A terrific, unique book about one of the most traumatic events in the history of Czechoslovakia. In 1948 Czechoslovakia became a communist state after a coup. The fifties became a stifling period of political oppression, show trials, stalinism and fear. The 1960's showed a slow change, a thaw in the freezing cold of the communist dictature. The climax of these developments became the brief period which we now know as the 'Prague Spring'. The arts became more free, there was some room for criticism and the people openly asked for 'socialism with a human face'. But in august the Soviet Union (led by Brezhnev, a more hard-line stalinist/communist than his predecessor Chruschev) intervened, with the help of some countries involved in the Warsaw Pact. They invaded Czechoslovakia in the night of august the 20th/21st. The Soviet soldiers, thinking they had to fight 'fascists', often didn't even know where they were or what exactly was happening. The people resisted heavily. They threw stones at the tanks or cursed at the soldiers, but often they tried to use a pacific approach, offering the soldiers flowers and talking to them.
Josef Koudelka, a Czech photographer, took his camera and mingled in the masses on the streets. The result is a series of endlessly impressive photographs. Invasie 68 (the Dutch version of the book - it's been printed in a lot of languages) shows these photographs, beautifully arranged on large pages. The photographs show fervor, fear, anger, despair, pride, hope, determination, shock, courage - all of these things often in strong clashes. Their beauty is tragic and intense. It shows people, normal, ordinary people, fighting to protect their country and their freedom - and they suddenly become heroic. In my opinion, the strenghth of the photographs is sometimes almost indescribable. It's touching. The photographs are alternated with short texts, for example the text that was broadcast on the radio when the invasion began.
I can really recommend this book to everyone interested in photography and/or history. Have a look at it (or at least Google 'Josef Koudelka Invaze 68'). You won't regret it.