Winner of the 2007 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Biography; Autobiography MemoirA powerful memoir of war; politics; literature; and family life by one of Europe's leading intellectuals.When George Konrad was a child of eleven; he; his sister; and two cousins managed to flee to Budapest from the Hungarian countryside the day before deportations swept through his home town. Ultimately; they were the only Jewish children of the town to survive the Holocaust.A Guest in My Own Country recalls the life of one of Eastern Europe's most accomplished modern writers; beginning with his survival during the final months of the war. Konrad captures the dangers; the hopes; the betrayals and courageous acts of the period through a series of carefully chosen episodes that occasionally border on the surreal (as when a dead German soldier begins to speak; attempting to justify his actions).The end of the war launches the young man on a remarkable career in letters and politics. Offering lively descriptions of both his private and public life in Budapest; New York; and Berlin; Konrad reflects insightfully on his role in the Hungarian Uprising; the notion of "internal emigration" – the fate of many writers who; like Konrad; refused to leave the Eastern Bloc under socialism – and other complexities of European identity. To read A Guest in My Own Country is to experience the recent history of East-Central Europe from the inside.
#2114141 in Books Taylor Trade Publishing 2004-09-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.24 x 1.07 x 7.04l; 1.42 #File Name: 1589790219384 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I enjoyed every minute of itBy Charles HallEverything the other reviewers say is true. The author uses a lot of secondary sources; his background on Cornwallis is not as in-depth as the title of the book implies and he makes a few comments you wish he would back-up with more detail (esp. the one about Cornwallis' associates being known for their cruelty).But it's an entertaining book to read; especially so if you aren't up on the details of the American Revolution (so many wars; so little time!). It is written in a brisk fashion puncuated by revealing quotes from the participants; both British and American. So what you learn about any individual battle is a little less than you'd pick up in a visit to the museum at the actual battleground; but here the battles are all strung together so you begin to get a sense of the strategy.If you've read other books about all this; then you can certainly skip this one. But if you're just coming to the party; this seems like a worthy starting point. I raced through it like I didn't know who was going to win!4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Great BookBy Chris D GillelandInformative and I discovered some details that I had never read before. Author is a good writer and the material flows well; very easy to read.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The rivals up closeBy avidreaderThe author does a good job of telling us the story from both sides. This is not a George Washington was 100 % right and made all the right decisions all the time while Cornwallis was 100% wrong and made bad decisions. This is a balanced report of both men. They were both flawed but worked hard to be the best they could be.
