Výpravy na Východ – Maclean Fitzroy (2023)

For the first time in Czech, the famous testimony of Sir Fitzroy Maclean about his diplomatic and military activities between 1937 and 1945 is being published. Maclean's adventurous narrative, delivered with unmistakable wit and personal charm, served as one of the models for Fleming's series of novels about James Bond. The first part takes place in the Soviet Union from 1937 to 1939, when Maclean is on a diplomatic mission in Moscow and travels at considerable risk through remote parts of Russia and Central Asia or closely observes Stalin's show trials. The second describes his wartime activities in a desert command in North Africa, where he fights against Rommel's army. The third part covers the years 1941 to 1945, when he was commissioned by Churchill to lead a mission to support and coordinate Tito's partisans in Bosnia and Serbia. Maclean developed a friendly relationship with Tito and dedicates much space to Tito himself and the twists and turns of his relationship with the Allies - he also participates in crucial negotiations and peace agreements. Maclean's memoirs are genre-diverse - they have the character of an engaging travelogue, an adventurous war novel, and penetrating geopolitical essays. They provide crucial testimony about Stalinism, the battles of World War II, Tito, and the situation in the Balkans at that time. The book...