Velvet Revolution

30 Years After

MacDonagh-Pajerova Monika, Sommerova Olga

Not for sale in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic!

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 recent history.

About the Author

Monika MacDonagh-Pajerova is a diplomat, teacher at Charles University and the Prague branch of the Center for International Educational Exchange, and author. A graduate of Charles University, she was spokesperson of the student strike during the Velvet Revolution.

Olga Sommerova is a documentary filmmaker and deputy chairperson of the Liberal Ecological Party (LES) of the Czech Republic.

Ian Finlay Stone graduated from the University of Cambridge and has translated works for various agencies and government bureaus.

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