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ern baroni (book)
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Wikipedia article
'ern baroni' ('Black barons') is a satirical novel written by Miloslav vandrlk[http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/zemrel-miloslav-svandrlik-autor-cernych-baronu/404697 'Zemel Miloslav vandrlk, autor ernch baron'], eskNoviny.cz, 26. 10. 2009 during the period of the Prague Spring and published in 1969. Subsequent publication of the book in Czechoslovakia was only made possible after the Velvet Revolution, in 1990. The work takes as its background one of the "technical auxiliary battalions" of the Czechoslovak People's Army. The subtitle 'Vlili jsme za epiky' (We fought for epika) is a reference to then-Minister of Defense, Alexej epika. The story was made into a film of the same name in 1992 and a television series in 2003.
Background
The first part of the book was published in 1969 by Vysoina (Havlkv Brod) and consists of seventeen chapters, ending with one of the main characters, Kefaln, desperate to extend his service for another year, getting drunk on cider. vandrlk continued writing the second part, though due to the post-Prague Spring normalization, it could not be published in Czechoslovakia. The author went into exile and in 1975, published the second part of the book in Zurich, under the pseudonym Rudolf Kefaln. It was also published in 1988 by Alexander Tomsk's publishing house Rozmluvy, in London. At the same time, the work spread via samizdat in Czechoslovakia. Both parts, consisting of 29 chapters, were published as a whole in the 1990 edition, after the Velvet Revolution.
Plot
The novel presents a satirical depiction of the Czechoslovak People's Army not long after the end of World War II. The author focuses on the day-to-day joys and sorrows of soldiers in a technical auxiliary battalion, a forced labour military camp for the internment and re-education of persons considered disloyal to the Communist regime. These units were active between 1950 and 1954. The story takes place at Zelen Hora Castle, in the town of Nepomuk.
Associated publications
After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, vandrlk wrote a number of sequels and spin-off novels to 'ern baroni':
* 'kali mu Terazky aneb est pllitr u Jelnk'
* 'Pt sekyr poruka Hamka'
* 'Lsky ernho barona'
* 'Kam to kr, Kefalne?'
* 'Rov sny pilnho hupa aneb Porume vtru, deti'
* 'ern baroni po tyiceti letech'
* 'ern baroni tsn ped kremac'
* 'Stolet major Terazky'
* 'ern baron od Botie'
* 'Terazky na hrad'
* 'Terazkyho posledn dob'
* 'Terazky v tunelu doktora Moodyho'
* 'Nesmiiteln Terazky'
* 'ern baroni to na obrazovku'
References
Category:1969 novels
Category:Czech novels
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