True to its title this book presents much of the history of Slovakia while narrating the story of the author's family, one of the most notable in the country's history. Part genealogy, part historical analysis, and part immigrant story Palka¿s narrative covers a span of 300 years. Starting in the era of the craft guilds the book concludes with the author¿s personal encounters in the Slovakia of today ¿ a Slovakia that reflects both the culture and its turbulent history. Including ordinary people as well as towering historical figures, this is a fascinating and superbly documented biography of the Hod¿a and Pálka families' significant role in Slovak history.

Ilona Lakova's darked skinned illiterate Gypsy father fell in love with her pale skinned Polish mother whilst a prisoner in Russia during the First World War. They returned to his mothers house in a Gypsy settlement on the edge of the village of Saris in Slovakia where their family of nine grew up, despised and mocked by the peasants on whom they depended for work. Ilona describes in simple unaffected language what it was like to be part of a tight knit community bound together by language, customs, music and a love of family, the spirit of Romipen.

Until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia's identity seemed inextricably linked with that of the former state. This book explores the key moments and themes in the history of Slovakia from the Duchy of Nitra's ninth-century origins to the establishment of independent Slovakia at midnight 1992–3. Leading scholars chart the gradual ethnic awakening of the Slovaks during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation and examine how Slovak national identity took shape with the codification of standard literary Slovak in 1843 and the subsequent development of the Slovak national movement. They show how, after a thousand years of Magyar-Slovak coexistence, Slovakia became part of the new Czechoslovak state from 1918–39, and shed new light on its role as a Nazi client state as well as on the postwar developments leading up to full statehood in the aftermath of the collapse of communism in 1989. There is no comparable book in English on the subject.

Young Juraj Zednik is spending the summer of 1968 abroad when Warsaw Pact tanks invade Czechoslovakia. Sickened by the rot in his homeland, Juraj opts not to return. When the Communist regime forces him to renounce his Czechoslovak citizenship, he embarks on a new – wholly American – life. He changes his name and gains US citizenship. He does not visit family; he does not teach his children his native tongue. After the Velvet Revolution topples Communism in 1989, Juraj's son Rick decides to go and live in Bratislava. He finally connects with his grandfather who is dying and his grandmother who is nursing him. Rick's discoveries in newly-independent Slovakia give his father cause to re-connect with family and friends and to regain pride in the country he had turned his back on decades earlier.

Since Slovakia achieved independent statehood at the end of 1992 it has become one of the most prosperous post-communist states. This book provides a unique and thorough introduction to Slovakia and will enable the reader to understand its multi-faceted nature. The book includes chapters on Twentieth Century History, Politics, Economy and International Relations.

Did you ever want to teach your kids the basics of Slovak ? Learning Slovak can be fun with this picture book. In this book you will find the following features: Slovak Alphabets. Slovak Words. English Translations.

My Slovak Kitchen is a cookbook with Slovak cuisine cooking in mind. There are other Eastern European influences in the cookbook, such as Czech, Polish, German, etc... but these are the recipes I grew up eating. The recipes were collected from recipe cards and papers from various family members. Whether you enjoy stews like goulash, baked meats like roast pork, soups, and more, there is something in here for every type of eater.Also, every recipe in my cookbook has a beautiful high resolution image to accompany the recipe, so you know what to expect when you make a particular dish! The good thing about Slovak cooking is that it's very forgiving, especially when it comes to taste, such as garlic or paprika!

Impressively situated on the Danube, Bratislava boasts stunningly-restored Baroque, Rococo and art-nouveau buildings. Beyond the capital visitors will find a country packed with architectural gems, the renowned wooden churches of the Presov region, imposing fortresses, romantic castles and medieval ruins - all within easy reach thanks to an excellent transport system.