An engaging history of Budapest and the changes it has undergone over the centuries. From its earliest Celtic and Roman settlements, to the unification of Buda and Pest, up to the post-communist era, Budapest has seen many regime changes that have influenced its trajectory. Due to it's position between Asia and Europe, Budapest has also seen many cultural changes that led to it becoming a global city. Overall, an informative and accessible look at Budapest's history and helps provide context to today's global politics.

A fascinating book about the history of a city on the border between east and west. This author wrote 1989 which was a fantastic look at the fall of the iron curtain so I knew I'd enjoy this one.

A fascinating look at a city I knew little about before reading. I enjoy coming to books not knowing everything about the topic. As such, this book seems great for those new to the history of this city.

A mostly excellent history of Hungary through 1989 told through the history of Budapest. While in general, the book was good in some areas, the author did not tell a full-enough story, especially in relating to countries and people outside Hungary. This left me wondering what else was left out?

BUDAPEST by Victor Sebestyen bills itself as a "Portrait of a City Between East and West" and that is certainly a main contention of Sebestyen as he very effectively outlines centuries of Hungarian and Central European history. My only disappointment in this text (an Economist Best Book of the Year) is that I thought there would be many more pictures, but (in the preview at least) the only one was the beautiful cover showcasing the Parliament. There is a list of less than two dozen illustrations which may appear in the finished book; plus, a thorough index (roughly ten percent of the total pages) accompanies the text which is very clearly a labor of love for native born journalist Sebestyen.

This was a very thorough history of the city of Budapest and a national history of Hungary. Sebestyen's introduction sets the standard for proper historiography, stating he utilized local and oral histories alongside a panoply of primary sources, which he uses throughout the book to great effect. The author can have a personable writing style, which can sometimes be problematic, only in the sense his biases sometimes shine through in his writing. Besides a smattering of these biases that occasionally show up in the text, he is objective and writes a narrative history that would appeal to a general audience and historians alike.

I found the book fascinating because Eastern European history is always placed to the wayside compared to Western Europe and Asia. The fact that the chapters were brief and concise kept my attention and interest, though there were some chapters that tended to drag a little. Alongside the fascinating politics found in the Middle Ages period and the Habsburg hegemony, the stories from WW2 and Cold War Hungary are what I found most fascinating. He introduced a large cast of historical figures, but does well to humanize them in a way the reader can keep them straight.

This book is for those interested in Eastern European history, history of Hungary, and for those who would love to travel to the city of Budapest. After reading this book, I would love to go to the sections of the city the author lovingly described throughout his work!

This was an entertaining and informative read. I found myself sharing what I learned from this book with those around me. I recommend it to fans of good and highly readable non-fiction.