Journey to a Revolution
A Personal Memoir and History of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956
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- USD 7.99
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- USD 7.99
Publisher Description
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 marked a turning point in the history of the Soviet Union. For the first time, the West was able to see the level of dissent that existed in Communist Bloc nations, and the cruel tyranny with which opposition movements were suppressed. Although the Soviets were eventually able to stop the revolution, this was the first step towards their ultimate failure.
Author Michael Korda witnessed these events firsthand. Along with several fellow Oxford undergraduates, Korda brought much-needed medical supplies to Hungary during the Revolution, and stayed to witness and participate in the uprising. He returns to those days in Journey to a Revolution, where he tells not only his own story, but also the story of a country fighting back after years of cruel mistreatment.
Michael Korda is the New York Times bestselling author of Horse People, Country Matters, Ulysses S. Grant, and Cat People. He lives with his wife Margaret in Dutchess Country, New York.
“Fascinating, vivid, and, of course, wonderfully written.” — Henry Kissinger
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In October 1956 the Hungarian people spontaneously rose up against an oppressive Soviet-imposed Communist regime and basked briefly in the light of freedom. In this history lesson cum memoir, Korda (Another Life) stitches an appealing retelling of his journey of discovery into the larger context of the desperate, short-lived Hungarian revolt. Part hard-nosed history lesson, part affectionate celebration of Hungary and Hungarian culture, and part sepia-tinged memoir, the book attempts to pull back the veil on the post-WWII machinations of the victorious Allies and expose how such diplomatic wheeling and dealing can devastate an entire nation. The first two-thirds are strong, with both a comprehensive overview of the postwar geopolitical scene and a finely tuned take on the specifics of the Hungarian situation. Korda's account of his own journey there during the revolution at age 24 is strangely flat. Along the way from the pastoral comfort of his native England to the rubble and corpse-strewn streets of Budapest, he has some near misses with life-threatening danger. At the border between Austria and Hungary, Korda and his mates encounter a machine gun toting guard who offers them barack, homemade peach brandy, and a warning about the invading Russians: "there are some very bad guys in Gy r." While the tale at times has difficulty rising from the page, Korda's story is a worthy read.
