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The Siege of Budapest: 100 Days in World War II
In the final six months of World War II, Germany and the Soviet Union focused on Stalin demanded victory at all costs as a key to securing his European empire; Hitler ordered an unrelenting defense of Budapest in order to prolong his grip on Vienna and preserve the route to Berlin. Consequently, the siege of Budapest was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the entire war.
Based on formerly inaccessible documents and several hundred interviews with Hungarian and German survivors, this is the first complete and unbiased account of the siege of Budapest. Street by street, day by day, Krisztián Ungváry describes the battle and its horrors in meticulous detail. One hundred and two days passed between the appearance of the first Soviet tank and the final capture of Buda Castle. More than 80,000 Soviet troops and 38,000 German and Hungarian soldiers were killed; about 38,000 Hungarian civilian lives were lost. Civilian casualties were extraordinarily high because the city’s 800,000 noncombatant residents were never evacuated. This book represents a massive effort of historical reconstruction, and a major contribution to the history of World War II.
Based on formerly inaccessible documents and several hundred interviews with Hungarian and German survivors, this is the first complete and unbiased account of the siege of Budapest. Street by street, day by day, Krisztián Ungváry describes the battle and its horrors in meticulous detail. One hundred and two days passed between the appearance of the first Soviet tank and the final capture of Buda Castle. More than 80,000 Soviet troops and 38,000 German and Hungarian soldiers were killed; about 38,000 Hungarian civilian lives were lost. Civilian casualties were extraordinarily high because the city’s 800,000 noncombatant residents were never evacuated. This book represents a massive effort of historical reconstruction, and a major contribution to the history of World War II.
475 pages, Hardcover
First published December 19, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 22, 2019
Olyan volt nekem ezt a könyvet olvasni, mint mikor az ember egy magyar gyártású sorozatot néz a tévében, és egyszer csak arra gondol, hogy hát igen. Ez olyan, mintha nem is magyar lenne. Ez valahogy… valahogy profibb annál. Az egy dolog, hogy Ungváry elképesztő tudásanyagot használ fel: az embernek az az érzése, név szerint ismeri a védelemben részt vevő összes katona nevét, sőt – és sajnos – szándékában is áll felsorolni őket. Amiben a kötet nóvum, az a kortárs hadtörténet nyugati elemeinek felhasználása. Legjobb tudomásom szerint ugyanis – de javítsanak ki a történészek, ha tévedek – először kezelte egyenértékűnek nagymonográfiában magyar történész a klasszikus „felülről” szemléletet az egyéni tapasztalattal, katonák, civilek, támadók és védők személyes élményének leírásával.
Amúgy meg Budapest ostroma egy igazi pokol volt. Ez egyfelől Hitler fixa ideájára volt visszavezethető, aki valamiért úgy gondolta, itt kell megmenteni a Harmadik Birodalmat – nem véletlen, hogy ’45-ben egy ideig az összes német páncélos harmada tartózkodott országunkban, pedig akkor már a szovjetek északon hatvan kilométerre megközelítették Berlint -, és ezért egyáltalán nem gáz feláldozni a magyar fővárost tokkal-vonóval együtt. Ennek eredménye volt ez a több mint három hónapig húzódó brutális eseménysor, ami magán viselte a városostromok összes jegyét a lóhúsevéstől a nemi erőszakokon át a hídrobbantásokig. Az egészet pedig megkoronázták a „Kitörés” nevű rémálommal – amikor ugyanis már tényleg minden remény elveszett (amúgy se volt sok, mondhatni, semmi), már tényleg minden élelmiszert, lőszert és energiát feléltek, az a pazar ötletük támadt, hogy nem megadják magukat, hanem egyszerűen nekirontanak a rétegzett orosz állásoknak, ahol lelövöldözték őket, mint az agyaggalambokat. Nyilván erre az eseménysorra sok mindent lehet mondani, diktálhatta a kétségbeesés, a fogságba eséstől való félelem, de bátorságnak csak akkor tekinthető, ha a bátorságban integráns része a következmények átgondolására való képtelenség is. Ungváry ezt az egész sokrétű eseménysort, a sztálini és a hitleri hadsereg közé szorult, saját retardált nyilasaival is megvert szerencsétlen város sorsát elképesztő erővel és precizitással képes megjeleníteni. Egy biztos: nehéz lesz úgy végigmenni ezek után a könyvben leírt helyszíneken (a Vérmezőn, a Széna téren, a Városmajorban), hogy az embernek ne ugorjon be rögtön a porig égett, rommá gyalázott épületek képe. És hogy voltaképpen mekkora csoda, hogy ez az egész újra felépült.
