Hungary is one of the heart chambers of Central Europe, scarred by the fault lines and distortions of European history. And sometimes it pulsates somewhat more strongly than the rest of Europe. Who, if not Paul Lendvai, can shed light on Hungary’s history in all its significance, especially on the country’s most recent developments.

It is a country full of contradictions. Paul Lendvai, doyen of European journalism, portrays the country of his birth in the field of tension between ethnic constellations and major political developments. He introduces the reader to the heroes and victims of wars and crises. He spans a wide arc from the anecdotal vignette to historical assessment. But also the development of the last thirty years are covered. From the history of the transition from the authoritarian state-socialist system to liberal democracy to the Orbán era, with its new nationalism, that sometimes reads like a relapse into eras believed to have passed.

»A standard work on Hungary.«
Magazine NEWS

»This book makes the portrait of the Hungarian state a varied and entertaining read«
Alpenpost