Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948

“A riveting tale of her family’s experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority. . . . More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action, a chronicle of a war in progress from a partisan faithful to the idea of Czechoslovakian democracy.” -- Los Angeles Times

Drawn from her own memory, her parents’ written reflections, and interviews with contemporaries, the former US Secretary of State and New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Albright's tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring

Before she turned twelve, Madeleine Albright’s life was shaken by some of the most cataclysmic events of the 20^th century: the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, the Battle of Britain, the attempted genocide of European Jewry, the allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War. 

In Prague Winter, 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 exile leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims and killers. These events of enormous complexity are 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. 

Prague Winter is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind, a journey with universal lessons that is simultaneously a deeply personal memoir and an incisive work of history. It 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 in history. Albright and her family’s experiences provide an intensely human lens through which to view the most political and tumultuous years in modern history.

Through the eyes of one of the world’s most respected diplomats, Prague Winter LP is a remarkable work of history that uncovers:

• Family Secrets: Decades after the war, Albright was stunned to learn of her family’s hidden Jewish heritage and that more than twenty of her relatives had perished in the Holocaust.
• The Nazi Invasion of Prague: A harrowing look at life under occupation, the stark moral choices her parents were forced to make, and their family’s eventual escape from their homeland.
• World War II in Europe: Experience the Battle of Britain through the eyes of a child refugee in London and witness the complex political maneuvering that shaped the fate of Central Europe.
• The Dawn of the Cold War: A firsthand account of the rise of communism in Czechoslovakia and the Iron Curtain’s descent, laying the groundwork for Albright’s future as a diplomat and Secretary of State.

Before she turned twelve, Madeleine Albright's life was shaken by the Nazi invasion of her native Czechoslovakia, the Battle of Britain, the attempted destruction of European Jewry, the Allied victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War.

Drawing on her memory, her parents' written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly-available documents, Albright recounts a tale of these years that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. 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 Terezin to the highest councils of European and American government.

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.

“An extraordinary book. . . . Albright artfully presents a wrenching tale of horror and darkness, but also one in which decent and brave people again and again had their say.” - István Deák, The New Republic

“Prague Winter is not only a family story-a proud and moving one-but a brilliant and multilayered account of how Czechoslovakia was formed along the most idealistic lines in the aftermath of World War I. An altogether fascinating and inspiring read.” - Michael Korda, The Daily Beast

“In the crowded field of memoirs written by former secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright’s books stand out. . . . Albright is a charming and entertaining storyteller.” - The New York Review of Books

“Albright’s book is a sprightly historical narrative of this long decade, which marked, as Albright poetically puts it, the beginning of a freezing Prague Winter. Her account of the destruction of inter-war Czechoslovakia, both as a geographical entity and as an idea of democracy, first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, is balanced and vivid. . . . Albright conducts a compelling personal exploration of her family’s Jewish roots.” - The Economist

“Albright’s book is a sprightly historical narrative of this long decade. . . . Her account of the destruction of inter-war Czechoslovakia, both as a geographical entity and as an idea of democracy, first by the Nazis and then by the Communists, is balanced and vivid.” - The Economist

“A remarkable work of self-revelation. . . . A blend of history and memoir that reveals in rich, poignant and often heartbreaking detail a story that had been hidden from her by her own parents. . . . Prague Winter is largely a work of diplomatic and political history, but the beating heart of the book is Albright’s searing account of her intimate family saga.” - The Jewish Journal

“A blend of history and memoir that reveals in rich, poignant and often heartbreaking detail a story that had been hidden from her by her own parents. . . . The beating heart of the book is Albright’s searing account of her intimate family saga.” - The Jewish Journal

“A compelling personal exploration of [Albright’s] family’s Jewish roots as well as an excellent history of Czechoslovakia from 1937 to 1948. . . . Highly informative and insightful. . . . I can’t recommend Prague Winter highly enough.” - The Washington Post Book World

“In the crowded field of memoirs written by former secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright’s books stand out. . . . Albright is a charming and entertaining storyteller with an often self-deprecating sense of humor. Reading her is like being in the presence of an attentive hostess who makes sure you are never bored and your glass is always topped up. She has a refreshing habit of straight talk, an ability to bring the arcana of diplomacy down to earth without sacrificing subtlety or intellectual substance, and a generosity of spirit that allows her to convey other points of view without surrendering her own ground.” - The New York Review of Books

“In the crowded field of memoirs written by former secretaries of state, Madeleine Albright’s books stand out. . . . Albright is a charming and entertaining storyteller.” - The New York Review of Books

“A memoir that is also a history and a history that is also a memoir, Prague Winter is a genuinely admirable book. In learned and living prose, Madeleine Albright skillfully returns us to some of the darkest years of modern times, not so long ago; and to the extraordinary individuals whose task it was to find light in the darkness. It is important, in this hour when America seems inclined to recede from the struggle for freedom abroad, to be reminded of the primacy of that struggle, and of the heroism that it inspired. 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

“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

“Showing us villainy, heroism, and agonizing moral dilemmas, Albright’s vivid storytelling and measured analysis bring this tragic era to life.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“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

“Albright has supplemented a deeply researched history of World War II-era Czechoslovakia with a moving family narrative.” - The Daily

“A gripping account of World War II. . . . In taut prose, Albright weaves a powerful narrative that wraps her family’s story into the larger political drama unfolding in Europe.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer

“A riveting tale of her family’s experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority. . . . More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action, a chronicle of a war in progress from a partisan faithful to the idea of Czechoslovakian democracy.” - The Los Angeles Times

“A riveting tale of her family’s experience in Europe during World War II [and] a well-wrought political history of the region, told with great authority. . . . More than a memoir, this is a book of facts and action.” - The Los Angeles Times

“A compelling personal exploration of [Albright’s] family’s Jewish roots as well as an excellent history of Czechoslovakia from 1937 to 1948. . . . Highly informative and insightful. The book brings vividly to life the many pivotal historical events in recent Czech history. . . . I can’t recommend Prague Winter highly enough.” - The Washington Post Book World

“Madeleine Albright has written a remarkable story of adventure and passion, tragedy and courage set against the backdrop of occupied Czechoslovakia and World War II. In so doing, she 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

“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. Madeleine Albright confronts the brutal realities of the Holocaust and the conflicted moral choices it led to, both for the statesmen of the time and for her parents. The result is an unforgettable tale of fascism and communism, courage and realism, families and heartache and love. - Walter Isaacson