The Cowards (1958)" is Josef Skvoreckys blackly comic tale of post-war politics that was immediately banned on publication. In 1945 in Kostelec Danny is playing saxophone for the best jazz band in Czechoslovakia. Their trumpeter has just got out of a concentration camp their bass player is only allowed in the band since he owns the bass & the love of Dannys life is in love with somebody else. But Danny despairs most about the bourgeoisie patriots in his town playing at revolution in the face of the approaching Red Army
- not least because it ruins the bands chance of any good gigs."