select carefully and must be ready to gloss over a huge amount of material.Still, if you don't at least refer to a number of topics, critics will have your hide; readers with special interests will complain or trash your book.Given these points, I think Dowling has done an excellent job with CZECHOSLOVAKIA, part of Arnold Press' series called "Brief Histories".

I especially liked the arrangement of chapters here, which accurately reflect the periods lived through by the people of this unfortunate country.We start with World War I and the making of the state out of two separate sections of Austria-Hungary.After covering the 20 years from 1918-1938 as the First Republic and the betrayal of Central Europe's only democracy by Britain and France at Munich, we get into the Nazi occupation and resistance.What follow are sections on the Communist takeover in 1948, the long dreary period of Stalinist and post-Stalinist rule, the hope of the Prague Spring which was soon crushed by Soviet tanks, then 20 more years of political and cultural repression combined with economic and environmental disaster.Dissent rumbled throughout, finally coalescing and triumphing in the unbelievable year 1989 with the Velvet Revolution.Two years later, Czechoslovakia disappeared from world maps, probably forever, replaced by two smaller national states.A reader like myself, with only a general idea of the events described, can learn a great deal.Dowling presents problems, questions, or trends in succinct sentences, then discusses each.For people not familiar with Central European history, the basic differences between the Czech lands and Slovakia stemming from very different historical experience will be eye-opening. My one criticism of the book is that it concentrates heavily on political fignres and events.Everyone from Vaclav Havel to Josef Skvorecky, from Milos Forman to Alfons Mucha rates mentions, but the cultural, economic, and social are subordinated to the political.As I said in the beginning, an author has to make hard choices in a book of this length.Overall, it is a very competent job.

Psychologically inaccurate, but historically helpful.
Dowling presents a predominately accurate picture of the C/S unions and occupations, along with political commentary and insight.Her fault lies in consistently portraying CS as a bridge between east and west.True they are a 'eastern' people and they maintain 'western' style democracy, but there is no indication, rather a rebuffing of such mediator sentiment (shown in Stein's "Czecho/Slovakia"), that makes Dowling's often invoked theme an ambiguous one.I applaud her for her brief history of the state, but care not for her use of such ideologies which lead the reader on a quest to draw conclusions about intentions of Czechoslovakians based on little proven (almost manufactured) beliefs.The fact that the book does nothing to explain the lives of Czech and Slovak republics after the split is understood due to the title of the book, focusing only on the state of Masaryk's creation, but as a small history under Austria-Hungarian rule was necessary to introduce the nation, a mentioning of the divided republics would send the combined state to the graveyard of memory with some further dignity.All in all, the book definitely presents history for the reader, but the views presented can lead to inaccurate conclusions. ... Read more

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Prague. History of Prague, Defenestrations of Prague, Prague Castle, Infant Jesus of Prague, List of airports in the Czech Republic, Prague International Marathon, Districts of Prague, List of people from Prague, Prague uprising, Golem ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic. In a broader meaning, it often refers to the entire Czech territory, including Moravia and Czech Silesia, especially in historical contexts, such as the Kingdom of Bohemia. Bohemia has an area of 52,750 km² and today is home to 6.25 million of the Czech Republic's 10.3 million inhabitants. It is bordered by Germany to the southwest, west, and northwest, Poland to the north-east, the Czech historical region of Moravia to the east, and Austria to the south. Bohemia's borders are marked with mountain ranges such as the Bohemian Forest, the Ore Mountains, and the Krkono?e within the Sudeten mountains. ... Read more

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A follow up to his 1988 book Andreas Fischer and the Sabbatarian Anabaptists, Liechty examines an almost unknown phase of Reformation history. He considers two distinct Sabbatarian groups: the radical wing of Anabaptism, and a radical wing of Unitarianism in Transylvania. This work is of special interest to 16th-century historians, persons interested in Christian/Jewish issues and Reformation history, and modern Sabbatarians such as Seventh-day Adventists. ... Read more

