Andreas Umland is Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for European Security in the Institute of International Relations at Prague, Principal Researcher of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation at Kyiv, and General Editor of the ibidem-Verlag book series “Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society”.

Lenka Kratka offers a remarkable, comprehensive piece of work on the history of the Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping (C.O.S.) company. Her book is really unique since the history of the C.O.S. and of Czechoslovak maritime business in general are among the research topics least reflected in Czech historiography. She writes with talent and erudition. -- Prof. Miroslav Vank, head of the Oral History Centre, Czech Academy of Science

Lenka Kratka`s book opens the Iron Curtain to explore the reality of Czechoslovakia`s Ocean Shipping. Seamen have always been linked to legends and stereotypes. This book enables the reader to understand what is truth and what is just nice fiction. A particularly interesting and fascinating part in the book is devoted to life-stories of seafarers. It is highly recommended to all travellers and dreamers but at the same time has an incredible value for academic researchers in history. -- Kristine Ante, University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy