Prague winter : a personal story of remembrance and war, 1937-1948

Before Madeleine Albright turned twelve, her life was shaken by the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia—the country where she was born—the Battle of Britain, the near total destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. Albright's experiences, and those of her family, provide a lens through which to view the most tumultuous dozen years in modern history. Drawing on her memory, her parents' written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly available documents, Albright recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. Prague Winter is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind and, simultaneously, a journey with universal lessons that is intensely personal. The book takes readers from the Bohemian capital's thousand-year-old castle to the bomb shelters of London, from the desolate prison ghetto of TerezÍn to the highest councils of European and American government. Albright reflects on her discovery of her family's Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech homeland's tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her parents and their generation. Often relying on eyewitness descriptions, she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exiled leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims and killers. These events of enormous complexity are nevertheless shaped by concepts familiar to any growing child: fear, trust, adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, the quest for independence, and the difference between right and wrong. "No one who lived through the years of 1937 to 1948," Albright writes, "was a stranger to profound sadness. Millions of innocents did not survive, and their deaths must never be forgotten. Today we lack the power to reclaim lost lives, but we have a duty to learn all that we can about what happened and why." At once a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history, Prague Winter serves as a guide to the future through the lessons of the past—as seen through the eyes of one of the international community's most respected and fascinating figures. By turns harrowing and inspiring, "Prague Winter" is Madeleine Albright's account of her early life from 1937 to 1948, a dozen years that witnessed the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, World War II, the Holocaust, the defeat of fascism, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. Her experiences, and those of her family, provide a unique lens through which to view this tumultuous period in modern history. Moving from the thousand-year-old "Prague Castle" to the bomb shelters of London, from the desolate prison ghetto of "Terezin" to the war councils of Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt and Hitler, Albright reflects on her discovery of her family's Jewish heritage decades after the war, her "Czech" homeland's tangled history, and the stark moral choices faced by her parents, ordinary citizens, and the leaders of their generation. Drawing on her memory, written reflections, newly-released documents, interviews with contemporaries, and other primary sources, she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exiled leaders and foot soldiers, resistance figures and collaborators, victims and killers. Albright points out that the response to these life and death issues was often shaped by concepts familiar even to a child like Madeleine had been at the time: fear, trust, adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, and the difference between right and wrong. As universal as it is deeply personal, "Prague Winter" offers a unique perspective on World War II, the relationship between generations, and the impact of time on our assessment of the truth. Emotionally compelling and often startling in its frankness, this volume is a guide to the future through the lessons of the past, as seen through the eyes of one of the world's most respected and fascinating figures From Former Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright Comes A Moving And Thoughtful Memoir Of Her Formative Years In Czechoslovakia During The Tumult Of Nazi Occupation, World War Ii, Fascism, And The Onset Of The Cold War. Setting Out -- Pt. 1: Before March 15, 1939. An Unwelcome Guest ; Tales Of Bohemia ; The Competition ; The Linden Tree ; A Favorable Impression ; Out From Behind The Mountains ; We Must Go On Being Cowards ; A Hopeless Task -- Part Two: April 1939-april 1942. Starting Over ; Occupation And Resistance ; The Lamps Go Out ; The Irresistible Force ; Fire In The Sky ; The Alliance Comes Together ; The Crown Of Wenceslas -- Pt. 3: May 1942-april 1945. Day Of The Assassins ; Auguries Of Genocide ; Terezin ; The Bridge Too Far ; Cried-out Eyes ; Doodlebugs And Gooney Birds ; Hitler's End -- Pt. 4: May 1945-november 1948. No Angels ; Unpatched ; A World Big Enough To Keep Us Apart ; A Precarious Balance ; Struggle For A Nation's Soul ; A Failure To Communicate ; The Fall ; Sands Through The Hour-glass -- The Next Chapter -- Guide To Personalities -- Time Lines. Madeleine Albright ; With Bill Woodward. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. “A remarkable story of adventure and passion, tragedy and courage set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II.” —Vaclav Havel From former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright comes a moving and thoughtful memoir of her formative years in Czechoslovakia during the tumult of Nazi occupation, World War II, fascism, and the onset of the Cold War. An intensely personal journey into the past that offers vital lessons for the future, Prague Winter combines the intimacy of an autobiography with the drama of an exciting and well-told story—all underpinned by the gravity and intelligence of a serious work of history. The result is a highly readable and incisive work filled with tragedy and triumph, a resonant narrative informed by Albright's remarkable life experience and her characteristic candor in speaking hard truths. Setting Out Part One: Before March 15, 1939 An Unwelcome Guest Tales of Bohemia The Competition The Linden Tree A Favorable Impression Out From Behind the Mountains "We Must Go On Being Cowards" A Hopeless Task Part Two: April 1939-April 1942 Starting Over Occupation and Resistance The Lamps Go Out The Irresistible Force Fire in the Sky The Alliance Comes Together The Crown of Wenceslas Part Three: May 1942-April 1945 Day of the Assassins Auguries of Genocide Terezin The Bridge Too Far Cried-out Eyes Doodlebugs and Gooney Birds Hitler's End Part Four: May 1945-November 1948 No Angels Unpatched A World Big Enough to Keep us Apart A Precarious Balance Struggle for a Nation's Soul A Failure to Communicate The Fall Sands Through the Hour-Glass The Next Chapter Guide to personalities Time Lines.