Czech & Slavic Epic History - by Gina M Barlean (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

To answer the question of what it means to be Slavic, I believe we must step way back to see the bigger picture of what it means to be human. Part of the meaning is that we as humans do what we must to survive, grow, and create. Once you get to know and understand Slavic-specifically Czech-people, you will see they did what deeply-felt passions drove them to do. All people who exist today exist because generation after generation fought to stay alive and strived to communicate what they believed in, not just as individuals, but as groups of people. Yes, it was epic. Bloody battles, fights for power and changing belief systems all transformed the lands and the people, creating governments, borders, empires, and countries along the way. All of us who call ourselves Slavs are the result of that amazing, epic journey. This book is my self-educational journey about Slavic history through the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha's beautiful paintings called The Slav Epic.

Review Quotes

C. Hope Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars

A history book worthy of the read - nicely done

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021

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I offer a disclaimer first...that I am not Czech or Slavic; however, I heard of the book and respected the author and went ahead and read it. The history is written incredibly well, and doing so through the eyes of a painter and his life's journey on top of it all, is brilliant. I can see if you are of this heritage that this would be mightily useful in understanding one's family lineage. This could easily be a textbook at the university level. Kudos to G. M. Barlean. Nicely done.

Becky Breed, Co-Author of Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer's Block and Transform Your Life and The Fire Inside: A Companion for the Creative Life

5.0 out of 5 stars

Worth Reading, Especially Those Interested in Slavic History

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2021

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Seasoned author of many books, Gina Barlean brings a new and deeper understanding to the history of Slavic people, especially Czech history. Using a beautifully illustrated series of twenty paintings by Alphonse Mucha, a renowned Czech artist, as a framework, Barlean describes the meaning behind the Slav Epic. Mucha, speaking at the dedication of his paintings said he wanted his life's work to describe "who we were, who we are, and what we hope for." Barlean has succeeded in exceeding Mucha's goals in her well-researched written anthem.

Beautiful book

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2021

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I knew about Czech foods from family dinners with older relatives but when traveling in the Cz Rep I realized I knew little to nothing about its classic artist -- Alphonse Mucha. Beautiful book.

Christopher A. Shaffer

5.0 out of 5 stars

A Very Interesting History Lesson

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2022

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I enjoyed this well-illustrated book about Czech history.