Witness of an uncertain time
Witness of an uncertain time is a book written by the former Secretary General of NATO, Spanish politician, diplomat, physicist and author Javier Solana. The work was published on October 25, 2023 by the Espasa publishing house. Shortly after, he obtained the XL Espasa Prize plus 30.000 euros in honor of the quality of the volume he had created. Representatives of the seal announced that it was an essential treatise to understand relevant historical events.
Pedro García Barreno, Nativel Preciado, Leopoldo Abadía, Emilio del Río and Pilar Cortés—all Espasa jurors—came to the conclusion that Witness of an uncertain time It is a recommended reading for all those who wish to understand the events that brought global society to where it is today. The book analyzes, above all, the last three decades.
Synopsis of Witness of an uncertain time
From the fall of the wall to the invasion of Ukraine
As the subtitle indicates, Witness of a time uncertain covers the limitations that arose from the fall of the Berlin Wall during 1989 until the recent war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022. Javier Solana examines the events from the perspective of an impartial observer, as well as a witness, of the events that led global society to make decisions that could affect the future of Europe and the treatment that this continent maintains with its counterparts.
Furthermore, the author not only tells the story, but reflects on the importance of some specific events for the future of dealings between Russia and the West with the rest of Europe, and the possible complication between the relationship between the United States and China. On the other hand, Javier Solana analyzes what the role of European countries will be in the event that these confrontations and disparities worsen, and how a solution to the conflicts could be found.
An exceptional witness to the information of the world we live in
Due to his training, his position and his age, Javier Solana has been a direct witness of the events that have changed and marked the history of many countries in the world: those that are at war today, but also those that have overcome it. In that way, His vision of the political events that broadly affect society has become of great value. for social sectors.
In the first pages of his book, Javier Solana states that Witness of an uncertain time It is not a history book nor a text on political theory.https://www.actualidadliteratura.com/nos-quieren-muertos-javier-moro/ The writer describes his work as a narrative about a deeply complex period, which includes the fall of the Berlin Wall and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The particularity of this title lies in the fact that it is narrated from the author's perspective, from his vision of events in which he himself had the opportunity to participate.
The four special actors
Although it is not a biography, Witness of an uncertain time It collects very special memories in the author's life, although all of them have to do with historical deeds of great relevance. In this representation, there are four actors who, According to him, they are as important now as they were during the fall of the wall. These four protagonists are: China, the United States, Russia and Europe.
Likewise, there are other actors who, although they are not protagonists, are significant in understanding the context of the work. The author explains that the world is going through one of its most difficult moments, and that it is the duty of all organizations to make the best political decisions. In this sense, Javier Solana feels responsible for taking an active role and contributing to historical education of the masses so that significant errors are not made again.
From science lover to international politician
One of the most emotional sections of Witness of an uncertain time is “From science to politics”, where the author tells a curious story about how he went from being a student of Physical Sciences to becoming one of the most important politicians in Spain on an international level. The writer had conflicts at the university in his native country, so he moved to the United Kingdom to learn English. There he attended several public lectures on Physics and other areas of knowledge.
Back in Spain, he decided to move to the United States to study with Nicolás Cabrera, one of the best physicists in the world at the time. While he was taking his courses, He had the opportunity to participate in marches against the Vietnam War and other social and political formations of the American country.. He also lived through the death of President Kennedy and the death of Franco. From then on, Witness of an uncertain time presents several important and interesting events.
About the author, Francisco Javier Solana
Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga was born in 1942, in Madrid, Spain. He studied Physical Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, where he had also started a course in Chemical Sciences that he could not finish. In 1964 he joined the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE). The latter was illegal in the country, so the author was involved in several “processes against the law” at that time. In 1965 he moved to study in the United States.
Javier Solana received the Fulbright Foundation, thanks to which He studied at several universities in the USA, including one of the best in the state of Virginia.. There he met and collaborated with the renowned physicist Nicolás Cabrera. In addition to taking part in the marches against the Vietnam War, he was part of the Association of Foreign University Students. In 1971 he worked as a professor of solid state physics at his alma mater, although he later immersed himself deeply in politics.
After returning to Spain, he served as an agent of Democratic Coordination representing the PSOE. In 1974 he participated in the Suresnes congress, in which the new generations set out to replace the leaders of the historical socialist leadership of exile.
Other books by Javier Solana
- Policy claim: Lluís Bassets and Javier Solana (2010);
- Humanity threatened: Daniel Innerarity and Javier Solana (2011);
- Springs, earthquakes and crises: Javier Solana and Lluís Bassets (2011).