Havel

This remarkable biography explores the extraordinary life of an iconic figure of the twentieth century, Václav Havel, author and dissident who became the first president of the Czech Republic. Václav Havel was an iconoclast and philosophical king, an internationally successful playwright who became a political dissident and then, reluctantly, a president. His central role in the Velvet Revolution and the modern Czech Republic makes him a key figure of the twentieth century. Michael Zantovsky was one of Havel's closest confidants. They experienced the revolution together, and during Havel's first presidency, Zantovsky served as his press secretary, speechwriter, and translator. Their friendship lasted until Havel's death in 2011, making him a rare witness to this extraordinary life.