Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book for genealogy
A book a copy from Mr. Kendricks. For the average American descendant of Carpathian Germans, it is an excellent introduction to the history of the Hauerland region in Slovakia, the village of Muennichwies, and traditions etc. ... Read more

Product Description
In The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare gave the landlocked country of Bohemia a coastline--a famous and, to Czechs, typical example of foreigners' ignorance of the Czech homeland. Although the lands that were once the Kingdom of Bohemia lie at the heart of Europe, Czechs are usually encountered only in the margins of other people's stories. In The Coasts of Bohemia, Derek Sayer reverses this perspective. He presents a comprehensive and long-needed history of the Czech people that is also a remarkably original history of modern Europe, told from its uneasy center.

Sayer shows that Bohemia has long been a theater of European conflict. It has been a cradle of Protestantism and a bulwark of the Counter-Reformation; an Austrian imperial province and a proudly Slavic national state; the most easterly democracy in Europe; and a westerly outlier of the Soviet bloc. The complexities of its location have given rise to profound (and often profoundly comic) reflections on the modern condition. Franz Kafka, Jaroslav Hasek, Karel Capek and Milan Kundera are all products of its spirit of place. Sayer describes how Bohemia's ambiguities and contradictions are those of Europe itself, and he considers the ironies of viewing Europe, the West, and modernity from the vantage point of a country that has been too often ignored.

The Coasts of Bohemia draws on an enormous array of literary, musical, visual, and documentary sources ranging from banknotes to statues, museum displays to school textbooks, funeral orations to operatic stage-sets, murals in subway stations to censors' indexes of banned books. It brings us into intimate contact with the ever changing details of daily life--the street names and facades of buildings, the heroes figured on postage stamps--that have created and recreated a sense of what it is to be Czech. Sayer's sustained concern with questions of identity, memory, and power place the book at the heart of contemporary intellectual debate. It is an extraordinary story, beautifully told.Amazon.com Review
In The Winter's Tale, a play of 1610, WilliamShakespeare gave a coastline to Bohemia, a landlocked country. Threehundred and twenty-eight years later, his compatriot NevilleChamberlain would call a brewing war in Czechoslovakia, as the countrywas called, "a quarrel in a far away country between people ofwhom we know nothing." As Canadian scholar Sayer writes,knowingly, Bohemia eventually got its coastline, one "guarded byminefields, barbed-wire fences, and tall watchtowers with machineguns," while the West took little notice. The general ignoranceof all things Czech would cost Europe dearly, for conflagrations fromthe Thirty Years War to World War II (and even sparks that might haveignited World War III) have begun in the tiny country known by manynames---Czechoslovakia, Bohemia, Moravia. Canadian scholar Sayerwrites of the Czechs' struggle over centuries to define themselves asa people and nation, and he does so in a vivid, detailed narrativethat will enlighten readers who are unfamiliar with the criticallyimportant center of Eastern Europe.--Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not a history - More of a bore
If a book claims to be a history of a place, then it should at least give the reader decent coverage of the history of that place.But this book fails in that most basic requirement.The author is much more interested in discussing Alfons Mucha and how the Munich Agreement affected this relatively unknown artist than he is in discussing how Czechoslovakia ended up the victim of Hitler.But that fairly well reflects the book as it is more a history of various Czech authors and artists than it is of the Czech people.

The back of the book makes the claim that the book is a "comprehensive history of the Czech people."Unfortunately this is not true.Turn to any page and instead of reading about an event in Czech history, you will read about a sculptor or magazine editor and how they felt about some event that is never actually explained.The book is a struggle to get through if you are not already familiar with the history of Bohemia.If you don't know much about the Slansky trials of the early 1950's, don't expect to know more after reading this book other than what books were banned.And for some unexplained reason, the author decided to end his book in 1960, just before the the reforms that led to the Velvet Revolution.I learned much more about Czech history reading "Under the Cruel Star" than I did reading this book.

Perhaps the book would have been better off described as a review of art and literature in Bohemia up until 1960.At least the book would have been more accurate in its description.After reading this book, I do not feel that I understand the people of the Czech Republic any better than when I started.I can truly say that this is a book that I did not enjoy reading in the least.If ever there was a book that made me feel I wasted my money, this is that book.

