The Restoration of Order

Milan Šimečka describes the process of restoring order and its result—so-called real socialism—in a brilliant analysis of the ‘normalisation’ regime in Czechoslovakia that came to power after the Soviet-led invasion crushed the Prague Spring of 1968. He does so in an engaging style, not lacking in irony and detachment. These poignant reflections and essays coincided with Šimečka’s first-hand experience of the consequences of the political and cultural purges of the time. This second edition of a Cold War classic, first written between 1975 and 1977, with a new preface from Martin M. Šimečka and afterword from Martin Bútora, highlights chilling parallels with contemporary political developments and current civic and ethical questions.