A translated memoir written by one of the most prominent Czech writers of the post-World War II generation continuing the country's modern tradition of literary mastery over an absurd and frightening political culture. Skvorecky speaks eloquently and with humor of his own experiences and those of other "dissidents" fleeing both Nazi and Soviet rule, surviving the secret police, and managing to maintain a culture of truth within one of fear and mistrust. Like many Czech writers, Skvorecky's story is the history of a country. Lacks an index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc. , Portland, Or.