{"product_id":"the-czech-reader-9780822347941","title":"The Czech Reader","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e brings together more than 150 primary texts and illustrations to convey the dramatic history of the Czechs, from the emergence of the Czech state in the tenth century, through the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918 and the Czech Republic in 1993, into the twenty-first century. The Czechs have preserved their language, traditions, and customs, despite their incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Third Reich, and the Eastern Bloc. Organized chronologically, the selections in \u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e include the letter to the Czech people written by the religious reformer and national hero Jan Hus in 1415, and Charter 77, the fundamental document of an influential anticommunist initiative launched in 1977 in reaction to the arrest of the Plastic People of the Universe, an underground rock band. There is a speech given in 1941 by Reinhard Heydrich, a senior Nazi official and Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as one written by VÁclav Havel in 1984 for an occasion abroad, but read by the Czech-born British dramatist Tom Stoppard, since Havel, the dissident playwright and future national leader, was not allowed to leave Czechoslovakia. Among the songs, poems, folklore, fiction, plays, paintings, and photographs of monuments and architectural landmarks are “Let Us Rejoice,” the most famous chorus from Bedrich Smetana’s comic opera \u003ci\u003eThe Bartered Bride\u003c\/i\u003e; a letter the composer AntonÍn DvorÁk sent from New York, where he directed the National Conservatory of Music in the 1890s; a story by Franz Kafka; and an excerpt from Milan Kundera’s \u003ci\u003eThe Joke\u003c\/i\u003e. Intended for travelers, students, and scholars alike, \u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e is a rich introduction to the turbulent history and resilient culture of the Czech people.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I consider \u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e an important contribution for individuals who are seeking an introduction to the history and literary history of the Czech lands. For people on their travels to the Czech Republic, who are interested in knowing more about this small and interesting nation, this book will serve well. Also, undergraduate students interested in the history of Central Europe will find many important Czech texts translated into English here and this could further stimulate their interest in the Czech history. People who are familiar with the history of the Czech lands and academic researchers could also use this book. University lecturers can use the texts in seminars and lectures to provide background to the dry historical presentation of past events.” - Jan Láníĉek, \u003ci\u003eHistory\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The Czech Reader, a unique and vast compilation of Bohemian and Czech\u003cbr\u003eprimary sources for a general English speaking audience, will be welcomed by anybody interested in a Czech general history of Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic. In addition, the material may enrich any college survey course with a focus on the region of Central Europe. The book may also serve travelers who are looking for a deeper historical, political, and cultural understanding of the Czechs and their tumultuous history.” - Zbysek Brezina, \u003ci\u003eHistory: Reviews of New Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The editors have performed quite a service in making these materials available in English in one convenient location. Every university library should have a copy as should any instructor in the field.” - Andrew Drozd, \u003ci\u003eSlavic and East European Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e is a real gem, an immensely informative, balanced, and up-to-date compendium on Czech history and culture.”—\u003cb\u003eJohn Neubauer\u003c\/b\u003e, University of Amsterdam\u003cbr\u003e“There is nothing comparable to \u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e. It makes a unique and highly valuable contribution to understanding the Czech interpretation of their own history, of who they are and what historical events constituted them as a nation and a people.”—\u003cb\u003eSilvia Tomášková\u003c\/b\u003e, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill\u003cbr\u003e“I consider \u003ci\u003eThe Czech Reader\u003c\/i\u003e an important contribution for individuals who are seeking an introduction to the history and literary history of the Czech lands. For people on their travels to the Czech Republic, who are interested in knowing more about this small and interesting nation, this book will serve well. Also, undergraduate students interested in the history of Central Europe will find many important Czech texts translated into English here and this could further stimulate their interest in the Czech history. People who are familiar with the history of the Czech lands and academic researchers could also use this book. University lecturers can use the texts in seminars and lectures to provide background to the dry historical presentation of past events.” -- Jan Láníĉek * History *\u003cbr\u003e“The Czech Reader, a unique and vast compilation of Bohemian and Czech\u003cbr\u003eprimary sources for a general English speaking audience, will be welcomed by anybody interested in a Czech general history of Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, or the Czech Republic. In addition, the material may enrich any college survey course with a focus on the region of Central Europe. The book may also serve travelers who are looking for a deeper historical, political, and cultural understanding of the Czechs and their tumultuous history.” -- Zbysek Brezina * History: Reviews of New Books *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Illustrations xi\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments xv\u003cbr\u003e Guide to Pronunciation xvii\u003cbr\u003e Introduction 1\u003cbr\u003e I. Between Myth and History (The Premyslid Dynasty) 7\u003cbr\u003e II. Navel of the Earth (Charles IV, 1316–1378) 31\u003cbr\u003e III. Against Everyone (Hussite Revolution) 47\u003cbr\u003e IV. Struggles for City, Court, Country (Vladislav II–Rudolph II) 67\u003cbr\u003e V. Defeated Protestants, Victorious Catholics (Ferdinand II–Charles VI) 83\u003cbr\u003e VI. From the Enlightenment to Romantic Nationalism (Maria Teresa–Revolution of 1848) 111\u003cbr\u003e VII. Defeated Politicians, Victorious Intellectuals (1848–1867) 145\u003cbr\u003e VIII. From National Self-Determination to Cosmopolitanism (1867–1918) 187\u003cbr\u003e IX. The First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) 239\u003cbr\u003e X. Between Hitler and Stalin (1938–1948) 295\u003cbr\u003e XI. \"Ideal\" Socialism (1948–1968) 335\u003cbr\u003e XII. \"Real\" Socialism (1968–1989) 385\u003cbr\u003e XIII. The Decades after the Velvet Revolution (1989–) 463\u003cbr\u003e Epilogue 503\u003cbr\u003e Suggestions for Further Reading 507\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgment of Copyright and Sources 521\u003cbr\u003e Index 529","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406061904215,"sku":"9780822347941","price":31.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780822347941.jpg?v=1730494397","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-czech-reader-9780822347941","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}