This is the story of a man who tried to resurrect the spirit of
democratic life. He was born into a time of chaos and absurdity, and he
took it as his fate to carry a candle into the night. This is his story
and the story of many others, the writers, artists, actors, and
philosophers who took it upon themselves to remember a tradition that
had failed so miserably it had almost been forgotten.
Václav Havel (1936-2011), the famous Czech dissident, intellectual, and
playwright, was there when a half million people came to Wenceslas
Square to demand an end to Communism in 1989. Many came to hear him call
for a free Czechoslovakia, for democratic elections, and a return to
Europe. The demonstrators roared when he spoke. "Havel to the castle,"
they chanted-- meaning Havel for president. And a few weeks later, Havel
became a most unusual president. He was sometimes misunderstood and not
always popular, but by the time of his death in 2011, the world
recognized Havel as one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth
century.
Born into one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Prague,
Havel was the constant subject of attention and an artistic eccentric in
a family of businessmen. A young Havel and his family were cast by the
Communist takeover as class enemies. Havel traveled a dark road that,
ironically, provided the experiences he needed to reconnect not only to
his own "ground of being" but to the traditions of civic society. This
biography is the story of Havel's inward journey in his underground
years and thus the story of how Havel, the outsider, became the ultimate
insider as president of the nation.
In this intimate and sweeping portrayal of Havel, David Barton reveals
the eccentricities of the last president of Czechoslovakia, and the
first president of the Czech Republic.
