History

The Magic Lantern

By Timothy Garton Ash

This book is an experience that everyone should have . It is an eye-opener to a political struggle that few of us are a witness first hand in our lifetimes . As this book was written from the first person perspective by a man who saw the events personally , it brings it in a much deeper detail than simple journalism could . Journalists are mostly observers but Mr . Ash was part of the movement , knew many of the key participants personally , and therefore , he felt and knew what

he was writing . The Magic Lantern by Timothy Garton Ash is an accounting of one of the most amazing of all the trials of humankind , the struggle for freedom

The book begins in action so it is never a point of tedious boredom of wading through statistics and remote people and events that seem to have no real life to them . In fact , as the reader continues on , they find themselves very much engrossed in each aspect of the events conversations and actions of the people involved in the story and it feels as if they themselves are there as well

Non-fiction sometimes carries an unfair label as boring reading but in the words of an old adage the truth is stranger than fiction , this is very true about this book . It is filled with life and people who love life . Beyond entertaining , it is thrilling , thought provoking , and leaves the reader with a feeling of having spent some very worthwhile time by reading The Magic Lantern

For a book of true historical events , things perhaps most people only saw brief glimpses on a news program , the choice to partake of this wonderful accounting is a book that will be remembered forever after by the reader

Any writing is only as good as the writer themselves . Mr . Ash has written this book with the passion that he felt for the cause that he was involved in . To survive a language translation into fifteen different languages as The Magic Lantern has and still retain its ability to impress the importance of what occurred in Poland in 1989 , it has to be a strong book written by an even stronger writer . Mr . Ash was involved not only physically but emotionally as well in what was happening and his personal feelings are perhaps one of the strongest assets of the book

He tried to write from a less biased point of view but that is difficult to do when such a momentous happening as the fall of the Soviet Union was so clearly imminent . As with any revolution , the beginnings must be among the common people the ones who affected the most by the outcome and as always the true leaders rise from the ranks of those people

Yet , this revolution was far more political than physical or demonstrations that led always to violence . A united front made a united stand . Solidarity was just that and the leader Lech Walesa was...