The book has been written in the context of revolutions, civil war and strife in European countries, which came under the rule of Soviet Union after world war II. The author has given an account of the prevailing circumstances in the book, regarding the political transformations in the sovereign states and the future awaiting the newly independent countries.
Timothy Garton Ash has discussed the fall of communism and the rise of democracy in the countries like Poland. The author witnessed the formation of democratic states in Poland, Prague and Hungary and he was a supporter of democracy, which urged the lower or labour class to fight for its rights. According to Ash, a lot of people like Imre Nagy, a leader in Poland, sacrificed their lives for democracy and paved the way of public ruling for other countries. The democratic system which established there, was not fair and the officials were electing people instead of selecting them.
The author has captured the history within the book for future generations in order to make them realize that one should resist the tyrannical rules and follow the way of actual democracy.
