Mikuláš Pešta is a researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History, Czech Academy of Sciences, and Assistant Professor at the Institute of History, Charles University, Prague, Czechia. His research focuses on the history of internationalism, student movement, East-South relations and political violence in the Cold War.
In his meticulously researched book, Mikuláš Pešta takes us to socialist Prague, home to the International Union of Students and a global hub for student activism. This work is a long-awaited addition to the Cold War historiography and essential reading for anyone interested in student internationalism and the global Cold War. * Pia Koivunen, Senior Lecturer, University of Turku, Finland * In 1967, the pro-West International Student Conference collapsed after revelations of CIA funding. Its rival, the International Union of Students, did not survive the later loss of Socialist bloc funding. Both had masters, but neither were puppets. Pešta masterfully documents the complexities of the IUS relationship with the Soviet bloc, as well as the organization’s global significance. * Karen M. Paget, author of Patriotic Betrayal *