Twelve Days ─ The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution

Twelve Days is a riveting day-by-day account of the defining moment of the Cold War—the inspiring but brutally crushed Hungarian Uprising.

Victor Sebestyen, a journalist whose own family fled Hungary, gives us a totally fresh account, incorporating newly released official documents, his family's diaries, and eyewitness testimony. We witness the thrilling first days when—armed only with a few rifles, petrol bombs, and desperate courage—the people of Budapest rose up against their Soviet masters and nearly succeeded. As the world watched in amazement, it looked as though the Hungarians might humble the Soviet empire. But the Soviets were willing to resort to brutal lengths—and, sadly, the West was prepared to let them. Dramatic, vivid, and authoritative, Twelve Days adds immeasurably to our understanding of this historic event and reminds us of the unquenchable human desire for freedom.

Victor Sebestyen was born in Budapest and was an infant when his family left Hungary. As a journalist, he has worked on numerous British newspapers: he reported widely from Eastern Europe when Communism collapsed in 1989, and covered the war in the former Yugoslavia. At the London Evening Standard he was foreign editor, media editor, and chief lead writer. He writes frequently for The Times and The New Statesman.