Gottland: Exploding Stalin and Other True Tales from the Heart of Europe

Winner of the European Book Prize, Gottland is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the history of modern Europe- a history of foreign occupation, a tussle between East and West and the extraordinary bravery of individual citizens living through these times. Gottland is a kaleidoscopic portrait of Czechoslovakia, a nation living through extreme events. Kafka's niece, the sculptor who made the world's biggest statue of Stalin, Karel Gott, winner of the Most Favourite Male Singer Award a record thirty-six times, and the Bata brothers and their shoe empire all gather in this landmark history written by a celebrated Polish journalist, a Czechophile, and one of the best-known members of the Polish school of reportage. Through meticulous research and hundreds of interviews, Szczygiel creates a compelling portrait of the country that brought us Franz Kafka, Milan Kundera and Tom Stoppard. He is uniquely qualified to create this portrait of Czechoslovakia and its people in those

Review

“Gottland offers an indelible account of the ravages of 20thcentury totalitarianism and the way it continues to pollute human thought and behavior in the 21st century.” —New York Times

“Extraordinary…Gottland is one of the funniest books I have read — and one of the shrewdest — about what it was like to live under fascism and communism, the experience of so much of Europe in the last century. It is not about Czechoslovakia or Poland or even limited to Mitteleuropa, but about how one copes with tyranny and corruption and preserves a conscience…Important and enjoyable.” —The Spectator

"Non-fiction stories from Czechoslovakia, which show a country more fantastical than even its wildest literature led us to believe." —The Guardian

“The relationship between art and politics is a running theme, with due reverence for those who kept their integrity. Szczygiel’s absorbing, offbeat history celebrates the truths they defended against oppression.” —Financial Times

"One of those delightfully unclassifiable books...Szczygiel is strange and funny, constantly off at jaunty tangents."—Julian Barnes’ Book of the Year, The Guardian

“Gottland is so new and inventive, it feels like a milestone of both journalism and creative nonfiction… A fascinating portrait of a people whose silence seems to speak louder than any words could.” —NPR

“Impassioned, insightful snapshots of life in pre–Velvet Revolution Czechoslovakia… Whether chronicling the sculpting of Prague’s monument to Joseph Stalin or the dubious allegiances of writer Jan Prochazka, the atmosphere Szczygiel evokes is glumly foreboding yet intensely interesting. A controversial, insightful work from Poland’s 2013 journalist of the year.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Extraordinary, hypnotizing, and disturbing tales.”—Libération

"Gottland is not a book, it is a gem." —Le Figaro

“If you want to understand the Czech Republic in the twentieth century, read Gottland.”—Frankfurter Allegemeine Zeitung

“Masterful prose .  .  . impressive.”—Neue Zürcher Zeitung

“One of the most valuable and eloquent testimonies about the Czech people.” —Právo (Czech Republic)

“A great book. Mariusz Szczygieł is well versed in the Polish school of reportage writing and he applies his method to this specific Czech ambiguity. Original and surprising.”—Agnieszka Holland

About the Author

Mariusz Szczygiel is one of Europe's most celebrated journalists. A reporter for Gazeta Wyborcza, he is the author of a number of books of reportage about the Czech Republic and Poland. His books are published in 21 countries and have been awarded the Europe Book Prize and the Prix Amphi, among other honours. From 19952001, he hosted a popular talk show on Polish television. Szczygiel runs the Institute of Reportage in Warsaw, a creative writing reportage school, and Dowody na Isnienie, an independent publishing house.

Antonia Lloyd-Jones has translated works by many of Poland's leading contemporary novelists, including Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk, Jacek Dehnel, Mariusz Szczygiel, and Artur Domoslawski. She has been a mentor for the Emerging Translator Mentorship Program and co-chair of the UK Translators Association. In 2018 she was honored with Poland's Transatlantyk Award for the most outstanding promoter of Polish literature abroad.