Poetic scholarship!
Anybody wanting to gain a deeper knowledge of the Czech people, Czech culture, and Czech spirit should read Derek Sayer's 'The Coasts of Bohemia.'Anybody wanting to dive into the sticky mess of Central European history would also do well to read this book.And those unbelievers who think that a scholarly work must be by its very nature dry and dense, MUST read this book.

Sayer's work stands alone in the veritable dearth of good works dealing with Czechdom.A towering mountain, 'Coasts' is far and away the best door to a culture and nation little understood in the 'West.'In this monumental work, Sayer continues in the grand tradition of Czech historiography started by the grand master of Czech history, Palácky.And like Palácky before him, Sayer attempts to give an answer to that elusive question:Who are the Czechs?

Starting his work with the formulators of written Czech, Josef Jungmann and Josef Dobrovsky, Sayer makes a wise decision. During the Hapsburg rule from 1620 to 1918, the only real home of Czechdom was Cestina, the Czech language.From there, Sayer takes the reader on a serpintine journey through the heart of Czech cultural consciousness.We meet up with poets of the national awakening like Karel Hynek Macha, whose epic poem, 'Máj,' could easily be considered the Czech people's Aeneid, a work that defines who they are as a voice in the cacophony of Europe.Critics of culture like F.X. Salda and voices of modernism in Czech culture like Kundera or the Noble Prize-winning poet, Jaroslav Seifert, also make appearances as Sayer makes a case for the Czech artistic voice being paramount in the creation of national identity.Sayer shows how even supposedly 'international' art trends like surrealism and social-realism all served a very selective end: the search for national identity.

In the realm of politics and ideology, Sayer argues that the Czechs have pursued an uniquely singular course throughout their history.The first people in Europe to rebel against catholic uniformity (hence the term 'bohemian'), Czech preacher, Jan Hus, laid the groundwork for Luther's more cathartic 'reformation.'The followers of Hus, the 'Hussites' not only preached a more Gospel-centered Christian creed stripped of the Roman church's ceremony and tradition, but promoted a lifestyle of radical egaliterianism.This conception of a rank-less society more than anything irked the Catholic Hapsburgs who waged a long and savage war with the Hussites until 1620 when the Austrian Hapsburgs put their unruly neighbors under the boot of Catholic rule until the demise of Austro-Hungary in 1918.Sayer argues that the coals of Hussiterian democracy never cooled down completely but instead smoldered on until the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918.This grand social experiment led by the teacher-ideologue, Tomas Masaryk, proved to be Central Europe's only real democracy during the years between both world wars.Yet, Sayer makes a strong claim that Hussitism only gained full resurrection (albeit in a radically perverse form) with the ascension to power of the Czech Communist Party in 1948.The Hussite dream of a radical levelling of all economic and social class was made real with the party's drastic restructuring of Czech society which included the violent expulsion of the Sudeten Germans from the Czech lands, the shameful odsun of 1946-47.Czech communists soon took their ideology of 'people's democracy' to such radical extremes that they stamped out all forms of dissent in their quest to create uniform Czech society.Kundera's novels paint a grim picture of a society which sought to regulate, control and oppress its citizens in even the most intimate of spheres.

By the time the reader finishes 'Coasts,' he/she will not only be wiser by far, but quite exhausted as well. The sheer detail and volume of Sayer's information threatens at times to overwhelm the reader.That one quarter of the book is devoted to 'notes' is not by chance.Yet, even these notes are fascinating cultural and historical tidbits.If Sayer's work has a flaw, it lies in the author's selection of material.Selection is the most crucial (and most difficult) element of historiography. What to include, what to exclude, not only makes or breaks a work, but also carries echoes for generations to come.Who and what is left out of the history books is often doomed to oblivion in day to day life as well.Thus said, Sayer's work attempts to define Czechness around a deliberately tiny base.That of one province, Bohemia.While Bohemia did suffer the lion's share of conflict with the neighboring Germans as well as play a central role in the national awakening, two other Czech lands, Moravia and Czech Silesia have also played crucial roles in the formation of Czech identity.Some of the most internationally-known Czech artists originate from these parts i.e. Kundera, Janácek, Lysohorsky and even Mucha.Unfortunately, Sayer glosses over the cultural and historical connections with these lesser-known Bohemias.Moreover, his treatment of Slovakia's role in the making of the Czech nation and Czechoslovak 'idea' is cursory at best.A grievious absence considering the prominent role many Slovaks have played in Czech political life from Masaryk to Dubcek.

