After a request at Year 12 Induction, here are some suggestions for those who want to take their interest in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 further. Some of the books available are:
Explosion: the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 - John P C Matthews
One Day that shook the Communist World – Paul Lendvai
Journey to a Revolution: A personal memoir and History – Michael Korda
Twelve Days: Revolution 1956 – Victor Sebestyen (More from Sebestyn here)
If you are keen on film, Children of Glory and Freedom's Fury are definitely worth watching. Here are also some links to the BBC's archive on the event.
If you are interested in Hungary during the Cold War, you may also be curious about Eastern Europe as a whole during the Cold War.
There are some fantastic TV series about this period. For example, The Lost World of Communism series looks at communist society in Czechoslovakia, Romania and East Germany and the lives of ordinary people. The Cold War series (narrated by Kenneth Branagh)is a powerful series which includes a large number of interviews by those who made the political decisions at the time and those involved in the key historical events. Books such as Stasiland by Anna Funder about life in East Germany during the period are also well worth the investment of your time.
Any further recommendations, please add.
PS: Here is a review of 4 accounts of the revolution published to mark the 50th Anniversary in 2006
