Bloc Life by Peter Molloy
Bloc Life by Peter Molloy – Stories from the Lost World of Communism – is a book on three members of the Eastern Bloc – East Germany, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. It showcases how life was in these countries during the Cold War. It presents a fairly accurate picture without whitewashing the communists or exaggerating how dire the life really was.
The book is structured in themes, touching on various aspects of life, from political activism to sex life and secret police. It covers also doping in sport, which was one of the most interesting things to read about in the book. It is still relevant today, as dictatorships are using sport for propaganda, regardless of how the medals are won and what incredible impact it has on the athletes and, obviously, on the sport.
I found it interesting to read about Divertis, a Romanian comedy group and how they used their platform for dissent. They were very popular in the 1980s and after the revolution too. I think the book is well worth reading. I enjoyed it and do recommend it.
Bloc Life by Peter Molloy
Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: BBC Books
Year it was published: 2008
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): History
Pages: 320
About the author: Peter Molloy and Lucy Hetherington produced The Lost World of Communism, a three-part British documentary series which examines the legacy of communism, in 2009. This book was made afterwards.
Website & Social Media Links: –
I think the sports aspect of this would be interesting since that is something we’ve all been aware of over the years with the Olympic Games. I can imagine what a personal interest this book must have had for you.
Kelly recently posted…This or this? #3
It was very interesting for me, that’s right. The book was on a reading list for university, so I’m glad I saw it there and read it.
The book is quite short considering how many topics it covers and it is a lovely book, this is why I recommend it. The sports and the part on abortion where maybe the most interesting of all, at least for me.