Velvet Revolution

Monika MacDonagh-Pajerova, Olga Sommerova, Ian Finlay Stone, Daniel Kroupa, Jolyon Naegele

On the thirtieth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that toppled the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia from November to December 1989, this book gathers dissident academics, a student leader, and a foreign correspondent to discuss the revolution. These interviews, however, are not just the recollections of participants--they are also deliberations on the history of Czechoslovakia, the fall of the Soviet Union from the perspective of Central Europe, and the values that form the Czech nation. Accompanied by a wealth of photographs and a detailed chronology, the book documents the events leading up to that fateful month and the path Czechs and Slovaks have taken since. As the interviews and interviewers represent a diverse variety of professions, generations, and opinions, The Velvet Revolution: 30 Years After offers a multifaceted meditation upon one of the most dynamic periods in...