Prague Winter (Albright)

Book Reviews
A gripping account of World War II.... In taut prose, Albright weaves a powerful narrative that wraps her family’s story into the larger political drama unfolding in Europe.
Philadelphia Inquirer


A riveting tale of her family’s experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority.... More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action.
Los Angeles Times


A compelling personal exploration of [Albright’s] family’s Jewish roots as well as an excellent history of Czechoslovakia from 1937 to 1948.... Highly informative and insightful.... I can’t recommend Prague Winter highly enough.
Washington Post Book World


In the crowded field of memoirs written by former secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright’s books stand out... Albright is a charming and entertaining storyteller.
New York Review of Books


Albright’s book is a sprightly historical narrative of this long decade.... Her account of the destruction of inter-war Czechoslovakia, both as a geographical entity and as an idea of democracy, first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, is balanced and vivid.
Economist


A blend of history and memoir that reveals in rich, poignant and often heartbreaking detail a story that had been hidden from her by her own parents.... The beating heart of the book is Albright’s searing account of her intimate family saga.
Jewish Journal


An extraordinary book.... Albright artfully presents a wrenching tale of horror and darkness, but also one in which decent and brave people again and again had their say.
New Republic


(Starred review.) The author’s childhood reminiscences of her first 11 years and savvy grasp of history inform this absorbing account of Czechoslovakia’s travails and Albright’s family’s suffering in the Holocaust.... The story is enriched by Albright’s colorful thumbnails of Eduard Benes, Jan Masaryk, and other principals and by her insights into geopolitics, which yield sympathetic but clear-eyed assessments of the compromises statesmen made to accommodate the ruthless powers surrounding Czechoslovakia. Showing us villainy, heroism, and agonizing moral dilemmas, Albright’s vivid storytelling and measured analysis brings this tragic era to life.
Publishers Weekly


Most people are aware of the result of the Munich agreement in 1938. Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelova), the first female U.S. secretary of state, provides a deeper account of the Czech Republic's road to independence. From Prague to the Terezin concentration camp (where many of her Jewish relatives perished) to the "winter" of the republic's existence as it endured the dictatorships of the Nazis and then the Communists, Albright details the situations and personalities prominent in this struggle.... The accessible style and inclusion of notes and timelines make this an excellent addition to any library. —Maria Bagshaw, Elgin Community Coll. Lib., IL
Library Journal


The former U.S. secretary of state blends World War II-era history and memoir.... The most gripping parts are those personal stories; the others mostly repeat what can be found in many histories of the war and Holocaust. Retellings do not, of course, diminish the horror, but Albright sometimes focuses more on the politics and the war than on the remembrance.... Also engaging are the later sections, which deal with the postwar politics in Czechoslovakia, especially the communists' moves to subvert the fledgling democracy.... [T]he personal...animates and brightens the narrative.
Kirkus Reviews