{"product_id":"the-golden-maze-a-biography-of-prague","title":"The Golden Maze: A Biography of Prague","description":"\u003cp\u003eBeloved ABC broadcaster and bestselling author of Ghost Empire and Saga Land  Richard Fidler is back with a personally curated history of the magical city that is Prague. In 1989  Richard Fidler was living in London as part of the provocative Australian comedy trio The Doug Anthony All Stars when revolution broke out across Europe. Excited by this galvanising historic  human  moment  he travelled to Prague  where a decrepit police state was being overthrown by crowds of ecstatic citizens. His experience of the Velvet Revolution never let go of him. Thirty years later Fidler returns to Prague to uncover the glorious and grotesque history of Europes most instagrammed and uncanny city: a jumble of gothic towers  baroque palaces and zig-zag lanes that has survived plagues  pogroms  terror and Soviet tanks. Founded in the ninth Century  Prague gave the world the golem  the robot  and the worlds biggest statue of Stalin  a behemoth that killed almost everyone who touched it. Fidler tells the story of the reclusive emperor who brought the worlds most brilliant minds to Prague Castle to uncover the occult secrets of the universe. He explores the Black Palace  the wartime headquarters of the SS  and he meets victims of the communist secret police. Reaching back into Pragues mythic past  he finds the citys founder  the pagan priestess Libussa who prophesised: I see a city whose glory will touch the stars. Following the story of Prague from its origins in medieval darkness to its uncertain present  Fidler does what he does so well - curates an absolutely engaging and compelling history of a place. You will learn things you never knew  with a tour guide who is erudite  inquisitive  and the best storyteller you could have as your companion. PRAISE FOR GHOST EMPIRE: Fidler displays great charm in the telling of his tale  spicing it with delicious gossip. - New York Times Book Review ... thanks to the stylish cleverness of an exceptionally curious and talented man  we can feast on what strange magic the city brought-and still brings today-to the world beyond. I am speechless with admiration. - Simon Winchester Fidlers story leaves its readers with a sense of faith in the renewing  illuminating  social powers of historical narrative. - Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44984551768117,"sku":"ByrdShop_0733335268","price":226.06,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780733335266.jpg?v=1770837075","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-golden-maze-a-biography-of-prague","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}