Végezetül pedig hadd tegyek ide egy részletet a 15 éves Deseő László naplójából, aki az ostrom egy különösen neuralgikus pontján, a Mészáros utcai frontvonal egyik lakásában élte meg az eseményeket. Mert szerintem kevés ennél plasztikusabb mondat született a háborúról.
“1945. II. 10.
Negyed 10. Az egyik katona a szalonablakból leselkedett ki (a kis kíváncsi), lelőtték. Fejlövést kapott. Amikor a szalonban jártam és az ablak alatt, ahol őt kilőtték, átbújtam (mivel mutatkozni nekem sincs kedvem) belenyúltam véletlenül a földön szétfolyt agyvelős vérbe. Ebéd közben jutott az eszembe, hogy még azóta nem mostam kezet. Azért ettem tovább nyugodtan. Kezet mosni luxus. (...) Már az óvóhely feljáró felől is lőnek. Ilyennek képzeltem a háborút. Most már nagyon unom.”
Amúgy meg Budapest ostroma egy igazi pokol volt. Ez egyfelől Hitler fixa ideájára volt visszavezethető, aki valamiért úgy gondolta, itt kell megmenteni a Harmadik Birodalmat – nem véletlen, hogy ’45-ben egy ideig az összes német páncélos harmada tartózkodott országunkban, pedig akkor már a szovjetek északon hatvan kilométerre megközelítették Berlint -, és ezért egyáltalán nem gáz feláldozni a magyar fővárost tokkal-vonóval együtt. Ennek eredménye volt ez a több mint három hónapig húzódó brutális eseménysor, ami magán viselte a városostromok összes jegyét a lóhúsevéstől a nemi erőszakokon át a hídrobbantásokig. Az egészet pedig megkoronázták a „Kitörés” nevű rémálommal – amikor ugyanis már tényleg minden remény elveszett (amúgy se volt sok, mondhatni, semmi), már tényleg minden élelmiszert, lőszert és energiát feléltek, az a pazar ötletük támadt, hogy nem megadják magukat, hanem egyszerűen nekirontanak a rétegzett orosz állásoknak, ahol lelövöldözték őket, mint az agyaggalambokat. Nyilván erre az eseménysorra sok mindent lehet mondani, diktálhatta a kétségbeesés, a fogságba eséstől való félelem, de bátorságnak csak akkor tekinthető, ha a bátorságban integráns része a következmények átgondolására való képtelenség is. Ungváry ezt az egész sokrétű eseménysort, a sztálini és a hitleri hadsereg közé szorult, saját retardált nyilasaival is megvert szerencsétlen város sorsát elképesztő erővel és precizitással képes megjeleníteni. Egy biztos: nehéz lesz úgy végigmenni ezek után a könyvben leírt helyszíneken (a Vérmezőn, a Széna téren, a Városmajorban), hogy az embernek ne ugorjon be rögtön a porig égett, rommá gyalázott épületek képe. És hogy voltaképpen mekkora csoda, hogy ez az egész újra felépült.
Végezetül pedig hadd tegyek ide egy részletet a 15 éves Deseő László naplójából, aki az ostrom egy különösen neuralgikus pontján, a Mészáros utcai frontvonal egyik lakásában élte meg az eseményeket. Mert szerintem kevés ennél plasztikusabb mondat született a háborúról.
“1945. II. 10.
Negyed 10. Az egyik katona a szalonablakból leselkedett ki (a kis kíváncsi), lelőtték. Fejlövést kapott. Amikor a szalonban jártam és az ablak alatt, ahol őt kilőtték, átbújtam (mivel mutatkozni nekem sincs kedvem) belenyúltam véletlenül a földön szétfolyt agyvelős vérbe. Ebéd közben jutott az eszembe, hogy még azóta nem mostam kezet. Azért ettem tovább nyugodtan. Kezet mosni luxus. (...) Már az óvóhely feljáró felől is lőnek. Ilyennek képzeltem a háborút. Most már nagyon unom.”
