The Former People

This spellbinding tale of friendship and enmity, of loyalty and betrayal, of pride and humility, that unites and divides a group of remarkable individuals, who are involved in the Hungarian Revolution and its aftermath. Exiles and émigrés, ex-diplomats and Intelligence agents, former prizewinning writers, Party hacks – all these "former people" struggling to resume their former more exalted positions, or giving up the pride of place they once enjoyed. Rothberg gives penetrating insights into how international policies are arrived at, how revolutions are won and lost, how the people who make the policies and fight the revolutions fare, and who pays the prices for their failures. In doing so, The Former People also makes clearer the mystery of how the Soviet Empire would, in the not-too-distant future, fall apart.