Václav Havel

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John Keane reveals the unseen Havel, dramatizing key moments of joy, misery, triumph, and ruin that shaped his life. Born in 1936 into a well-connected bourgeois family in Prague, Havel grew up amidst the turmoil of Czechoslovakia, witnessing the struggles against two totalitarian regimes. Keane illustrates Havel's disdain for Nazi troops and Soviet tanks during his childhood, his teenage efforts to form a literary circle called the Thirty-Sixers, and his bold critiques of the theatre establishment, which brought him global fame for his satirical works on unaccountable power. The narrative follows Havel's early confrontations with Communist authorities in the 1960s as he served as editor of Tvar (The Face), a political writer, and a street activist during the Prague Spring. His courage during the Cold War led to the creation of the human rights initiative Charter 77, resulting in four years of imprisonment. The account scrutinizes his dramatic role in the 'velvet' events of 1989, where he navigated death, intrigue, and rivalry, ultimately becoming president as the country sought constitutional governance and market reforms. Through the tumultuous events of the past decade, the tragic life of Havel unfolds, revealing why he is admired globally and what lessons he offers about power dynamics.