August 23, 2011
Detailed and at times disturbing account of the Siege of Budapest that occurred towards the end of 1944 and lasted for over two months resulting in enormous loss of life amongst the civilians trapped in the city and the soldiers on both sides fighting to hold/take Budapest. The author has used numerous first-hand accounts to tell the story of what the fighting was like during the siege and how peopled lived and tried to survive. Book is 475 pages of which 380 is narrative about the Siege, the rest is appendixes, notes and biography.
March 23, 2023
二戰的圍城史，比較有著名且常被提及的無非是列寧格勒、史達林格勒，但實際上還有一場同樣慘烈的，也就是本書主題布達佩斯之圍。
它之所以比較不被關注，還是因為這場圍城除了造成匈牙利人民的苦難外，對整體戰爭幾乎沒有任何影響。希特勒的這個決定不能說完全沒有意義，它確實遲滯了紅軍南部戰線的前進跟保住了匈牙利對德國的部分資源，但這無助緩解於納粹的敗亡。
匈牙利民眾的不幸也說不上無辜。考慮到這個國家在二戰期間，政府站錯了隊，人民對此也毫無作為，還協助迫害猶太人，一切都只是“德匹下”。
不過有個故事我覺得有點意思。
一位經歷過圍城的老人家對作者說，當時他三歲，見到進城的一位紅軍軍官，看他滿臉鬍子跟自己父親相同，於是就開口叫了聲爸爸。軍官納悶地聽完翻譯後，忽然流下了眼淚，緊緊的抱住了他。原來這位軍官在家鄉有跟他同年的孩子，這觸動了其思鄉情緒。後來軍官命人保護了他們一家，免受劫掠之苦。
這算是一種幸運嗎？
它之所以比較不被關注，還是因為這場圍城除了造成匈牙利人民的苦難外，對整體戰爭幾乎沒有任何影響。希特勒的這個決定不能說完全沒有意義，它確實遲滯了紅軍南部戰線的前進跟保住了匈牙利對德國的部分資源，但這無助緩解於納粹的敗亡。
匈牙利民眾的不幸也說不上無辜。考慮到這個國家在二戰期間，政府站錯了隊，人民對此也毫無作為，還協助迫害猶太人，一切都只是“德匹下”。
不過有個故事我覺得有點意思。
一位經歷過圍城的老人家對作者說，當時他三歲，見到進城的一位紅軍軍官，看他滿臉鬍子跟自己父親相同，於是就開口叫了聲爸爸。軍官納悶地聽完翻譯後，忽然流下了眼淚，緊緊的抱住了他。原來這位軍官在家鄉有跟他同年的孩子，這觸動了其思鄉情緒。後來軍官命人保護了他們一家，免受劫掠之苦。
這算是一種幸運嗎？
July 14, 2023
平心而论，诸如这场战役是如何具体展开的此类复盘，我并不是特别感兴趣。我更感兴趣的，是军事史范畴之外的那些细节。
作者虽然身为匈牙利人，其立场倒也颇为公允。他坦诚，至少在这个特定时期中、在布达佩斯的地域里，后期执政的匈牙利箭十字党政权迫害起犹太人来，反而比德国人更加积极而残酷；即便整体而言，苏联军队在布达佩斯犯下的罪行比德国军队还多，但其原因似乎也在于，“红军士兵比西欧或中欧的士兵更容易冲动，更容易走极端……他们的冲动性格不仅体现在暴力中，也体现在个人和体制层面的善意中……苏联人天性单纯、残忍，就像不懂事的小孩……死亡对他们来讲已经是家常便饭了。他们杀人时没有仇恨，被杀时也毫无抵抗。”
在书里所引述的许多当事人的亲身经历中，那些苏联士兵和军官的形象与作为，仿佛就和陀思妥耶夫斯基小说里的人物如出一辙。
于是，在感慨人性之幽暗曲折与赞叹俄国文学的登峰造极之间，我一时竟无所适从了……
作者虽然身为匈牙利人，其立场倒也颇为公允。他坦诚，至少在这个特定时期中、在布达佩斯的地域里，后期执政的匈牙利箭十字党政权迫害起犹太人来，反而比德国人更加积极而残酷；即便整体而言，苏联军队在布达佩斯犯下的罪行比德国军队还多，但其原因似乎也在于，“红军士兵比西欧或中欧的士兵更容易冲动，更容易走极端……他们的冲动性格不仅体现在暴力中，也体现在个人和体制层面的善意中……苏联人天性单纯、残忍，就像不懂事的小孩……死亡对他们来讲已经是家常便饭了。他们杀人时没有仇恨，被杀时也毫无抵抗。”
在书里所引述的许多当事人的亲身经历中，那些苏联士兵和军官的形象与作为，仿佛就和陀思妥耶夫斯基小说里的人物如出一辙。
于是，在感慨人性之幽暗曲折与赞叹俄国文学的登峰造极之间，我一时竟无所适从了……
February 5, 2012
Little has been written about the long and bloody siege of Budapest in the winter of 1944-45. Paralleled with the intensity of the fighting at Stalingrad, and just as hopeless for the losers, this decisive battle took place in a modern city in central europe.
