Prague Winter

A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948

By: Madeleine Albright

Narrated by: Madeleine Albright

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Before Madeleine Albright turned twelve, her life was shaken by the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia - the country where she was born - the Battle of Britain, the near total destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War.

Albright's experiences, and those of her family, provide a lens through which to view the most tumultuous dozen years in modern history. Drawing on her memory, her parents' written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly available documents, Albright recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. Prague Winter is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind and, simultaneously, a journey with universal lessons that is intensely personal.

The book takes readers from the Bohemian capital's thousand-year-old castle to the bomb shelters of London, from the desolate prison ghetto of TerezÍn to the highest councils of European and American government. Albright reflects on her discovery of her family's Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech homeland's tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her parents and their generation. Often relying on eyewitness descriptions, she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exiled leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims and killers. These events of enormous complexity are nevertheless shaped by concepts familiar to any growing child: fear, trust, adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, the quest for independence, and the difference between right and wrong.

"No one who lived through the years of 1937 to 1948," Albright writes, "was a stranger to profound sadness. Millions of innocents did not survive, and their deaths must never be forgotten. Today we lack the power to reclaim lost lives, but we have a duty to learn all that we can about what happened and why." At once a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history, Prague Winter serves as a guide to the future through the lessons of the past - as seen through the eyes of one of the international community's most respected and fascinating figures.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 Madeleine Albright (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

“A remarkable story of adventure and passion, tragedy and courage set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II. Albright provides fresh insights into the events that shaped her career and challenges us to think deeply about the moral dilemmas that arise in our own lives.” (Vaclav Havel)

“I was totally blown away by this book. It is a breathtaking combination of the historical and the personal. Albright confronts the brutal realities of the Holocaust and the conflicted moral choices it led to. An unforgettable tale of fascism and communism, courage and realism, families and heartache and love. (Walter Isaacson)

“A genuinely admirable book. Albright skillfully returns us to some of the darkest years of modern times. Spring eventually came to Prague, but in much of the world it is still winter. The love of democracy fills every one of these instructive and stirring pages.” (Leon Wieseltier)

WW II from another perspective

What made the experience of listening to Prague Winter the most enjoyable?

Madeline Albright reads her story! It is informative, as well as most entertaining, because it is her personal story. Very sad at times, but also enlightening. Though we have all read
the news items about her family originally being Jewish, that is really not the gist of the book. It is the purpose for her delving into personal family history, but that provides the reader the unique experience of learning about the past, during a very horrible time, in Europe.

Great HIstory- Great Writing

Where does Prague Winter rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one that I would listen to again because there is so much history of what was happening in the "world of others" when I was just a child.

What other book might you compare Prague Winter to and why?

Wild Swans, Mao

Would you listen to another book narrated by Madeleine Albright?

yes but she is not my favorite narrator. I have good experience with her in my adult life so I knew what the voice and inflections would be.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was surprised at how little I had learned in my life about that time in Europe, Especially Chekhovslavia and how difficult that word is to say. I can see why many now have the option to say Chek Republic.

wonderfully written

loved this historical account peppered with personal stories, anecdotes and memoir. mrs. albright writes beautifully.

Wow! So engaging

I am traveling to Prague this summer and wanted to learn a bit about the city and it’s history. I knew very little about Madeline Albright before reading this book outside of her having been Secretary if state during my teenage years. Her story is a well balanced blend of personal memoir, historical context, national narrative and insider storytelling from her family’s position as diplomats within the Czech government. I was enthralled not only with the characters but the Czech people. I found myself following each line as it wove through with the grim certainty of knowing how it ends but hoping for the best anyways.
Madeline’s reading feels like your grandmother telling you a story and the rhythm took a little getting used to but she thankfully pronounced all the Czech beautifully which I would not have done had I read the book myself.

Now I want to go read more on the remarkable Czech people, the story of Soviet Czechoslovakia and the Velvet Revolution and it’s actors. Highly recommend.

History from a Personal Perspective

A very good friend recommended this book to me and even loaned me a copy of it because she thought I would like it. She was right. I liked it so much I used one of my audible credits to purchase it in audio format. I am so glad I did because the books was read by Madeline Albright herself.

This book is basically a history of Czechoslovakia during the periods before, during and after WW2. I found this interesting because the events leading up to both wars and their aftermaths have had a lot of impact on where we find ourselves today. It's my contention that you cannot fully understand what is happening around you today unless you know what happened yesterday. That's just my personal take however and probably an excuse to myself for my fascination with conflict when I consider myself to be a pacifist.

By reading the book herself and thereby describing the events in her own voice she transformed the story from being dry history into her story. Sometimes you could tell by her voice that many of the events she was describing were very painful. I especially enjoyed the parts relating to her childhood during WWII. The one thing that I do not understand is why her parents kept so much of her families personal history from their children. I am sure they had their reasons but still it is hard for me to understand. I am about seven years younger than Madeline Albright but I still have some very vivid memories of those days. But I grew up in the oh so safe American mid-west so if I have memories I can imagine that people who lived through those times must have memories vivid enough to evoke some strong emotions.

fascinating

I so much enjoyed this book of non fiction and could hardly wait to recommend it to my friends. It's both a personal story of Secretary Albright's life but more the telling of WWII from the view of a central European country. Layers and layers of both specific and general history that not only enhanced my visit to Prague but gives me food for thought when considering present day social and political issues.

interesting but wordy

I loved hearing the history of the Czech republic. it was full of interesting stories, both personal and other Czechs. My only compliant is the length, I had to listen in doses because it was wordy and that got boring sometimes. I would still recommend it if you like history and memoirs. I would recommend reading it through, because the ability to skim through duller parts would be a plus.

The hard won freedom of the Czech people

I enjoyed Prague Winter very much. Madeleine Albright has an altogether unique perspective on the history of Czechoslovakia from WWII as a child emigre of an activist father and later an accomplished scholar and elite diplomat. Her family history gave names and faces to victims of the Holocaust. I have recommended the book to people who have an interest in WWII history especially highlighting the Czech dimension. The book helped me form a new understanding of the brave Czech people who suffered under the Nazis then the Communists and now display a love for freedom like no one else

Praque Winter

Would you listen to Prague Winter again? Why?

In particular I would like to listen to Praque Winter again to here Madeleine Albright set up the Chekoslavakian position in Europe at the beginning of WWII and England's role in the downfall of the Eastern European countries. I found the politics and attempts at mingling the cultures very interesting.

What does Madeleine Albright bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

I loved listening to Madeleine Albright read her story. She has had an incredible life of influence in the USA. It was nice to hear the "back story".

Any additional comments?

I loved the historical perspective that Mrs. Albright brings to WWII.

Hope

Through war and peace we can have hope. People do what they can to help their neighbor even when it is dangerous. Democracy is fragile and we must do all we can to keep it alive. Ms Albright does a great job telling the story of the war and the country she was from. Her father was a diplomat which led her in that direction for her life’s work.