Budapest cover art

Budapest

Between East and West

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Budapest

By: Victor Sebestyen
Narrated by: Elinor Coleman
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About this listen

 Budapest has always been an important place. Almost at the centre of Europe, it is at the crossroads of geographical regions and of civilizations, at the intersection of ancient trade routes. Mountains that gradually slope into gentle hills converge on a great river, the Danube, and the regions of Buda and Pest sprang up on either side.

Throughout history the centre of gravity in Budapest and among Hungarians has shifted between this division of East and West - culturally, politically, emotionally. Invaders have come and gone, empires have conquered, occupied for centuries or decades, and left a few footprints behind: the remains of a Roman bath house complete with wonderfully preserved mosaics stand next to a Soviet-style 'five-year-plan' apartment block. The city bears the scars of the rise and fall of multiple empires, two world wars, fascism, Nazi German occupation, Soviet Communism. It has been home to some of the world's greatest writers, artists and musicians. Hungary is a place of extremes, a small country that has often in history punched well above its weight. At many moments, events that began in Budapest have proved to be of world significance. This is the story of that tumultuous, often divided, but always fascinating city.©2020 Victor Sebestyen Europe Sociology Urban War Middle Ages Imperialism Soviet Union Colonial Period Socialism

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Critic reviews

This book is a delight. Elegant writing, urbane knowledge, scholarly depth, and a beautifully-sketched cast of warlords, writers and empresses, communists and kings. Not just a superb portrait of Budapest but a history of 2,000 years of Central Europe.
[Budapest is] magnificent, a really fine history. I was completely swept up in it. It's full of fascinating insights from an author with this city in his blood. Colourful detail and anecdote make it an exciting and often very entertaining read. Victor Sebestyen brings the key heroes and villains in Budapest's history to life. It's vivid, engaging and page-turning.
Victor Sebestyen's Budapest is a compelling portrait of one of the most important cities in Europe. Full of sharp insights, elegant writing and vivid characters, it is a magisterial work spanning 2,000 years from the Romans to the present day.
The task Victor Sebestyen sets himself is to explain both the 'boundless blindness' (in the words of Crown Prince Rudolf) and the 'extraordinary courage' (in Sebestyen's own) that have led Hungary to make the choices she has. The result is highly readable ... [Sebestyen] is excellent on the interwar regent Miklós Horthy. In fact he is excellent on 20th-century Hungary generally. It is a complex subject, but Sebestyen has written about it before, and his hand is very sure.
The most accessible and authoritative history of the city in a generation. (Rory Maclean)
Sebestyen's history of Budapest is full of fascinating facts ... The narrative swings back and forth between the broad sweep of Hungary's past and the almost tangible sense of the city: its streets, its people and its cafés - where the revolution of 1848 began and the words of the national anthem were written. The book ends with 1989, the fall of communism and the emergence of a young firebrand named Viktor Orbán. For anyone seeking background on Hungary's recent history, this is an excellent place to start. (Alix Kroeger)
Not only a rich portrait of a city but also a masterful survey of central European history (Martyn Rady)
Incisive... Sebestyen writes of his home city with deep knowledge and unabashed affection. A journalist-turned-historian, he has a fine eye for detail... Read Sebestyen on Budapest and all you'll want is to read it again (Stefan Wagstyl)
Forever caught between East and West, the capital of Hungary encapsulates the drama of central Europe in its wonders and horrors. The author, who left the city as a child after the uprising against communist rule in 1956, excels in describing Budapest's Habsburg heyday, the historical role of its Jewish population and the hubris and humiliations that have helped shape the city
All stars
Most relevant
The book gives a very thorough, overall history of the forming of Hungary as well as tells in a captivating way about the remarkable characters, stories, battles and wars that shaped the country in its thousand-year history. It also offers an insightful perspective on Hungary’s geographical as well as historical significance within Europe in certain crucial periods of history.

Being Hungarian myself, I especially appreciated the storyteller’s attempt at the Hungarian pronunciation of names, she did a good job! ✔️

I highly recommend this book to Hungarians as well as non-Hungarians alike.

Brilliant book, excellent performance

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Where to even begin? I never thought I'd listen to such a comprehensive and beautifully written history title. The book starts in Roman times and explains the origin of the Hungarian/Magyar people, openly admitting gaps in knowledge where we simply do not know, while eloquently explaining what we do. I particularly liked how the book wasn't just limited to the city, despite the title, as it put everything into much wider context. The 19th century depictions of Budapest are particularly stunning and really bring the city and its culture to life.

When it came to the darker parts of history, such as the Nazi occupation, Soviet "liberation" and life in the early decades of communism, I find myself truly empathizing with the victims and absolutely shocked to my core at the vivid but necessary descriptions of some of the atrocities committed.

The book was made even more engaging by the brilliant Elinor Coleman as narrator, who spoke as if she was truly invested in what was being told. She varies her tone and mood in accordance with what is written, resulting in a narration that is duly sensitive and respectful when describing tragedies, and upbeat when describing times of prosperity, without coming across as leaning towards any particular ideology, which the author's writing also does its best to establish. She reflects the nuances of what is being written perfectly and I hope she does more narrations in the future.

Absolutely outstanding, both author and narrator

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Very accurate audiobook about Budapest’s history. I will listen to this audiobook again that’s for sure.

Very well put together.

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The narrator is superb. Well paced book. The soviet era is bonkers. History suggests Hungary will not have independence for long

Just How different Hungary is to the Wast and West alike

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I really enjoyed listening to this book while holidaying in Budapest. it helped to broaden my limited understanding of the history, culture and customs of a rich heritage. well worth the purchase.

An excellent summary/history of Budapest

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