This book deals with the siege in a most detailed manner and it made for fascinating reading. Having travelled to the city a few years ago, I could partly relate to the geography, although the incredible detail in the book down to suburbs and street names was difficult to follow at times.
There is a lot of military detail included and this is interspersed with fascinating personal accounts, photographs and maps. The book is thoroughly referenced and a wealth of statistical data also provided.
The sheer level of carnage and suffering, and the total futility of the fighting makes reading this work a moving and at times disturbing experience. The relief and breakout attempts are described along with the experiences of the civilian population - whose suffering continued well after their "liberation".
This book is essential reading for any World War 2 military history buffs.
This book deals with the siege in a most detailed manner and it made for fascinating reading. Having travelled to the city a few years ago, I could partly relate to the geography, although the incredible detail in the book down to suburbs and street names was difficult to follow at times.
There is a lot of military detail included and this is interspersed with fascinating personal accounts, photographs and maps. The book is thoroughly referenced and a wealth of statistical data also provided.
The sheer level of carnage and suffering, and the total futility of the fighting makes reading this work a moving and at times disturbing experience. The relief and breakout attempts are described along with the experiences of the civilian population - whose suffering continued well after their "liberation".
This book is essential reading for any World War 2 military history buffs.
April 18, 2024
The first few chapters of this book detailing the battle for Budapest were confusing (personally) due to the fact that the action was moving so quick and my general ignorance of the Hungarian language, Budapest and its surrounding areas. once the report of the battle is finished and the author goes into the details with personal accounts this book opens up into a brilliant insight into the brutality of this city’s downfall and the utter confusion and terror that was experienced in a lesser known battle of the eastern front.
October 23, 2017
Until I started reading this book in late August (I went on a vacation in September that included 11 days in Hungary; six of which we'd be in Budapest), I had little to no idea how fierce the fighting was, street by street, in the Hungarian capital toward the end of World War Two. Even though my mom was born and raised in Hungary (she left for America as a 15-year-old in '38), I really didn't know; interestingly, I was far more familiar with the time in '56 when the Soviet tanks rolled into the streets -- a mere 11 years later -- to crush the Hungarian uprising. I was born a year later.
For a little more than three months, from the late fall of 1944 through almost the entire winter of '44/'45, with 800,000 civilian noncombatants still living in the city (almost 40,000 would be killed), the Germans -- and Hungarians -- attempted to hold off the Soviet forces. The fighting became so vicious that contemporaneous comparisons to Stalingrad were being made by Russian soldiers in their diaries.
While several capitals suffered sieges during WWII -- including Stalingrad and Warsaw -- Budapest stands out. In Warsaw, the greatest devastation was caused by the Polish uprising and the '43 uprising of the Jewish ghetto. And at least in Stalingrad, the Soviets had been able to evacuate the majority of its civilian population. (Later, in Berlin and Vienna, the civilians weren't evacuated, but by then the fighting was brief.) Again, in Budapest, the inhabitants of the encircled Hungarian capital had nowhere to go and had to endure one of the longest and bloodiest sieges of the war.