All in all though, there is little room to complain.Sayer's work has filled a gapping hole in Central European studies.A profound act of scholarship and one written in a style approaching the lyric, 'The Coasts of Bohemia' is a giant indeed.Read it!

The Coasts of Bohemia -- a truly beautiful voyage of discovery
Derek Sayer's book is exceptional well written and informative, indeed the text is positively lyrical at times. The aim is to provide an understanding of a "people of whom we know nothing" in Central Europe, and Sayer does a masterful task in shaping and clarifying Czech national identity and national culture.

The book is not simply a historical text. While the history is there, and while there is copious scholarly detail and referencing of historical events, the main strength of the text is in illustrating a deep national awareness in literature and the arts. One can almost imagine walking with Sayer on his return visit to Prague, walking through the magical streets of this beautiful city and commenting on buildings, street names, and monuments. He has a delicate but assured ability for capturing detail, coincidence, and irony. The book reads very well and it is amazing to remember that the original text was written in Czech and translated into English by the author's wife.

This is an excellent way of understanding more about Czech lands and the Czech spirit and identity. It is a very beautiful literary work that rejoices in the artistic and literary richness of the Czechs, particularly over the last century. I, for one, am very grateful that Derek Sayer made it back to his homeland to reflect on complex issues of history, national identity, and national culture and to write this masterful book: a must for those of us who love the Czech lands and their peoples.

Where is My Home?
Sayer takes an original, creative approach in writing the history of Czech culture.Sayer's book is predicated on the notion that the nation is an imagined community, constantly being re-invented and examines what Czechs have long remembered and forgotten about themselves and their little nation.
The book is unique because Sayer does not employ the typical linear approach to writing history, rather, he casts a wide net over the entire spectrum of Czech intellectual activity from 1618-1960, focusing on the cultural borders of language, symbols, and identity vis-vis the Germans just to name a few.Sayer brings the seemingly obscure to life in a lucid, pleasurable read.
The book highlights the Czech feeling of "smallness" or "malostnosti" within Europe.The Czechs have long been at the center of political, cultural, and philsophical developments over the course of history but tragically were often passive observers to events in their own land due to being subjects of other nations' empires.As a consequence, Czechs felt a powerful need to define their cultural coastlines.Their national anthem, "Gde Domov Muj" or "Where is My Home" is indicative of the Czech historical quest for identity and national destiny.
Sayer takes leave of his story circa 1960 when socialism was at its appogee.This tremendous book is the difinitive source of Czech historical culture.To understand the challenges of integrating the "East" into the EU and the senstivities of small nations, read this book.

A Czech "Cultural" History
A previous reviewer is right--this is not a Czech history.But it is the history of how Czech culture has been formed.For that, it is fascinating--For a straight history, look elsewhere.If you are travelling to Prague, it will make many sites much richer--Vysehrad cemetery, the National Theatre, Old Town Square. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Everything a traveler needs to know about the Slovak people, their unique culture, and how to acclimate smoothly within it.

Features descriptions of topics such as how to find accommodation and get settled in, applying for a visa, Slovak food, public transportation, and social and business customs. Includes hundreds of addresses and Web sites. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

For being the only item of its kind, It's great!
As I prepare for my departure to Slovakia I have been on a hunt for some form of literature to cover the history and culture of the Slovak Republic. This author did a fabulous job of doing just that! I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of moving to Slovakia as well as her blog which also has several insights.

Note: Since the time of this book publishing Slovakia has gone on the Euro currency. This, so far, is the only deviation I have seen from the book and current day Slovak.

Women traveling alone in Slovakia
I am sixty year old woman.I was planning a trip to Europe this spring.I have wanted to visit the town that my grandparents came from in Slovakia all my life.I had been in Europe before, and realized that I needed to get to Slovakia before I got older.I researched Slovakia's history, economy and my lineage for months before I left.I just couldn't get up the nerve to go until I read Margarete's book, The Foreigner's Guide to Living to Slovakia.
I read blogs and emailed Margarete to build up my determination to travel to Slovakia.Even on the day I was to get the train from Vienna to the Tatra Mountains, I was still trying to convince myself that I could do it. I read her chapter on train travel again, but decided that even though I couldn't read or speak the language, I would go.Margarete's descrption of how to read the train ticket and travel by bus, got me on the train.I even read her book on the 6 hour ride to Spisska Nova Ves.
I had the time of my life. I met wonderful people.
I want to go back.I will!I will base my next European trip from Slovakia.I feel I can drive, or take public transportation to the North and the South of Slovakia.
I have never felt more safe.I enjoyed the food that I remembered Grandma making. I felt at home.
Thank you, Margarete

