From Good King Wenceslas to the Good Soldier Svejk: A Dictionary of Czech Popular Culture [Paperback]

Andrew Lawrence Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2005

Roberts' book follows in the tradition of recent scholarship that seeks to emphasize the importance of popular culture and the wealth of knowledge that can be gained through an analysis of the daily lives and practices of individuals. Focusing on popular songs, movie stars, famous athletes, traditional dishes, and children's games that are second nature to every Czech, Roberts' work serves as an introduction to Czech popular culture. This dictionary is a sizeable achievement as it offers an English readership an invaluable source of information to a rich body of material that has thus far remained ephemeral. The six hundred entries are cross-referenced and allow readers to pursue particular topics in greater depth. Written in a readable style this work is easily accessible to a wide readership.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is the book that I wish someone had given me the day I arrived in Prague ... it s the best companion an expat in this country could ask for. --The Prague Post

The author's unstated underlying objective is anything but postmodernist: to capture the essence of Czechness, at least in recent times... Roberts's style is not only engaging, but also humorous. He peppers his entries with jokes and adds spice to those that might otherwise read as a dry recitation of facts. --Slavic and East European Journal

About the Author

Andrew Roberts is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Central European University Press (December 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9637326278
• ISBN-13: 978-9637326271
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,764,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #33 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Czech

More About the Author

Andrew Roberts was born in Albany, NY but grew up in Lawrenceville, NJ and went to the same high school as Jon Stewart (though he has never met him). He attended Williams College where he majored in economics. After teaching algebra to seventh and eighth graders in Kansas City and English as a Second Language in Brno, Czech Republic, he completed a doctorate in politics at Princeton University. Since 2003, he has taught political science at Northwestern University.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and enjoyable dictionary of Czech popular culture, April 13, 2006

By 

Marty "Bleu-Blanc-Rouge" (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Good King Wenceslas to the Good Soldier Svejk: A Dictionary of Czech Popular Culture (Hardcover)

Andrew Roberts has compiled a highly informative and enjoyable dictionary of Czech popular culture.

The topics covered include society, politics, history, literature, music, movies, sports and much more.
Regardless of length, the entries are clear and well-written. Historical background is provided whenever needed.

The book is rounded off with a useful alphabetical and thematic index to all dictionary entries.

People interested in Czech history, culture and politics will find this work a valuable source for informative descriptions and definitions.
All the more so because it is written in a lucid, wry style which is a pleasure to read.

The author has a good eye for the little oddities of everyday life and a remarkable understanding of the Czech mentality and worldview (I especially liked the way he highlights Czech quirks with respect and humor).

A big plus is the author's website / blog, where he regularly updates and extends his book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Shoddy scholarship, April 13, 2008

By 

K. Burton "-kb" (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Good King Wenceslas to the Good Soldier Svejk: A Dictionary of Czech Popular Culture (Paperback)

Roberts has achieved nothing but a perfectly condescending caricature of the Czech people. It is completely incomprehensible, how he could collect so much data and not gain any understanding of the culture. Mr. Roberts sees everything as a communist propaganda, and has difficulty imagining that people could have had any joy in their life during communism. My absolute favorite: the Czech's love of smoking, according to Mr. Roberts apparently stems, "from the fact that there was so little to live for under communism." But then again how can one expect any depth or intellectual rigor from a writer who claims that his bibliography is lacking because "it would be impossible to cite all the works..." REALLY?

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, well-informed portrait of 20th century Czech culture, March 28, 2009

By 

St.Josef the Chewable (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Good King Wenceslas to the Good Soldier Svejk: A Dictionary of Czech Popular Culture (Paperback)

This is a well-written and informative resource on 20th century Czech culture, concentrating on, as the author writes in his preface, people, places, and events familiar to most every Czech adult, but essentially unknown outside the culture. I would characterize its tone as something akin to the Culture Smart/Culture Shock series, but written in far greater depth. I would recommend it to students of Czech, to those who have lived or are living in the Czech Republic, and to anyone who would like to get a deeper perspective on 20th-century mass Czech culture. This is not, as the author cautions, an exhaustive account of Czech history and culture, nor would it be the primary resource for an academic dissertation, but as someone who lived in the Czech Republic for many years and has family living there, I can assure you that the entries ring true and give an insight into the Czech mindset and experience, particularly as it was lived under communism.

I must confess that I am puzzled at the dismissive reviews of this title, as it is clear that the author is both familiar with, and a lover of, Czech culture. I am not familiar with other titles in English like this, and heartily recommend it to other Czechophiles.