I think one of the reasons most Americans are probably unfamiliar with this -- beyond the dispiriting fact that there seems to be a general lack of curiosity among my fellow citizens when it comes to history -- is because neither US nor British troops were involved. Also, the black-and-white nature of how we like to think about WWII doesn't quite fit here. At the end of John Lukacs's cogent forward, there is this final graph, which deserves recitation in full:
"The siege of Budapest ended on 13 February 1945 -- the day after the Yalta Conference had ended. Not a word was said at Yalta by Churchill, Roosevelt or Stalin about Budapest or Hungary, which, evidently, were falling entirely under Russian control. Sixty years later, in 2004, the alleged heroism of the last defenders of Buda are still proclaimed and extolled in a few periodicals and by hundreds of demonstrators of Hungarian right-wing organizations. [What with the current far right government headed by Viktor Orbán in power, the Hungarian, if not the German, "defenders" during the siege are spoken of as "heroic" more than ever, unfortunately.] Others in Budapest recall that date (if they recall it at all) as the completion of their "liberation." Yes: there was nothing simple about the Battle for Budapest; and there is nothing simple about its history and the memories of its people."
For a little more than three months, from the late fall of 1944 through almost the entire winter of '44/'45, with 800,000 civilian noncombatants still living in the city (almost 40,000 would be killed), the Germans -- and Hungarians -- attempted to hold off the Soviet forces. The fighting became so vicious that contemporaneous comparisons to Stalingrad were being made by Russian soldiers in their diaries.
While several capitals suffered sieges during WWII -- including Stalingrad and Warsaw -- Budapest stands out. In Warsaw, the greatest devastation was caused by the Polish uprising and the '43 uprising of the Jewish ghetto. And at least in Stalingrad, the Soviets had been able to evacuate the majority of its civilian population. (Later, in Berlin and Vienna, the civilians weren't evacuated, but by then the fighting was brief.) Again, in Budapest, the inhabitants of the encircled Hungarian capital had nowhere to go and had to endure one of the longest and bloodiest sieges of the war.
I think one of the reasons most Americans are probably unfamiliar with this -- beyond the dispiriting fact that there seems to be a general lack of curiosity among my fellow citizens when it comes to history -- is because neither US nor British troops were involved. Also, the black-and-white nature of how we like to think about WWII doesn't quite fit here. At the end of John Lukacs's cogent forward, there is this final graph, which deserves recitation in full:
"The siege of Budapest ended on 13 February 1945 -- the day after the Yalta Conference had ended. Not a word was said at Yalta by Churchill, Roosevelt or Stalin about Budapest or Hungary, which, evidently, were falling entirely under Russian control. Sixty years later, in 2004, the alleged heroism of the last defenders of Buda are still proclaimed and extolled in a few periodicals and by hundreds of demonstrators of Hungarian right-wing organizations. [What with the current far right government headed by Viktor Orbán in power, the Hungarian, if not the German, "defenders" during the siege are spoken of as "heroic" more than ever, unfortunately.] Others in Budapest recall that date (if they recall it at all) as the completion of their "liberation." Yes: there was nothing simple about the Battle for Budapest; and there is nothing simple about its history and the memories of its people."
February 18, 2018
There’s not that much written in English about this episode of the Second World War - no doubt there is a limited number of historians who can read Hungarian, German and Russian and can also write in English.
This book gives a detailed account of the battle and the Russian advance and the eventual German outbreak. My limited knowledge of the towns and neighbourhoods left me struggling with some of the troop movements and it could have benefitted from more explanation of the build up to the battle and how it fitted into the war as a whole.
At times it becomes quite dry which is not really surprising considering the difficulties in finding primary sources but with perhaps some alternating between the macro “big picture” narrative, the interactions of the main historical figures and a few more “personal “ stories to illuminate the fears and struggles of the people it has the potential for a fascinating book
This book gives a detailed account of the battle and the Russian advance and the eventual German outbreak. My limited knowledge of the towns and neighbourhoods left me struggling with some of the troop movements and it could have benefitted from more explanation of the build up to the battle and how it fitted into the war as a whole.
