Hungary

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Hungary opened its borders to Austria in 1989, allowing hundreds of East Germans to escape to Western Europe. This action accelerated the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and played a pivotal role during a period of intense change, not only in Hungary, but also throughout Europe. Since the first edition of Hungary was published, Hungary has elected several post-Communist governments, joined NATO in 1999, been formally invited to join the European Union in 2004, and made substantial progress in dealing with its economic problems.

This updated and revised edition chronicles the history of Hungary, from its ancient origins to its current affairs. Paying close attention to the country's recent past, the accessible text provides a comprehensive overview of the daily life, politics, culture, economy, and foreign policy that characterize the nation today.

FROM THE CRITICS

Kirkus Reviews

The dramatic and bloody story of Hungary, from its ancient origins to its contemporary attempts at democracy, is recounted in this conscientious but tepid history. Although Hill opens with the fantastic battles of the Magyars—the warriors who ruled over the territory as far back as the ninth century—the prose is straightforward and faithful, without any excitement. While Hill parades tidbits—e.g., Hungarian goulash is really more of a soup than a thick stew, or that the country's capital, Budapest, was once three towns (Buda, Obuda, and Pest)—he is also careful to document more serious matters, such as the rise of anti-Semitism through WW II. From the Red and White Terrors to the failed 1956 uprising against the USSR, Hungary is a country of contradictions, seeming at once greedy, then open-hearted; Hill's text covers all essential facts but may fail to stir students of history.