This collection of essays, articles and reviews by eminent Croatian musicologist, historian and essayist, Emil Čić, was created and published over a period of ten years, (1991-2001) in various Croatian journals and weekly cultural magazines.
      In a book of this kind, the reader is constantly surprised by the quantity and quality of information that this all-round intellectual, Emil Čić M.A., possesses and elaborates on. It is of especial value in the times we live in, because we must not forget that in the civilized and cultural world of today, the ultra modern Euro-American circle of influence seldom, if ever, portrays such brightness and depth of spirit which, once upon a time, was an expression of proud Judeo-Christian civilization. Nowadays, amongst intellectuals, superficiality and shallowness is the law, not to mention cowardice and 'crawling', because without such “qualities” it is impossible to be promoted in politics or in science.
       In spite of this, Mr. Emil Čić is a man of polihistoric erudition. A brief glance at the contents of the book makes this immediately and absolutely clear, even to a superficial reader. Each essay, article or review is a small jewel, perfectly cut with the sharpness of his intelligence and with a feeling of soul. In Chapter One, “Croatian ideologists: defenders, prophets and founders” Čić presents those Croatian men who were, in the period of two last centuries of fighting, lighthouses of thought and ideas, but also of the sword and pen, beginning with Ban Josip Jelačić and finishing with Milan von Sufflay. Čić's choice is untypical: we will find a soldier (Josip Jelačić), a musician (Franjo Kuhach), a stage manager and director (Josip Bach), a historian and journalist (Milan von Sufflay) geopolitician (Ivo Pilar) etc.
       What is it that unifies these great men of spirit? Čić excellently perceives that it is, before anything else, “a feeling for Croatia,” its destiny, but also the differing answers to essential questions on the Croatian way, through history, that such men very frequently followed (which was the reason for their tragic but elevated life) and which they tried to offer their people. Although misunderstood, refused or persecuted they were persistent in their way of destiny, believing that sometime their ideas and visions would find their way to the hearts of the Croatian people. It is a teaching and warning to the new generations of Croatian intellectuals whose state was created from the blood of fighting for its liberation, to refuse every kind of servile and enslaved mentality and serve their people in dignity.
       Of course, Čić's vocation is that of a music theorist and in the second chapter of his book, “Culture and Croatian Musicians in the Whirl of Home and World Political Interest: Causes of development in the Arts”, he has presented several excellent essays on the relations of music and politics. This theme is never written about and it deserves our full attention! As in all other spheres of our life politics are very strongly present in music. Čić shows that since the period of the French Revolution music was a part of an ideology from which it is not free until now. Directly through the media of music, almost by invisible nets, frequently completely against morality and conscientiousness, ideology spun a spider web which turned humans against God and nature.
       In the third chapter “Unknown History of Croatia” Čić presents, until now forbidden, theories on the origin of Croats, and gives us some unknown facts. He does not appear in public with partisan passions, he invites us to research without prejudice and his slogan is “Audiatur et altera pars!” what makes him different from those contemporary historians who elevate some very suspicious facts to the level of ideological exclusivity.
       It is important to say that the author is not a direct scientific profile of the Greek Musa Clio, but with his insight and understanding of the world and especially Croatian history, he has reached a much higher level of achievement than many eminent Croatian historians. Namely, Čić possesses a qualification which is not a subject of study at the cathedras of history at all: he is a philosopher of history, he understands history from a feeling for life, and not in the sense of “a teacher that never instructed anybody” but rather the opposite. He completely understands the famous Roman, Cicero who explained that History is not just a teacher: it is a light of truth (lux Veritatis), a messenger of Antiquity (nuntia Vetustatis), a life of memory (vita Memoriae). The history of a nation and culture determines Genius populi (genius of a people) and Genius Loci (genius of the area or country populated by the nation). This essential dimension of history is completely neglected. It is not, as it is commonly perceived, simply a chronicle of past events. It is primarily and above all, a pointer towards the future of humanity, of absolutely concrete man, his society and culture, in a concrete location. For this reason Čić is very interested in everything what concerns Croatian history and its relationship to those two geniuses: historic events, geography and system of belief.
       Chapter four has an interesting and provocative title: “The History of Croatian Enemies: who are they, how are they working and why they do want to annihilate us?” Everyone makes an effort to write about Croatian friends, and if they do not mention “friendship” then they talk about “interests” (under Bismarck's slogan: “Nations do not have friends, they have just interests”). Therefore, nowadays it is very courageous to write about Croatian enemies, even more so to mention the denotation (sintagma) “enemy”: which the world of globalization has masked, and not just “interests” but denotations of “human rights”, “market” and even “democracy.” One must not mention that under such terms, different nations and cultures understand completely different contexts. “Human rights” in Croatia are not the same as in USA, or Norway or in Afghanistan. Of course, western culture and civilization has an insight into the differences, explaining them as being caused by backwardness compared to a highly developed, even highly ethical western civilization. Here we have not just the beginning of misunderstanding, the beginning of different speech, but also western neo-imperialism that imposes its own outlook on other societies and nations (let us say on other “Genius”) and value systems, even with the brutal force of weaponry. In this way the West developed its own special socio-psychopathology – Genius had become a Demon that does not even choose the means for the realization of an aim –complete world domination. Croatia is, as Čić sees perfectly, a victim of such psychopathology, above all in the area of culture of spirit and realised today on the material plane. In short, Čić's conclusion spells out the disaster – accordingly to the ideologist of “The New World Order,” the Croatian people and culture must be eradicated from their areas, because they do not stay in harmony with the “new vision of the world”.
       The author's arguments and facts are frightening. He does not suppress, soften, or cover them up, but shows the reader everything with undeniable conviction. An attitude such as this requires great courage on the part of an author, because as we know, persecution of those who think has never stopped. Only the methods have changed. They are subtler, more sophisticated and have more nuances. For such display of attitude, one may no longer go to prison or be executed: but instead, one becomes a “technological surplus” on his job. The texts of today's intellectual writers are refused by the media, because such writings don't have a “market value,” not to mention public appearances in the mass media - such advances could be interpreted as “a speech of hatred”. This treatment of quiet elimination is termed “political correctness”. All values are turned around – a minority terrorizes a majority, something marginal becomes essential and the psychopathological, wishful.
       In short Čić says: your enemy is not the one who declares war and shows an open animosity towards you, your enemy is the false friend, who demonstrates his own interest to be that of yours. It is to his great credit that Emil Čić has decided to speak out openly about the real enemies of Croats – about a part of the intellectual public life of Europe. Despite this Čić doesn't refute the west and its values – as a Catholic and person of Spirit he always hopes that enemy eyes will open and they will get insight into their false beliefs. Hence, he is not a disappointed Europhile but an optimistic Croatophile. He believes in the ancient strength of the Croatian millennium culture that lies in the roots of Judeo-Christian civilization. Moreover, he speaks prophetically of the spiritual force that the Croatian nation possesses and which can and must integrate with a spiritually poisoned European culture. He believes in a victorious and free Croatian Genius, scornful of any servile mentality inherited from centuries of Croatian enslavement.
       All of which gives very strong reasons why this book, so rich in fact and thought should become a focus of thinking for every honest and free Croat - a refreshing spring in the Croatian intellectual desert.