The Last Days of Budapest, 2025, published.
This book by Adam LeBor is touted for its wealth of human details, culled from letters, diaries, oral histories, archival materials, and interviews.
And there lies its major weakness. A reader unfamiliar with the macro view of Hungary’s involvement during World War 2 will be lost in the jungle of details.
Hitler did not invade Hungary. Its government tried to do a balancing act between the Allies and Axis powers.
Hungary sent troops to assist Hitler in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. When the invasion failed, Hungary tried to defect to the Allies. Hitler sent in occupation troops in March 1944. The Russians invaded in Dec 1944.
As Budapest was under attack only by the Russians and not subjected to firebombing by the Allies, it was not completely destroyed like Warsaw.
A chapter on the above would have been useful for lay readers. Then he can appreciate the spies, Nazis, rescuers, and resistance described in great detail over a period from 1940 to 1945.
This book was long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2025.