Rozmluvy s Antonínem Švehlou a o Švehlovi - Vzpomínky agrárního diplomata Karla Mečíře – Kubů Eduard (2018)

This Czech-language memoir by journalist, diplomat and writer Karel Mečíř focuses on Antonín Švehla, the Czech politician, statesman and farmer who was above all a founding figure of the Czechoslovak Republic and its democratic order. The text is remarkable for presenting Švehla through the eyes of someone from his immediate circle: a long-time associate whose view was shaped by frequent, and at certain periods of Švehla’s life even daily, contact with him. Nineteen thematically arranged reminiscences create a varied kaleidoscope that portrays Švehla, a politician who appeared in public rarely and reluctantly, from a human perspective. They suggest patterns in his thinking and behaviour and give his image a broader personal dimension. The book also includes a biography of its author, a bon vivant whose hardships, successes and failures were made quite extraordinary by the three women in his life: his wife, his daughter and, above all, his lover. A historical document that both informs and entertains, the book stands out for its thoughtful graphic design and generous illustrative material, especially its many photographs.