Author Description

This book is an autobiography written and illustrated by Josef Lada (1887 - 1957). Josef Lada was a Czech painter, illustrator and writer. Born in the small village of Hrusice (about 23 miles South East from Prague) in a cobbler’s family, he went to Prague at the age of 14 to become an apprentice binder. He loved to draw and paint. Entirely self-taught, he created his own style as a caricaturist for newspapers and later as an illustrator. He is best known as the illustrator of Jaroslav Hasek’s World War One novel The Good Soldier Svejk. He also wrote and illustrated the adventures of Mikes (Mickesh), a little black cat who could talk. Over the years Lada produced paintings of landscapes, created a series of paintings & drawings depicting traditional Czech professions and designed costumes for plays and films.