August 21st: The rape of Czechoslovakia

by Colin Chapman

This is the first account in book form of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslavakia, describing in detail the events between August 21st and October 1st, 1968. Written by Colin Chapman, Foreign News Editor of London's Sunday's Times, the book tells the tragic and inspiring story of Czech defiance.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 1968

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping in mind that this book was written virtually as the Russian invasion was taking place, it's a first-rate piece of journalism. Chapman was an experienced foreign correspondent for The Times of London, and his report from Czechoslovakia reflects both the ease and difficulties of getting accurate information as events unfolded. Interesting now to read it (as it was written in 1968) with the hindsight of knowing what would come next. If you're looking for a relatively quick introduction to the Prague Spring and its aftermath, this is a good choice.

[Marti Martinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small sized and thin hardback, the book itself stresses the fact it is the first account of the invasion, written quickly and under pressure. As this is my first book on the subject it is a very fitting introduction; I did not have to read useless reappraisals and "deconstruction" of the event: it was an invasion of a sovereign nation and people were murdered. If nothing else, the fact that the Soviets completely misjudged the reception they would get when they entered to "free" Czechoslovakia from "counter-revolutionaries" was funny. He recounts that many Kremlin politicos did NOT go on record in support of the invasion nor could they identify Czech/Slovak leaders who had requested the presence of Russian troops; in addition, no "Quislings" could be identified. There is a reason I named a statue given to me on a birthday many years ago "Brezhnev". It is of an evil clown.....with a bloody knife.....and skulls on strings for balloons. Evil clown.

A specific passage shows the Soviets' true colours:

A loan of an unspecified amount and duration would be provided by the Soviet Union to pay for the damage caused by the invasion.

I rape you and then charge you for it, on credit & time. Rockefeller and Morgan would be proud. The Rich, and apparently the "Vanguard", are not so different.

The most interesting part was the discussion of the clandestine TV and radio stations that were operated by the brave Czechs and Slovaks. Flippin' brilliant! I also should not forget to mention the "passive resistance" and "non-cooperation" tactics. All these are meaningful to me, now that I personally KNOW some Czechs and Slovaks.

The author had the exact amount of bio material. If he had done any more in this slim volume it might have been distracting. Full bios of Dubcek and Sik might be in my future, but Chapman's light touch was perfect. If, like me, you only knew the FACT OF the 1968 invasion then this is a great book to start with. The publisher's cover is correct: the book is clear, vivid, & intelligent.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall a deeply emotional yet informative read. Despite the book being written in a rush - which at times made the read a bit slow - it provides a stark and genuine reportage of the events which led to the fall of Czechoslovakia, before and after the Soviet attack.

The back-and-forth narration prevented the read from getting boring and managed to keep me glued to the book page after page, although I am sure my personal interest also played a big role in that. Despite it being a strictly historical book, it's also very short and compact which does not require too much time on one's hand. Definitely a read which should be brought up to attention, as it deals with quite recent events which shape our world to this day and yet most people ignore.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clear summary of the Soviet invasion, Czech resistance, and base reasons why Russia used its own Warsaw pact to take fascist action against another communist satellite country. It is not a definitive history by any means, but a from the ground report of the invasion, and it captures very well the horrors of Czech people watching their freedoms from censorship and economic slavery be stripped away.

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read with lots of first hand accounts. Suffers slightly from having been rushed out within a few weeks of the event as it lacks a longer view, but it remains a first class account of events as they unfolded at the time.