Šuvar Mira: Vladimir Velebit - svjedok historije

Mira Šuvar: Vladimir Velebit - a witness to history

Mira Šuvar's book: "Vladimir Velebit - a witness to history" was created on the basis of many years of collaboration and three-year conversations of the author with Vladimir Velebit (1907-2004), an authentic witness and actor in the history of the twentieth century.

The first edition appeared fourteen years ago (2001) and aroused great public interest. For several weeks, the book was on the top-list of best-selling non-fiction books in Croatia. The print run of 3,500 copies was sold out a long time ago, mostly in Croatia, and partly also in the territories of the former Yugoslavia. Since there is a lot of interest in the book, especially lately, the publisher has decided on this second edition. He supplemented it with a summary (in English), two pieces of information related to the first edition, and twenty more photographs, including photographs of three artistic ("family") paintings by Vladimir Bečić, which are located in his daughter Vera Velebit's apartment in Zagreb.

The book has two parts. The first part, entitled "One exceptional biography", contains the most significant events and interesting details from Velebit's life. It has twenty chapters, among which are stories about his origin and ancestors; childhood, school and student days; the career of a judge (in Niš, Leskovac, Priština, Kičevo, Šid) and a lawyer (in Zagreb); involvement in the left-wing movement; acquaintance with Tito and going to the partisans, the role of "liaison officer" of the NOVJ Supreme Headquarters with Western allies, stay and activities (as Tito's envoy) in London, important duties in Yugoslav and international diplomacy...

The second part, entitled "Witness of History", has twenty-seven chapters in which the conversations that Mira Šuvar had with Vladimir Velebit from September 1998 to September in 2001. These are the titles of some chapters: First meetings with Tito and the period of illegal party activities in Zagreb; Occupation of Yugoslavia, Ustasha and Chetniks, first year of NOB; Significance of NOVJ missions with allies; Meeting and agreement between Tito and Šubašic on Vis; The new mission in London and the meeting between Tito and Churchill in Naples; The attitude of the Western allies towards NOB; Viceroyalty, coalition government and the outcome in Yugoslavia in 1945; The struggle for the annexation of Istria, Rijeka, the Slovenian coast to Yugoslavia and the solution of the so-called the Trieste question; The Tito-Stalin conflict and the fate of the alleged English spy; Ups and downs of Yugoslav foreign policy and diplomacy from 1945 to 1990; The empty corridors of international diplomacy and bureaucracy; The disintegration of former Yugoslavia and the arsonists of war fires...