One of the Most Inspirational Books I've Read
I was discussing one of my favorite topics, (Where do writers get their ideas?) and it made me think of this one. Back in my thrift store days, I ran across "The Bridge at Andau" by James Michener. It's not one of his most well-known, but as a history geek, I was drawn to it.
"The Bridge at Andau" is about the 1956 Hungarian revolt against the Russians, who had assumed control over their country after WWII . The people of Hungary put aside their partisan differences and fought against their occupiers and their Hungarian stooges. It turned out to be a losing cause back when the Russians didn't care so much about things like self-governance and human rights. And yes, I get the irony of that statement.
What did I learn besides a bit of history? Oh so much!
Even in non-fiction, readers want to root for the underdog. But it can't just be "the underdog." They need a name, and a face, and a story. Why should I root for this person? Readers want to feel an emotional connection to someone, and Michener does this. He puts you into the minds of the citizens and their battle, which makes it even more heartbreaking in the end.
Wow, Michener did his research! I can't imagine how he found some of the details he did, but he did his homework. For me, I realized that those details make the story better. It brings it to life. I'm not always sure if I get every detail right, but he really helped me understand how important research is.
Above all, it inspired my first foray into writing- the American Revolution 2056 trilogy. American Revolution 2056 - Kindle edition by Snyder, Fred. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. In my book, a couple of teenagers have to do a history report on something from 100 years ago and they chose the Hungarian Revolt- which happened in 1956. Later, as in the book, my heroes make a stand in a big industrial production facility. It seemed an excellent place to make a last stand.
All in all an excellent read.
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