The Power of the Powerless | Vaclav Havel

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIMOTHY SNYDER

Cowed by life under Communist Party rule, a greengrocer hangs a placard in their shop window: Workers of the world, unite! Is it a sign of the grocer’s unerring ideology? Or a symbol of the lies we perform to protect ourselves?

Written in 1978, Václav Havel’s meditation on political dissent – the rituals of its suppression, and the sparks that re-ignite it – would prove the guiding manifesto for uniting Solidarity movements across the Soviet Union. A portrait of activism in the face of falsehood and intimidation, The Power of the Powerless remains a rousing call against the allure of apathy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

‘This brilliant text is undoubtedly the finest analysis ever made of the `post-totalitarian' systems.’ - Times Literary Supplement

‘A profound intellectual tour de force that analyzes the `post-totalitarian' system of Eastern Europe. ... Havel's The Power of the Powerless has not lost its intellectual appeal.’ - Slavic Review