Hungarian Revolution is Memorialized in Dramatized History
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Thousands of Hungarians were killed by Soviet forces in November 1956. Their crime? Taking back their country from foreign leaders. At that time, 200,000 more fled Hungary in the months following, knowing that the oppressive, murderous communist leaders were not going to show mercy to those who were involved.
James Michener's "Bridge at Andau" tells the story of those fleeing. He was there to see it, and told what he saw. Michener's storytelling style is a kind of John Grisham mix of detail and personality. He took real lives of people struggling to survive and presented them to the horrified world. Michener researched his story in Austria and at the bridge itself.
Michener published the book in 1957, while the crush of the Hungarian people continued. America refused to assist the pleas of the Hungarian revolutionaries, based on a combination of American opinion, and a real concern that WWIII might break out in the midst of the Cold War. Instead, we focused on the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the Hungarian people suffered.
Andau is an Austrian city at the Hungarian border. It was called Mosontarcsa, as part of Hungary, until 1921. It was a small village, but a key point for refugees escaping.
The value of reading this today is it shows us the culture of Hungary as it was during the Soviet occupation. It shows the complex, and often compromising position average Hungarian citizens had as they were part of the communist party. Unwilling, but joining to have access to things, they lived daily through trials unlike any we have known in the USA. When, in 1956, a revolution began, many dropped their party inclinations and either fought or fled. Many died in the process.
On one hand, this provides a slice of the events, as chronicled at one location. However, it also gives us a broader view of what the Hungarian people were wanting, what they were missing, and why so many were willing to die for freedom. It also shows the consequences of one country trying to fight for freedom alone. It inspires us of great heroes, and reminds us of the tensions our leaders are exposed to when it comes to bringing freedom to another country.
Michener acknowledges the weaknesses of the anecdotes of each person he spoke with. How does he know they are true? He explains in a postscript how most names have been changed and how some stories could be proved, while others could not.
To get an accurate, historical view of what happened in 1956, it is best to read something published later, after many more facts were available. Dozens of great books exist to meet this need. To read a significant fictionalized collection of personal stories, "Bridge at Andau" is as good as it gets.
I fully recommend "Bridge at Andau" by James A. Michener.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
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Excellent story about overshadowed history
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I read Bridge at Andau while in Budapest this spring. It was amazing to be in the places where this terrible history took place while reading Michener's account of the events. Two points were apparent to me; 1. I was surprised to realize that this history is overshadowed by other events in eastern Europe, 2. The book was written at the height of McCarthyism and must be taken with a small grain of salt. The stories told about the revolution of 1956 are no less legitimate or compelling than at the time the book was penned, but the purpose of the book was different. Michener wrote a novel that was to serve as a warning to anyone who might have romantic ideals about the evil communists that were percieved to be ready to destroy America. This is a great story about about courageous people. Unfortunately it may be misinterperted as soft sell propoganda about why capitalism is better than communism.
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Outstandingly Realistic
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James Michner departed from his usual epics, about the far east and the Pacific. He handles the matter of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution with some great detail and realism.
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Why did this happen anyway?
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Michener picked out a sad yet incredibly important event to be the subject of this novel. This is the story of the short-lived Hungarian Revolution of the 50s. He tells in horrifying detail the stories of the couragous people who fought the Russians for a few weeks and the many people who left their lives behind and risked the dangers of crossing the Iron Curtain. For all the Marxists out there, this book will scare you right back to Thomas Jefferson ethics.
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