Invasion Prague 68

Josef Koudelka’s landmark photographs of the Prague Spring and the resulting Soviet invasion.

Josef Koudelka never planned to become a conflict reporter. That all changed on the night of 21 August, when Soviet tanks entered Prague, ending the short-lived political liberalization in Czechoslovakia. 'I wasn’t a reporter,' Koudelka recalls. 'I had never photographed anything that you would call ""news"". Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I was confronted with that kind of situation. I responded to it. I knew it was important to photograph, so I photographed.'

For fear of repercussions, Koudelka originally published the images under the pseudonym 'PP' (Prague photographer). The intensity and significance of the images earned the still-anonymous photographer the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award. Sixteen years would pass before Koudelka could safely acknowledge authorship.

Now reissued in a hardback format, this bold new edition will bring these vital photographs back to the public eye, standing as a stark reminder of the importance of bearing witness to violence and brutality.

Review

'Historic images' - The Sunday Times

'A classic monograph from one of Magnum's greats' - Amateur Photographer

'Stunning images … timeless emblems of the human spirit … Koudelka’s extraordinary photographs ensure that those euphoric and tragic days in 1968 will be remembered' - The Art Book

About the Author

Josef Koudelka was born in Czechoslovkia in 1938 but fled the country in 1969. He became a member of Magnum Photos in 1974 and has lived in Paris since 1980. He has won significant awards such as the Prix Nadar (1978), a Grand Prix National de la Photographie (1989), a Grand Prix Cartier-Bresson (1991) and the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography (1992). In 2012, he was named Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.