An absolute "must-have" for anyone preparing to visit Slovakia.
Written by Margarete Hurn, an American who has lived and worked in Slovakia for more than five years, The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia is a straightforward guide for travelers visiting this European nation for a few weeks or a few years. Chapters offer a brief overview of the Slovak people and their culture, legal matters such as applying for a visa or extended-stay permit, social and business customs, basics in adjusting to the local food and public transportation, recreational activities available, Slovak etiquette in both business and social circles, and much more. An absolute "must-have" for anyone preparing to visit Slovakia.

great book for the tourist as well

Preface: I've been to four western European countries (France, Italy, Belgium, Ireland), but only one Central European one (Czech Republic). By coincidence two of the people on my team are Slovaks, so I'm naturally interested in learning more about their country and culture. When I heard about The Foreigner's Guide To Living In Slovakia- I jumped at the chance to read it. These are the haphazard notes I took while reading it. (In the interest of full disclosure: the author is the wife of one of my team members, however I've never met her.)

Ch1: The Land and Its People
This chapter offers an overview of the country, people, language, economy, religion, housing, and popular recreation.


Ch2: History
I'm a product of the American educational system, so it was good to see a whole chapter devoted to history-- it was mostly new to me! Before traveling to the Czech Republic, I'm ashamed to admit I read Rick Steves' Prague book (it was the best rated and most up to date at the time). There were maybe a few pages on history, some of which I've since learned its debatable. In this book however, much thought has been given to remaining accurate and neutral on still sensitive topics, given this area's volatile past.


Ch3: The Basics
This chapter covers the things you should know prior to arriving in a foreign country, such as the various options for getting around from the most convenient/expensive, to the most time consuming/cheap. It was nice to see advice useful for anyone from the business traveller on the corporate charge card to the broke student, and everything between.

Also covered are various important facts, for example grocery stores may not supply the bags for your items. After an embarrassing event in Paris involving the attempted purchase of some bananas (you need to weigh and tag them yourself, I've since learned), I really appreciate these sorts of subtle details.


Ch4: The Law
Although Slovakia is known for its beer, did you know the law allows absolutely no blood alcohol level if your driving? Better read the other important bits in this chapter before your trip-- or you might be writing the next book in the series-- The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovak JAIL!


Ch5: Relocating and Settling In
This chapter has a nice breakdown of the 5 major neighborhoods of Bratislava- valuable stuff even if you're just a tourist curious what to expect from the city. And if you're looking to live there, you'll find it interesting to read about the odd laws, for example you're supposed to pay a tax if you have a TV or radio. (I wonder how they enforce that one...)


Ch6: Culture
I found it interesting to read that the young Slovaks embrace the old traditions, such as the regional dances and music, and continue to keep it alive (as evidenced by the book's cover.) This is quite the opposite from my experience of other places. However there are, ahem, "interesting", Slovak traditions that I'm surprised to read continue to this day. Apparently if you're a young girl and the boys like you, they whip you with willow branches and douse you in cold water. Thats if they *like* you! You can read why for yourself...


Ch7: Leisure
Slovakia is home to the part of Europe's longest cycling route (extending from Germany to Hungary), is home to six UNESCO world heritage sites, and is has tons of caves. Sweeeet.


Ch8: Food & Drink
Reading this chapter reminded me of my trip to Prague- if you eat out, expect lots of variety... of meat and starch. Although there are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables available, for some reason they're just not served at most restaurants. This chapter describes what foods are available, and where. (I wish I read something similar for Prague beforehand-- I went crazy by day 3 of meat/starch 3 times a day.) There's also a thorough description of the Slovak beers, which can sometimes be cheaper than bottled water. Its making me thirsty just recounting it...

Ch9 and Ch10 Social Customs and Final Words of Advice
Rounding out the book are the last two chapters, on how not to stick your foot in your mouth or go crazy as a lonely expat in a foreign land.