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Examining the post-emancipatory, post-industrial transformation of Czech-Jewish society, Hillel J. Kieval focuses on the Czech-Jewish movement and Prague Zionism, charting their development up to the start of the First Czechoslovak Republic.Though different in fundamental ways, the Czech-Jewish movement and Prague Zionism held remarkable similarities: both emerged from the second phase of modernization of Bohemian Jewry; both represented a turnabout in cultural and national loyalties; and both, ironically, saw themselves as the best vehicle for Jewish integration into a nationally charged, highly contentious, European environment. Emphasizing the multi-ethnic character of the region, the linguistic dexterity and cultural ambiguity of its Jewish population, and the decisive impact of national conflict on the creation of Jewish attitudes and behavior, the book offers a new picture--the first in English--of the social and cultural life of Central European Jewry at the turn of the century. ... Read more

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The book is dedicated to "The Plastic People of the Universe," the wildly popular Czech Rock band, whose members were harassed, arrested, tried, and jailed by the communist authorities. This affront the freedom of creative expression drew the attention of Vaclav Havel, well-known playwright and satirist. It discusses Havel's philosophy of "living within the truth" and its role in the revolution, as well as the contributions of Adam Michnik of Poland and Janos Kis of Hungary in their respective countries. It also reviews civil society from a historic and contemporary perspective. ... Read more

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Roberts' book follows in the tradition of recent scholarship that seeks to emphasize the importance of popular culture and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained through an analysis of the daily lives and practices of individuals. Focusing on popular songs, movie stars, famous athletes, traditional dishes, and children's games that are second nature to every Czech, Roberts' work serves as an introduction to Czech popular culture. This dictionary is a sizeable achievement as it offers an English readership an invaluable source of information to a rich body of material that has thus far remained ephemeral. The six hundred entries are cross-referenced and allow readers to pursue particular topics in greater depth. Written in a readable style this work is easily accessible to a wide readership. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A fun, well-informed portrait of 20th century Czech culture
This is a well-written and informative resource on 20th century Czech culture, concentrating on, as the author writes in his preface, people, places, and events familiar to most every Czech adult, but essentially unknown outside the culture. I would characterize its tone as something akin to the Culture Smart/Culture Shock series, but written in far greater depth.I would recommend it to students of Czech, to those who have lived or are living in the Czech Republic, and to anyone who would like to get a deeper perspective on 20th-century mass Czech culture.This is not, as the author cautions, an exhaustive account of Czech history and culture, nor would it be the primary resource for an academic dissertation, but as someone who lived in the Czech Republic for many years and has family living there, I can assure you that the entries ring true and give an insight into the Czech mindset and experience, particularly as it was lived under communism.

I must confess that I am puzzled at the dismissive reviews of this title, as it is clear that the author is both familiar with, and a lover of, Czech culture.I am not familiar with other titles in English like this, and heartily recommend it to other Czechophiles.

An immediately suspect perspective
For a work that implies an intimate knowledge of the Czech psyche, it is incomprehensible that the author places Czechs in "Eastern" Europe.Otherwise extremely reticent to correct foreigners in their mistakes, this is one area in which every Czech I know is crystal clear:They are CENTRAL Europeans.Prague is almost exactly the centre of Europe, geographically; but more than this, Czechs resent being classed with the Eastern European "barbarians" with whom they were forced for 40 years to share an ideology.

Whether Mr. Roberts is oblivious, or simply insensitive, to this national sentiment, his lack of understanding heavily handicaps any credibility he may have had.

Shoddy scholarship
Roberts has achieved nothing but a perfectly condescending caricature of the Czech people.It is completely incomprehensible, how he could collect so much data and not gain any understanding of the culture.Mr. Roberts sees everything as a communist propaganda, and has difficulty imagining that people could have had any joy in their life during communism.My absolute favorite: the Czech's love of smoking, according to Mr. Roberts apparently stems, "from the fact that there was so little to live for under communism."But then again how can one expect any depth or intellectual rigor from a writer who claims that his bibliography is lacking because "it would be impossible to cite all the works..."REALLY?

A Good Description of All You Wanted to Know about Czech Culture but Never Found Out
I first ordered this book for myself, in preparation for a presentation I was giving on my experience as an American Grad Student in Prague. The book was helpful at jogging my memory about the highlights of Czech culture. It also contains excellent trivia that I would never have found out otherwise. I ended up ordering copies of the book for several of my friends who shared my experiences, and they have loved it too!

