The biographical novel about Josef Hasil, the elusive smuggler whom the StB itself referred to as the King of Šumava, is based on his own memories, eyewitness accounts and archival documents. This is the most extensive literary reconstruction to date of the almost unbelievable story of a man who, after the war, first helped guard the border in the police uniform of the then National Security Corps, but after February 1948 became its most feared opponent. In addition to the espionage-political background, the novel also brings the stories of Hasil's large family and his fateful women. The book thus captures not only an exceptional human destiny, but also the dramatic events associated with the creation of the infamous Iron Curtain and is a tribute to all the men and women who bravely stood up to political will and tyranny. Based on the motifs of the novel, a comic book trilogy of the same name was created.

"So far, Žák's best novel honestly shows a great story in which documentary meets fiction. A readable, powerful, authentic work.” (Lidové noviny)


Josef Hasil (1924–2019)
In October 1948 he was arrested and later convicted for illegal transfer to the West. After escaping from a labor camp, he began working for the American intelligence service as a pedestrian agent in Bavaria. In Šumava, so to speak, in front of the border guards and StB, he managed to create a dense network of collaborators and informants. After the construction of the Iron Curtain, he left for the United States in 1954, where he spent the rest of his life. In 2001, he was awarded the Medal for Heroism by President Václav Havel.

David Jan Žák (1971 in Prachatice)
Novelist and poet, journalist by original profession. Labyrint published the novella Ax Africa (2006), the Šumava crime thriller Ticho (2009) and an extensive literary reportage for the new edition of the novel King of the Šumava (2013) by Rudolf Kalčík. He currently teaches art at the ZUŠ in Prachatice. He lives in Šumava with his family.