Vaclav Havel was one of the most prominent figures of the twentieth century?iconoclast and intellectual, artist turned political leader, president of a first united and later divided nation, and international human rights activist. This intimate biography begins with his privileged childhood in Prague, and his early years as an outcast under Communist rule. Resilient and dogged, he aspired to a career in the arts as a playwright and an essayist. However, his outspoken involvement during the Prague Spring led to the harsh censorship of his work and five years in and out of prisons. His leadership of Charter 77, his unflagging belief in the power of the powerless, and his galvanizing personality bolstered him into a pivotal role as the leader of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Over the next fourteen years, he continued to break through barriers as the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic.
As one of Havel's closest friends and as his political ally, press secretary, and advisor, Michael Zantovsky was a rare witness to this extraordinary life. With unprecedented access to private correspondence, documents, and interviews, Zantovsky presents a powerful, engaging, and revelatory account of a giant among men.
