Josef Koudelka: Invasion Prague 68

Josef Koudelka never planned to become a conflict reporter. That all changed on the night of 21 August, when Soviet tanks entered Prague, ending the short-lived political liberalization in Czechoslovakia. ‘I wasn’t a reporter,’ Koudelka recalls. ‘I had never photographed anything that you would call ”news”. Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I was confronted with that kind of situation. I responded to it. I knew it was important to photograph, so I photographed.’

For fear of repercussions, Koudelka originally published the images under the pseudonym ‘PP’ (Prague photographer). The intensity and significance of the images earned the still-anonymous photographer the Robert Capa Gold Medal Award. Sixteen years would pass before Koudelka could safely acknowledge authorship.

Now reissued in a hardback format, this bold new edition will bring these vital photographs back to the public eye, standing as a stark reminder of the importance of bearing witness to violence and brutality.