Informative and enjoyable dictionary of Czech popular culture

Andrew Roberts has compiled a highly informative and enjoyable dictionary of Czech popular culture.

The topics covered include society, politics, history, literature, music, movies, sports and much more.
Regardless of length, the entries are clear and well-written. Historical background is provided whenever needed.

The book is rounded off with a useful alphabetical and thematic index to all dictionary entries.

People interested in Czech history, culture and politics will find this work a valuable source for informative descriptions and definitions.
All the more so because it is written in a lucid, wry style which is a pleasure to read.

The author has a good eye for the little oddities of everyday life and a remarkable understanding of the Czech mentality and worldview (I especially liked the way he highlights Czech quirks with respect and humor).

A big plus is the author's website / blog, where he regularly updates and extends his book.
... Read more

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For fify years, a troupe of antique marionettes were confinedto a dusty closet at Jan Hus Church in the heart of New York City'sCzech and Slovak neighborhood.In 1984, Vit Horejs brought his puppetshow of Czech Fairy Tales there.When he found the hidden trove, hefelt he had his work cut out for him: he had to bring the puppets backto the stage and he had to discover their history.The first taskresulted in the creation of the Czechoslovak-American MarionetteTheatre, which has since performed traditional and not-so-traditionalmarionette performances in twenty seven states, in Europe and in Asia.This book is the result of years of detective work on the second task.In addition to the lead historical essay about hundred and fifty yearsof Czech-American puppetry, the book contains William Keyes essay "'WeWere-And We Shakk Be:' Puppetry and Czecho-Slovak Politics,1860-1990," focusing mostly on Milan Getting, a SLovak-American andpuppeteer who worked !tirelessly for the creation, recognition andpreservation of Czechoslovakia in the first half of out century.Thebook is complemented by Milan Knizak's essay "The Marionette Proud andDignified" devoted to overall history of Czech puppetry and individualpuppet carvers.Twenty-four color and twenty black-and-whitephotographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Small but Wonderful Book
This is a wonderful LITTLE book that conveys the wonder of Czech puppetry as experienced by the Czech community in the U.S. But, it IS little: just six inches by six inches, and only 80 pages in length. What the book lacks in size, though, it makes up for in three lovingly written essays and 42 exquisite photos, 24 of them in color. If you love Czech puppetry, or want to understand its wonder and beauty, this book delivers. ... Read more

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This clear, objective introduction to the politics of Czechoslovakia and the successor Czech and Slovak republics builds a framework for understanding the dynamics of the "triple transition": democratization, marketization, and a national transformation that has reconfigured the dynamic between state and nation. Offering a valuable case study of a country coming back to Europe, the book's strong comparative element will make it invaluable to those seeking to understand the dynamics of transition in the region as a whole. ... Read more

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THE ONLY SOURCE FOR CURRENT CZECH AND SLOVAK INFO!!!
Leff has written the first detailed analysis of the Czech and Slovak Republics since their divide in 1993. She provides sufficient historical background, an excellent tale of the Velvet Revolution, and an accurateevaluation of the current situations in both countries including bothpolitical and economic statuses.This book is necessary for anyone wantingthe real picture of Czech and Slovak life after the fall of the SovietUnion. ... Read more

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The Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague (d. 1125) is a masterwork of medieval historical writing, deeply erudite, consciously researched, and narrated in high rhetorical style.Regarded as the foundational narrative of Czech history, it is the source of the oldest stories about the land, people, and rulers of Bohemia and Moravia. Lisa Wolverton provides the first annotated English translation of this eminently enjoyable and teachable work.

The first of the three books of the Chronicle describes the earliest people to arrive in Bohemia, the first rulers and the origins of the Pøemyslid dynasty, the founding of Prague, and the early phases of Christianization. Book Two covers the period from 1037 to 1092, the age of Duke Bøetislav I and his five contentious sons. Book III treats events contemporary with the author's writing, a time of great political upheaval, both internally and in relation to neighboring Germans, Poles, and Hungarians. Preeminently concerned with rulers and political life, the chronicle is striking for its narrative brilliance, vivid characters and scenes, dramatic dialogues, evocative soliloquies, and deep classical and Biblical erudition. In composing it, Cosmas sought to define the Czechs as a nation through history, compel them to think about their political culture, and urge reform, justice, and responsibility.

