The Piano Player of Budapest
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The Piano Player of Budapest

by Roxanne de Bastion

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Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781472147868

Price: £12.99

ON SALE: 26th June 2025

Genre: Biography & True Stories / Biography: Historical, Political & Military / European History / Family History, Tracing Ancestors / Fascism & Nazism / History / History: Specific Events & Topics / Hungary / Individual Composers & Musicians, Specific Bands & Groups / Music / The Holocaust / True Stories Of Heroism, Endurance & Survival / True War & Combat Stories

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Reviews

Resonates for our times
Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, *Editor's Choice*
I loved this [book]. I expected it to be a more gruelling read, but actually it was very emotional but also very approachable. One can hear Istvan/Stephen's voice and his grand-daughter has done him proud. An extraordinary story, and one that lingers in the mind...
Baroness Julia Neuberger
Deeply moving... triumphant
Greg Dawson
A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart
Fiona Maddocks (Observer’s classical music critic and author of Goodbye Russia Rachmaninoff in Exile)
One of 2024's most anticipated books
BBC Culture
Painfully moving
Kirkus Reviews
'An intensely moving and lyrical account of a man's survival in the face of unthinkable hardship and horror. Roxanne de Bastion has done her grandfather proud.'
Fiona Sturges
'This is a profound and beautiful book, about the power of music to carry hope and love through generations, the refrain of a wistful love song echoing down the decades. The account of one man's escape across Russia's frozen hinterland is unforgettable.'
Julian Borger
Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music... just brilliant
James Ainscough OBE
Truly remarkable ... beautifully written and completely addictive. Roxanne de Bastion finely balances her grandfather's gripping and traumatic story of survival with the vivid legacy of her family's history. The words dance off the page and it moved me to tears
Ed Harcourt
A remarkable story of survival... told with such humanity and lyricism
Kevin Brennan MP