1946 - by Victor Sebestyen (Paperback)

About the Book

"Originally published in Great Britain by Macmillan, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, London, in 2014, and subsequently published in hardcover in the United States by Pantheon Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, in 2015"--Title page verso.

Book Synopsis

Nineteen forty-six is the year that would signal the beginning of the Cold War, the end of the British Empire, and the beginning of the rivalry between the United States and the USSR. Victor Sebestyen reveals the year's events by chronologically framing what was taking place in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with seminal decisions made by heads of state that would profoundly change the old order forever. The map of Eastern Europe would be redrawn, Chinese communists would gain decisive victories in their fight for power, and the world would witness the birth of Israel. 1946 was a year of seismic and dramatic events.

Drawing on personal testimonies and new archival research, Sebestyen has written a vivid and compelling narrative that brilliantly evokes the beginning of the Cold War set against a devastated landscape of dystopian horrors.

(With 16 pages of black-and-white photographs.)

Review Quotes

"Mr. Sebestyen deserves praise for illuminating a low point in modern history." --The Economist

"[A] richly textured, eminently readable reminder of the vast problems faced by the leaders of the post-war world and the often fumbling, incompetent, cynical--or occasionally visionary--solutions they struggled to provide." --Jewish Chronicle

"Sebestyen is a witty storyteller with a wide-ranging intellect, and his fast-paced yet expansive style will appeal even to readers with little taste for history. . . [1946] is liberally peppered with fascinating asides and anecdotes that humanize its subjects. . . . An appealing introduction, aimed at a wide audience, to events that continue to shape global affairs." --Kirkus

"[An] informed, engaging, and accessible history of the year that U.S. president Harry Truman called the year of decisions. . . . With mesmerizing detail and riveting vignettes scattered throughout, Sebestyen explores virtually every major postwar theme and event." --Publishers Weekly

"Sebestyen chronicles crucial events of 1946 in this outstanding work. The author does not shy away from the explicit and heartbreaking details in creating a powerful and readable account of this challenging year. Highly recommended for anyone interested in world history or for those seeking to understand why the world is as it is today." --Library Journal

"A much-needed addition to the existing literature on the post-Second World War period. . . . Victor Sebestyen has powerfully argued that the year 1946 has shaped our modern world." --The Washington Book Review

Praise from the UK for Victor Sebestyen's 1946

"An exceptionally involving and horrifying book . . . grindingly awful detail." --Sam Leith, The Spectator

"[Sebestyen] reminds us that the world's miseries persisted in plenty after the defeat of the Axis." --Max Hastings, The Sunday Times

"An impressively wide-ranging and detailed survey of the war's aftermath. . . . An uncommonly clear bird's-eye view of a post-war world of rivalry, hardship, and chaos." --Peter Lewis, The Daily Mail

"1946 is a gripping and authoritative work spanning the world: an excellent, elegant and exciting panoramic portrait of the dark world emerging from WWII." --Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

About the Author

VICTOR SEBESTYEN was born in Budapest. Newspapers he has worked for include The Times (London), The Daily Mail, and the London Evening Standard. Sebestyen has written for many American publications, including The New York Times. He was an associate editor at Newsweek.