Hledání dějin - O české státnosti a identitě – Hvížďala Karel (2018)

This Czech-language book presents a dialogue between journalist Karel Hvížďala, a curious observer from Prague, and legal philosopher Jiří Přibáň from Cardiff, Britain, on key points in Czech history, published on the occasion of the republic’s centenary. The discussion places Czech statehood and identity in a broad geographical and historical context, from the ninth to the twenty-first century, asking how and why Czech history has been perceived and understood in different periods and what this means for the present and the future. The authors also seek to free history from being reduced to a projection screen for collective frustrations. Through their dialogue, they bring into the public sphere questions usually discussed only in academia or avoided altogether. Petr Pithart describes the book as an inspiring dialogue between two Czechs equally at home in Europe who examine the whole of their past and ask where the country is heading. Jacques Rupnik calls the reflections of these two Czech intellectuals on Czech history, the national narrative, collective memory and contemporary politics essential reading for understanding the deeper connections behind the current crisis.