Norman Eisen and The Last Palace

Good Day Gentle Reader,

This story of The Last Palace is just a great tale. Eisen (US Ambassador stationed in Prague) combines his mother’s tale of fleeing the Nazis into the story of Otto Petschek and his design to create a wonderous structure with the hope of keeping democracy in place after World War I. He was so very optimistic but to be shattered by the rise of Nazi Germany. The spreading of an ugsome horrid government. The Last Palace resides in the Czech Republic in the beautiful city of Prague. Petschek was a Jewish financial baron using his money and skills to build this structure – truly a palace by all means. Eisen tells a good tale of all the many occupants of this architectural monument. There was Rudolf Toussant the German General, Laurance Steinhardt US Ambassador who was trying to the Communists out of the palace. There are some many governmental upheavals which put this place in grave danger – but it survived. What is most interesting is Shirley Temple Black (famed child movie star of the 1930’s) was selected to be the US Ambassador in the 1960’s. She was witness to the Soviet tanks invading Prague and it was her determination to rid the Czech Republic of totalitarianism which she did as the US Ambassador. This certainly a well woven tale by Eisen showing the triumph of liberation from a destructive ideology by way of his mothers’ own history of escaping the Nazi government.  This book will enrich your life.

Thank you for your time in reading this brief book review.

Until the next time…….Patti