Vaclav Havel: Civic Responsibility in the Postmodern Age (20th Century Political Thinkers) - Softcover

Pontuso, James F.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742522563 ISBN 13: 9780742522565

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004

Synopsis

More than any other public figure, VOclav Havel has reflected on the opportunities and dilemmas facing humankind as a result of the Communism's collapse. His life serves as an example of responsible and moral action, even at the cost of much personal suffering. In the first book to bring together Havel's life and work, James Pontuso examines the Czech president's political philosophy. Pontuso argues that Havel's life as a dissident and political leader, his political writings, and his plays are part of a whole and must be understood as intimately connected to one another. In this engaging work, Pontuso skillfully explores these connections and explains Havel's prescriptions for political life.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

"Pontuso portrays Vaclav Havel not just as 'one of the most articulate political leaders of his generation,' but as a statesman who in his deeds and thoughts approximates the Platonic ideal of a Philosopher-King. This book is a must for philosophers, literary critics, and all students of post-communist transitions." --Dr. Krzysztof Jasiewicz, Washington and Lee University

"I meet very few people, Czechs and foreigners included, that know the latest history of the Czech Republic as well as Dr. Pontuso. And even fewer that have been able to put it in a broader context. I have not read a book on Václav Havel with such a pleasure as this one. Pontuso shows that studying the topic with both diligence and sympathy is worth it!" --Dr. Hana Ripkova, J. William Fulbright Commission in the Czech Republic

"It is not hard to write a lively book about Václav Havel, but James Pontuso has done much more than that. Pontuso shows us how and why a poet and a playwright became a politician and a president at the hinge in history when central Europe emerged from its communist coma. There is more life in this story than just its lively central character." --Robert Strong, Washington and Lee University

"James Pontuso shows his remarkable mastery of the many nuances and complexities of Václav Havel´s life and work under the communist and post-communist social and political conditions. His thought-provoking book is important for all those who are interested in basic human values and transformation politics." --Alena Hromadkova, Charles University, Czech Republic

About the Author:

James F. Pontuso is Elliott Professor of Political Science at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He is the author of numerous books and articles on political thought, including Assault on Ideology: Solzhenitsyn's Political Thought.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0742522563
• ISBN 13: 9780742522565
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192