This is a dual biography of Thomas Masaryk, the founder of the Czechoslovak republic, and of his son Jan who became its first foreign minister. Their lives are set against the dramatic background of central and east European history in the century following 1850. The Masaryks have often been seen as mavericks in terms of the prevailing ideologies of their days, some seeing them as egregious idealists, others as traitors to the cause of socialism. This book examines the controversy that their careers have been subject to, as well as attempting to produce a well-rounded picture of the men themselves.