"Written Here, Published There tells a sometimes deeply compelling story, advances knowledge of transnational literary publishing and interactions, and should encourage further study.
The book is most successful in those sections grounded in original research and interviews that deal directly with the deeply engaging story of the origins and production of tamizdat, as well as the interaction of Western intellectuals with their Central and Eastern European counterparts. Its chief archival resources are the materials of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in several locations, including the Hoover Institution and the Open Society Archives in Budapest; in addition, the author uses materials associated with publications and human rights groups. The oral history includes interviews with former dissidents (primarily Hungarian) as well as with the Western sympathizers and diplomats who were instrumental in the publication of their work. The details of how Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty received and transmitted tamizdat materials back into their countries of origin and the complex and perilous smuggling of these materials in the first place are among the highlights."
Reviewed book: