Budapest: Portrait of a City Between East and West
4.6 | 266 ratings
Price: 19.69
Last update: 01-04-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Sylvia SullivanExcellent, accessible overviewThis is an excellent, very accessible history of Budapest, written in an objective and smart fashion. I really enjoyed it.
- Andrew GIf you read one book about Hungary this is it.This book is the single most comprehensive overview of Hungarian history I have ever read. Though centered on the evolution of the capital city of Budapest, it pretty much encompasses the entire scope of the history of the country. Sure, there is much left out, but the highlights are covered more than superficially. One can always look in the index and take a deep dive into the literature to explore further aspects of the story. I have absolutely no major problem with the book. Maybe a detailed map or two would help those not familiar with the geography. I also noted only one typo. Where Sebestyen is discussing the development of the Hungarian language, (page 110) he states that “the word for secretary (tiktár) was derived from an existing word for secret: titok.” Every dictionary I have consulted says the word for secretary is titkár, not tiktár. No big deal, probably just a typo due to the confusing sounds. Finally, when discussing the honors bestowed on Louis Kossuth after his North American tour, he says that there is a town in Wisconsin named for him. I will add that there are also towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, Ontario and Iowa, including Kossuth County in Iowa, the largest country in the state.
- JJCA good historyI read this book a few months before I went to Budapest and thought it provided a good historical background of not only Budapest but also of the Austrian Hungarian empire. There is a lot of information and it is not a light read but it will help get you ready for central Europe.
- Robert Koeppexcellent conditionperfect and great service - thanks
- Traveling Mendelsohnmemorable history of aI just finished listening to the audiobook. I had maps open while I listened, and portraits of all the old protagonists. I appreciated the way Sevestyen integrates Jewish history into the history of Budapest and of Hungary - Jews seem inextricable from the culture, population industry. The book reads like a very engaging, story-after-story, person-after-person, era-after-era series of vignettes. As an historian, I tend to listen to the grand histories of new things - like Sebestyen's Budapest, then I go read articles and monographs about parts to get the details firm. This book has some underexplained mysteries yet I value more Sebestyen beginning with the fossilized footprints of 10,000+ years ago and his construction and deconstruction of the Magyar identity and Hungarian identity. And of course I appreciate his writing the existence and persistence of Jews as integral to the city and culture.
- KeilaLovely bookI learned so much about Budapest in this book. I had no idea that it started out as two countries! This book was so vivid I felt like I was right there walking the streets and living in the time. I appreciated that the story was told chronologically because otherwise I feel like I would have gotten lost. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing this story to life.
This book is a must read if you want to learn about this iconic city. - Richard T SpeyrerThis book needs more mapsI was interested in this book because the review in The Economist indicated it was a worthwhile read. Admittedly, I know little about Eastern Europe and the subject along the with review indicated I would get more history than just that of Budapest here. And that was true, somewhat. I will have finished the book with a much clearer picture of the history of that area. But my lack of knowledge of the geography meant I had to go to outside sources to get a clear picture of the geography involved. More maps of the area being discussed would have been helpful.
- AndorThe author doesn't know Basic Hungarian geography.As a resident of Budapest, I was shocked of the mistakes. He wrote that, the Museum of Applied Arts was erected near the Heroes Square??? And Szabolcs is near Budapest? To put it into English context, jt sounds like: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is near London. No, it's not.
Next time please find an editor.