Call To Arms Came In 1938

About the Book

General Rudolf Michal Viest was the author of a diary that formed the basis for Call to Arms Came in 1938. The diary covers the period from September 1938 through the middle of August 1944 and is divided into four notebooks. Starting with a description of the break-up of Czechoslovakia, it covers the activities of Czechoslovak exiles in France and England. Included are also the comments on principal political developments on the world scene and on military operations at practically all battlefi elds around the globe. The diary was handwritten contemporaneously in the Slovak language. This translation to English includes numerous explanations and comments for the benefi t of readers unfamiliar with various aspects of the Czechoslovak and Slovak matters. The volume is essentially a story of the Second World War up to its fi nal phases. Missing are events that took place during the fall of 1944 and the spring of 1945. The translator, Ivan Miroslav Viest, was at various times an author and consultant active in the fi elds of miscellaneous historical studies, and for most of the time, in the fi eld of structural engineering. Prior to entering private practice, he was employed by the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. His historical studies included stories of specifi c structures, of a handful of organizations and of a few methods of construction as well as of the life endeavors of several individual engineers. Dr. Viest is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the recipient of the 2004 Special Achievement Award of the American Institute of Steel Construction. In 2002 he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Technical Univeristy of Košice in his native Slovakia.

About the Author

Dr. Viest is a consultant offering services in structural engineering. Prior to entering private practice, he was employed by the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. His research on composite construction led to design rules for bridges adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials in 1956 and for buildings adopted by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in 1961. His further activities pointed the way toward new design methods characterized by the general designation Load and Resistance Factor Design. Dr. Viest is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the recipient of the 2004 AISC Special Achievement Award. In 2002 he was awarded the title Doctor Honoris Causa by the Technical University of Košice in his native Slovakia. 2004/08/13