In this richly sketched religious history of Bohemia in the 17th century, Howard Louthan lays out the means of the "breathtaking" re-Catholicization of the kingdom during and after the Thirty Years War. Above all, he argues, both pre-existing religious practice and the methods of conversion were complex, defying common interpretations that stress the "binary opposites" of Protestantism and Catholicism, Czech and German, and force and persuasion. The Utraquists and Bohemian Brethren, for example, retained much from Catholic belief and practice, making it easier to integrate them into a revived set of Catholic rituals in the 17th century. And Catholic missionaries to the countryside astutely incorporated many local traditions into their own practice, while also adding popular pilgrimage sites, vernacular bibles, and other forms of gentle outreach to local religious communities. Though Louthan does not neglect the use of force and deterrence in converting Protestants, he emphasizes the effectiveness of persuasion, sometimes on its own, sometimes in tandem with censorship and violence. In support of its revisionist argument, Converting Bohemia makes impressive use of a rich variety of sources and cultural historical methodologies. Not only is it an engaging read, but it is also a model of thorough and innovative scholarship.

PAST BOOK PRIZE WINNERS

2005-2006

Pieter Judson, Guardians of the Nation: Activists on the Language Frontiers of Imperial Austria (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2006).

2007-2008

Tara Zahra, Kidnapped Souls: National Indifference and the Battle for Children in the Bohemian Lands 1900-1948 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2008).

BOOK PRIZE COMPETITION RULES

The Czechoslovak Studies Association Prize for the Best Book in the Field of Czechoslovak Historical Studies.

1. The prize will be awarded in alternate years to the best book among eligible submissions published in a prior two-year period. The competition for this prize will be held alternately with the competition for the Stanley Z. Pech Prize.

2. The monetary amount of the award will be $200, with adjustments possible by vote of the membership.

3. A prize committee of three CSA members will select the winning entry. One member of the committee will be designated as chair. The CSA president will appoint the committee. Authors are responsible for supplying the committee with the book they wish to enter in the competition.

4. To be eligible for consideration, books must be primarily concerned with the history of Czechoslovakia, its predecessor and successor states, or any of its peoples within and without its historical boundaries. The field of historical studies will be broadly construed, with books in all fields considered for the prize if they are substantially historical in nature. The prize committee will decide whether a book matches these criteria. Books under consideration must be new works by a single author written originally in the English language. The competition will be open to members and non-members of the CSA.

5. The decision of the prize committee is final. If the committee members agree that more than one book should share the prize, the monetary award will be divided evenly among the prize recipients. If the committee judges that no submission is worthy of the prize, no prize will be awarded.

6. The CSA Executive Committee will undertake fund-raising for the prize directly, or via a committee they appoint. The Secretary-Treasurer of the CSA will manage the prize fund.

7. The CSA Executive Committee authorizes the CSA to donate $500 from its operating funds to lay the foundation for the prize fund. Future donations from the CSA operating fund will be contingent upon a separate vote of the membership.