Making History: Czech Voices of Dissent and the Revolution of 1989

by Michael Long

Overview

In December 1989, Václav Havel and a relatively small group of intellectuals and students brought about the collapse of the communist regime of Czechoslovakia in what is now known as the Velvet Revolution. Making History: Czech Voices of Dissent and the Revolution of 1989 brings together the personal narratives of eleven former dissidents who, though close associates of Havel, operated without his international celebrity. The narratives, based on interviews conducted by the author in Prague and Berlin, relate each individual's personal experiences on topics such as growing up in Czechoslovakia, life as a dissident, the Velvet Revolution, and the achievements and failures of the Czech Republic since 1989. Through their many voices we come to understand that the life of a dissident is one of hardship, uncertainty, and constant surveillance; yet at the same time life in the underground allows a certain degree of freedom unattainable in official society.

For more information about the book, please visit Michael Long's website.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742536517
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	02/02/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 8.92(h) x 0.66(d)

About the Author

Michael Long is associate professor of Russian and director of Slavic and East European Studies at Baylor University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Dissidence in Czechoslovakia, 1968-1989 Chapter 2 Ivan Havel Chapter 3 Vera Jirousova Chapter 4 Michael Kocab Chapter 5 Eda Kriseova Chapter 6 Daniel Kummerman Chapter 7 Dana Nemcova Chapter 8 Martin Palous Chapter 9 Jirina Siklova Chapter 10 Petruska Sustrova Chapter 11 Petr Uhl Chapter 12 Jan Urban Chapter 13 Reality Czech

Editorial Reviews

. . . an important and timely study . . .--Slavic and East European Journal

Making History is indeed a worthwhile and well crafted use of oral history to document an extremely important period of history.--The Oral History Review

From the Publisher

Making History is indeed a worthwhile and well crafted use of oral history to document an extremely important period of history.

Oral History Review

. . . an important and timely study . . .

Slavic and East European Journal

Making History is indeed a worthwhile and well crafted use of oral history to document an extremely important period of history.

The Oral History Review