Overall its a great book- easy to read and very informative. Highly recommended if you plan on visiting or living in Slovakia.

Don't leave home without it!
Did you know that Bratislava is considered one of the major centers of European Judaism?Or that CSA can fly directly from Prague to Zilina or Poprad?Are you up-to-snuff on Slovak cultural traditions?Quick then:what foods shouldn't you eat on New Years Day?This valuable guidebook to Slovakia was written by an English teacher who lived and worked there for 5 years.The author felt there was a dearth of info everyday living for non-natives in Slovakia, hence this 200-page guidebook.Broken down into chapters like Slovak History, Law, Folk Culture, Leisure, Food, Social Customs, it gives you little tidbits of info on just about everything you could imagine.Like any god travel guide, there are ample photos, maps & tables;over 100 websites are proffered as well.TFG is written in a clear, concise manner and all diacritical marks are in place.In the Transportation chapter, a copy of a typical bus schedule is printed with tips on reading it;later, Hurn goes into some detail on the VAT tax."The Basics" chapter covers holidays, border crossings, currency & conversion equivalents (all info in TFG is current from May 2007).General words/Slovak phrases are provided, as well as a complete calendar of name days, an index and multiple weblinks.If castles are your thing, [...] contains info on about 250 Slovak castles.No subjects are shied away from:"The Tiso question" is handled evenly and fairly as is a subchapter on the Roma.The author even discusses the pro's and cons of living in a panelak such as is found in Petrazalka.This book is packed full of practical info and insiders tips that you won't find in a Frommers or Lonely Planet. ... Read more

Product Description
Located at the very center of Europe, Prague has been on the frontline of international political, intellectual, religious, and cultural conflicts for more than six centuries. Invaded and occupied by the Habsburgs, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Nazis, and then Communist Russia, the city s identity is shaped by a long experience of foreign domination and a strong sense of martyrdom.

A treasure house of Gothic, baroque, and modernist architecture, Prague is also a city of icons and symbols: statues, saints and signs reveal a turbulent history of religious and cultural conflict. As Kafka s nightmare city and home of the Good Soldier _vejk, the Czech capital also produced two of the twentieth century s emblematic writers. Richard Burton explores this metropolis of theatrical allusion, in which politics and drama have always been intertwined. His interpretation of the city s cultural past and present encompasses opera and rock music, puppetry and cinema, surrealism and socialist realism. Looking at Prague s world-famous landmarks and lesser-known sites, his reading of the city through its writing and iconography is both perceptive and challenging.

* THE CITY OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS: The Castle and Kafka, Ha_ek and Kundera; music from Smetana to the Plastic People of the Universe; modernism and cubism; political theater and the playwright-president Václav Havel.

* THE CITY OF TYRANNY AND RESISTANCE: Jan Hus and anti-Catholic revolt; subjugation and the rise of Czech nationalism; Germans, Czechs and Jews; "Prague Spring" 1968, Charter 77 and the "Velvet Revolution" of November 1989.

* THE CITY OF MAGIC, MURDER, AND MYTH: Medieval alchemy and astrology; the myth of the Golem, the ghetto and anti-Semitism; living puppets, robots, and a tradition of defenestration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book for the first-time visitor or resident or anyone between.
Excellent, well-written book about one of the great cities of the world.Orderly, logical structure for the first-time visitor as well as for those who visit Prague often or live there.Not only a good writer but an accurate, non-revisionist historian.A pleasure to read and to share with others. ... Read more

Product Description
This original collection of essays offers an account of key moments and themes in the history of the Czech Lands from the ninth century to the fall of socialism in 1989. The essays, commissioned specially for this volume, are almost all written by prominent scholars teaching and researching in the present-day Czech Republic, and there is no comparable book in English on the subject. Topics range from the great Bohemian courts of the medieval and early modern periods, to the nationalist revival, and the dramatic ethnic upheavals of modern times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bohemia in History
I haven't finished the book yet, but perused all of it.I have Czech ancestry and been to the CZ Rep three times.This is the first book in English I've found on the history of Bohemia and more distinctly for the modern era, the Czech Republic.This book is a compilation of works by scholarly people on different eras dating from BC to principally 900 AD forward.There are maps to help also.This covers ALL the history and does not overemphasize the reformation, defenestrations, and Battle of White Mountain.I think it's well worth the money. ... Read more