About the Book:
Publisher: Harper Perennial (February 19, 2013)
About the Author:
Madeleine Albright served as America’s sixty-fourth secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. Her distinguished career also includes positions on Capitol Hill, on the National Security Council, and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She is a resident of Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
My Opinion:
This book was not what I was expecting. It was less a story of Mrs. Albright’s memories during the events of WWII in her birth country of Czechoslovakia then it was the story of her father’s experiences as a diplomat for the country before, during and after the War. It was, despite the slightly misleading subtitle very, very hard to put down.
I must admit up front to an appalling lack of knowledge of Czechoslovakian history. This despite my mother’s family coming from an area bordering Poland and what is now Slovakia. I have basic knowledge of WWII history and how it impacted Czechoslovakia but this book gave me an insider’s knowledge without reading like a textbook. In fact I completely forgot I was reading non-fiction as I tore through this book.
I found the narrative to be engrossing; the combination of the author’s passion for the topic combined with the family remembrances made for a book that read like fiction. The historical figures of the time – and the Czech people – were brought to life and I felt, in quite a few cases as if I was right there as the horrible history of WWII played out.
It’s a book both intimate and expansive. It invites you into Mrs. Albright’s family history and introduces the reader to the 20th century leaders of a small but pivotal country in Eastern Europe. I can’t say it was an easy book to read – what book about WWII is – but I am so very glad I read it.
Rating:
5
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Disclosure: I was sent a free copy of Prague Winter by TLC Book Tours for my honest review. I received no compensation for this post.