At times it becomes quite dry which is not really surprising considering the difficulties in finding primary sources but with perhaps some alternating between the macro “big picture” narrative, the interactions of the main historical figures and a few more “personal “ stories to illuminate the fears and struggles of the people it has the potential for a fascinating book
July 3, 2019
A very good book on an underserved subject (at least in English). One of the larger battles on the eastern front, comparable in size to many, more well known battles. it is a well written book that covers the entire campaign, including the relief efforts and the aftermath. The author has a easy to read style, which I appreciate. The maps are numerous and well done, though a bit small for my old eyes. I wasn't a fan of how units were marked on the maps but that is a minor point, and one of preference. It is a good mix of general history and anecdotal evidence. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are interested in the eastern front, particularly in late 44, early 45, then this is really a must read. At the end of the book are numerous charts detailing the units that participated in the siege. A great resource particularly for wargamers.
February 22, 2015
This was an excellent book. It did not fully explain the situation of how the Russians got to Budapest that well, but that's ok. The book provided an wonderful in-depth day-by-day event chronology of the siege. Wonderfully researched. The best book that I have read with an abundance of real-life experiences throughout.
I recommend this book to all!
I recommend this book to all!
April 6, 2021
Meticulously researched dungaree tells the story of one of the least known battles of World War II the siege of Budapest lasted over 100 days and took an enormous amount of casualties on both sides of the battle as well as civilians. The author tells the story of the build up, the battle, the siege, the attempted break out and the aftermath and the effect on the civilian population. Not only does he focus on detailed military history of units and their movements but draws extensively from personal accounts of the battles from soldiers and civilians. Very engaging read especially regarding the desperate attempts by the Germans to try and break out of the besieged city when it appears to be completely helpless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2019
This title is presented with a new foreword by Istvan Deak. The battle of Budapest in the bleak winter of 1944-45 was one of the longest and bloodiest city sieges of World War II. From the appearance of the first Soviet tanks on the outskirts of the capital to the capture of Buda Castle, 102 days elapsed. In terms of human trauma, it comes second only to Stalingrad, comparisons to which were even being made by soldiers, both German and Soviet, fighting at the time. This definitive history covers their experiences, and those of the 800,000 non-combatants around whom the battle raged.
April 1, 2020
Detailed and disturbing but it is also hard to see some of the human toll as it is hard to place the extracts in a wider whole
August 5, 2020
Excellent and authentic
Want to read
August 5, 2023This is a book I really want to read before the end of 2023 - but will I? Only time will tell and in the meantime it a challenge and something, pleasurable to aim for.
January 20, 2025
One of the best books I have read for understanding the mass psychosis of the Nazi army. Only good Nazi is a dead Nazi.
Read
March 12, 2017World War II books, particularly of Nazis is fascinating to me... I deplore the tactics they used but war is war. I recently visited Budapest and reading about how both Hitler and Stalin wanted Budapest at all costs, makes my heart ache for these Hungarians. It is such a beautiful city...2 cities...Buda and Pest...now one city, Budapest. The citizens lived under the Hitler regime and after the war were taken by Stalin....how these people survived and have maintained this city so beautiful is worth reading about. Hitler was especially interested in Budapest and probably all of Hungary because of the great areas for farming and growing crops to feed his army. A worthwhile history lesson!
October 26, 2013
Good book about a siege that I knew nothing about. Written by a Hungarian author, it unfortunately assumed I knew the entire geography of the Budapest area including all the roads. The maps could have used a lot more simplification as well, it was difficult at times to link the narrative with the maps. I could have also used a short chapter of how Hungary was and was not involved with Nazi Germany before late 1944, but some of that was provided by the really helpful Forward of the book.
Where this book really shines is in telling the stories of all the people affected by the siege: the confusion of what was going on politically with the fascist Hungarian government that took over a month before the three month siege began, the struggles of the 1 million plus civilians who weren't told to evacuate and just didn't think that they would be in the front lines for that long, the dying commitment of the German generals and troops to a regime that wrote them off in order to preserve Vienna from the same fate, and even the wholesale confusion that reigned in the increasingly depleted Red Army as to who was in charge before during and especially after the siege. The siege was as almost as long as Stalingrad and featured more combat than Leningrad's prolonged siege but has received less attention than either probably because it was at the end of the war in a German ally's country.