The oldest history of a Slavic people written by a Slav, the work rivals any medieval chronicle in its verve, accessibility, and insight into the very nature of political power. The Chronicle of the Czechs will be indispensable for medieval specialists wanting to extend their reach into Eastern Europe, as well as for college instructors in search of a lively and insightful text on medieval political life generally. ... Read more

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Prior to the Thirty Years' War, almost all of Bohemia's population lay outside the Catholic fold, yet by the beginning of the eighteenth century the kingdom was clearly under Rome's influence. Few regions in Europe's history have ever experienced such a complete religious transformation; because of this, Bohemia offers a unique window for examining the Counter-Reformation and the nature of early modern Catholicism. Converting Bohemia presents the first full assessment of the Catholic church's re-establishment in the Czech lands, arguing that this complex phenomenon was less a product of violence and force than of negotiation and persuasion. Ranging from art, architecture and literature to music, philosophy and hagiography, Howard Louthan's study reintegrates the region into the broader European world where it played such a prominent role in the early modern period. It will be of particular interest to scholars of early modern European history, religion, and Reformation studies. ... Read more

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This is a study of Hussite history. It examines Bohemia - its politics, religion and society - on the eve of the Hussite reform movement, the politics of Reformation and the theological ideas of Jan Hus. ... Read more

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This work represents a rare historical and theological reflection in the English language on the role of the Christian church in an eastern European community. The Czech Republic, one of the most secularized nations in Europe, presents a unique study of the struggle of the Christian Church to engage in a dialogue with a profoundly secularized society. The book begins with a brief historical overview of Czech religious history from the Fourteenth to the Twentieth Century and then goes on to both identify and analyze in greater depth the issues that have surfaced since the revolution of 1989 as an ecclesiastical culture clashes with an evolving secularized one dominated by goals determined by a new economic system. The author believes that the experience of the Church in the Czech Republic offers valuable insights to the universal Church as it confronts the phenomenon of secularization in its Twenty-First Century expression. ... Read more

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The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Czech State has been thoroughly updated and greatly expanded. Featuring a chronology, introductory essay, appendix, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries, this detailed, authoritative reference provides understandings of the Czechs as a people; the territory they inhabit; their social, cultural, political, and economic developments throughout history; and interactions with their neighbors and the wider world. ... Read more

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This study presents a history and analysis of the Prague musical community from 1900 until the end of democracy in 1938. Opera and Ideology in Prague not only narrates the fascinating history of a local musical community but also reveals much about music and culture in Europe.The fin-de-siècle period was dominated by the musicologist Zdenek Nejedly's polemics regarding the competing "legacies" of Smetana and Dvorák and the merits of modernism. After Czech independence in 1918, a new generation of musicians accepted modernist foreign influences only with extreme hesitation.BR>The 1926 Prague premiere of Berg's opera Wozzeck and the ascendancy of a young group of avant-garde composers changed the cultural climate entirely, providing new ground for the exploration of jazz, neo-classicism, quarter tones, and socialist music. As the Czechoslovak Republic drew to a close, a resurgence of nationalism appeared in the musical expressions of both Czechs and German-Bohemians.The analyses of operas and tone poems by Novák, Ostrcil, Zich, Jeremiás, Hába, Kricka, and Suk provide a cross-section of musical life in early twentieth-century Prague, as well as a series of interpretations of Czech cultural identity. Populist endeavors such as jazz and neo-classicism represented some of the ways in which composers of the 1930s attempted to regain an audience alienated by modernism: in this respect, the trends in Prague mirrored those of the rest of Europe.Brian Locke is assistant professor of music history at Western Illinois University, Macomb. He has written extensively on twentieth-century music, including Czech operatic and symphonic works and Alban Berg's Wozzeck. ... Read more