Padraic Kenney Books

This is the first history of the revolutions that topped communism in Europe to look behind the scenes at the grassroots movements that made those revolutions happen. It looks for answers in the whirlwind of activity that stirred so crucially on the street. Padraic Kenney takes us into the hearts and minds of those revolutionaries who have since faded namelessly back into everyday life. This is a riveting story of musicians, artists, and guerrilla theater collectives subverting traditions and state power; a story of youthful social movements emerging in the 1980s in Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and parts of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. "A Carnival of Revolution" resounds with the atmosphere of those turbulent years: the daring of new movements, the unpredictability of street demonstrations, and the hopes and regrets of the young participants. Based on over two hundred interviews in twelve countries, and drawing on samizdat and other writings in six languages, this is among the most insightful and compelling accounts ever published of the historical milestone that ushered in our age. -- From publisher's description.

Focusing on grassroots movements, the book explores the revolutions that dismantled communism in Europe, emphasizing the pivotal role of ordinary citizens rather than political elites. Drawing from the author's experiences in Solidarity-era Poland, it delves into the lives of musicians, artists, and activists who challenged state power through creativity and social engagement. The narrative highlights youthful movements in the 1980s across Central Europe, revealing the vibrant, often overlooked efforts that fueled these transformative changes.

A study of the role of political imprisonment in the modern world in regimes ranging from communist to fascist to colonial to democratic.

'Aby zrozumieć polski komunizm, trzeba zacząć od badania jego początk�w', pisze we wstępie do swojej książki Padraic Kenney. Irlandzki historyk pokazuje, że, jakkolwiek reżim komunistyczny wprowadzono w Polsce odg�rnie siłą i z pomocą radzieckich czołg�w, to jednak na jego charakter i specyfikę, zwłaszcza w latach 1945-1950, ogromny wpływ mieli nie tylko komunistyczni decydenci, ale też w dużym stopniu robotnicy. I właśnie z perspektywy zwykłych ludzi, w szczeg�lności robotnik�w, Kenney stara się opisać doświadczenie nowego ustroju rzekomej ,,sprawiedliwości społecznej'.

Rok 1989, kdy se zhroutil komunismus, bývá často označován jako annus mirabilis, "rok zázraků". Americký historik Padraic Kenney však tvrdí, že zázraky se dějí velmi zřídka, a že se davy tehdejších demonstrantů na ulicích nevynořily zničeho nic. Podle něj byly vyvrcholením "karnevalu", veřejných vystoupení nových hnutí, která probíhala v předcházejících třech a půl letech: od demonstrací po Černobylu v Polsku na jaře 1986 do sametové revoluce v Praze. Za ta léta změnily vztah mezi státem, opozicí a společností nové problémy.