Eric Stein, a well-known scholar of international and comparative law and a native of Czechoslovakia, was invited by the Czechoslovak government as a member of an international group to assist in the drafting of a new constitution. This book is based on his experiences during years of work on these negotiations, as well as close to one hundred interviews with political figures, journalists, and academics and extensive research in the primary documents.

It is a fascinating story told from a unique perspective in an engaging and readable style. It will appeal to historians, lawyers, and social scientists interested in the process of transformation in Eastern Europe and the study of ethnic conflict, as well as the general reader interested in modern European history.