Havel : Unfinished Revolution / David Gilbreath Barton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barton, David Gilbreath, author.

Series:

Russian and East European studies.

Russian and East European Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Presidents.

Presidents--Czechoslovakia--Biography.

Politicians--Czechoslovakia--Biography.

Politicians.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (393 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, Pa : University of Pittsburgh Press, [2020]

Summary:

"Václav Havel (1936-2011), the famous Czech dissident, ex-con, and playwright, was there when a half million people came to Wenceslas Square to demand an end to communism in 1989. Many came to hear him call for a free Czechoslovakia, for democratic elections, and a return to Europe. The demonstrators roared when he spoke. 'Havel to the castle,' they chanted-meaning Havel for President. And a few weeks later, Havel became a most unusual President. He was sometimes misunderstood and not always popular, but by the time of his death in 2011, the world recognized Havel as one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century. In this intimate and sweeping portrayal of Havel, David Barton reveals the eccentricities of the last President of Czechoslovakia, and the first President of the Czech Republic. Born into one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Prague, he was the constant subject of attention and an artistic eccentric in a family of businessmen. A young Havel and his family was cast by the communist takeover and labelled as class enemies. Like Dante, Havel travelled a dark road that ironically provided the 'hidden treasures' he needed not only to reconnect not only to his own 'ground of being' but to the traditions of civic society. This biography is the story of Havel's inward journey in his underground years and thus the story of how Havel, the outsider, became the ultimate insider as president of the nation. Havel interweaves the stories from Jan Patočka, the twentieth-century Czech philosopher, known for his legendary underground lectures; and Jiří Hájek, a high-ranking member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party who turned against the government and became a mentor and colleague to Havel. Both of these men-one a fervent anti-communist, and the other a former communist official-played a central role in helping Havel form a humanistic opposition to the government"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

A Note on Spelling, Translation, and Place Names

A Guide to Pronunciation

Prologue

Part One. Where Darkness Is Born, October 1936-November 1970

1. Growing Up and Growing Down

2. Under a Cruel Star

3. Smokey Roads and Muddy Paths

4. The August Surprise

5. A Curtain of Iron

6. Into the Woods

Part Two. The Many Underworlds of Normalized Life, Fall 1970-August 1979

7. VZDOR

8. An Open Letter

9. The Solidarity of the Shaken

10. Death of a Philosopher

11. Atonement

Gallery of Images

Part Three. The Politics of Love, August 1979-July 1990

12. In the Dark

13. Homecoming

14. Jitka

15. The Open Door

16. The Magic Lantern

Part Four. The Final Offering, July 1990-December 2011

17. The Corridors of Power

18. A Heavy Stone

19. The Final Years

Acknowledgments

Chronology

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-8229-6677-8