Where this book really shines is in telling the stories of all the people affected by the siege: the confusion of what was going on politically with the fascist Hungarian government that took over a month before the three month siege began, the struggles of the 1 million plus civilians who weren't told to evacuate and just didn't think that they would be in the front lines for that long, the dying commitment of the German generals and troops to a regime that wrote them off in order to preserve Vienna from the same fate, and even the wholesale confusion that reigned in the increasingly depleted Red Army as to who was in charge before during and especially after the siege. The siege was as almost as long as Stalingrad and featured more combat than Leningrad's prolonged siege but has received less attention than either probably because it was at the end of the war in a German ally's country.
January 22, 2011
When I first started reading this book I was put off to some extent by the dry recitation of the villages , then cities and finally streets that fell before the Soviet onslaught. I kept thinking that better, and more regular, maps and street plans would help me "watch" the events taking place. The narative would have benefited trmendously from an introductory description of the city and its key sites - at no stage did I become "acquainted" with Budapest. Accompanying this "dryness" was a description of warfare that just numbs you with the agony of it all (it reminded me in some ways of the stark realism of "Blackhawk Down" - bullets and explosions and bits of flesh flying all over the place)... And then came the Breakout... I was previously unaware of how dramatic the events around Budapest in 1944-45 really were; it's strange how little is actually reported or written! The futility and sheer horror, of lives wasted and blind ideologies followed, ultimately rises to the surface... and leaves you filled with amazement and horror.
September 2, 2018
The Siege of Budapest was a factual, detailed account of the Battle of Budapest. It provided an almost unlimited amount of charts showing combat strengths and casualties on both sides. I also got many detailed personally accounts of the atrocities committed on both sides. These accounts provided me with useful perspectives to everybody that took part in this siege. However, I found this book to be rather boring at times, and hard to read more than a few pages at a time. Personally I think that this book gave too many details, including the street by street coverage of every day in the siege.
The maps given aren't incredibly useful either. I would personally find them more helpful had they included some sort of color coding, to help me identify the different portions of Budapest better. As a result, I believe that these maps are only truly helpful to natives of Hungary, or Historians with plenty of background information. In conclusion, I would only recommend this book to avid history enthusiasts who are specifically interested in World War 2.
The maps given aren't incredibly useful either. I would personally find them more helpful had they included some sort of color coding, to help me identify the different portions of Budapest better. As a result, I believe that these maps are only truly helpful to natives of Hungary, or Historians with plenty of background information. In conclusion, I would only recommend this book to avid history enthusiasts who are specifically interested in World War 2.
January 14, 2013
Solid account of a terribly bloody Eastern Front battle about which very little has been written in the English language. The best part of the book is the chapter on how the siege affected civilians trapped in the city (unlike, say, Stalingrad or Berlin, Budapest was not evacuated before house-to-house fighting began) - covering everything from when utilities failed to Red Army atrocities to Hungarians fighting on both sides of the battle. This more human side of the story contrasts nicely to the first half of the book, which is a more traditional military history full of clinical descriptions of troop movements and casualty figures.
February 6, 2017
Ungvary gives a great and honest account of the battle of Budapest. The author goes into great detail with every aspect in the conflict. At times, the details can drag on, so I recommend reading the book with a map in front of you (or refer to the ones in the book). Still highly recommended as a book that sheds light on an overshadowed but nonetheless important battle in WWII
May 17, 2016
Phenomenally detailed military and social history of the infamous siege of Budapest towards the end of WWII. Replete with figures, tables, maps, photographs and first-person accounts of military and civilian participants from multiple backgrounds, this is probably the most complete account available of the siege, including salient facts regarding its prelude and postlude. Not for the faint of heart.
November 3, 2014
A solid and complete military and social history that gives a picture both of the battle and of the experiences of the civilians of Budapest. Possible not for the general reader, but a valuable addition to the specialist literature on the Hungarian campaign of 44/45 and readable to boot.
Want to read
July 3, 2007I read a few chapters - quite compelling and shocking.
May 1, 2015
Long, grim and detailed. I was in the mood for another siege after "Besieged:The Epic Battle for Cholm."
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