Akadémia Kiadó

One of the major purposes of the author's book, the first serious research in the topic, is to show what factors contributed to the increased significance of Hungarian cultural diplomacy after both World Wars. From the analysis it is learnt that Hungarian cultural diplomacy had an outstanding importance in these two periods. It is shown that in certain cases only the universal nature of culture made it possible for Hungary to break out of its international isolation and to modernize the country. The structure of the book informs the reader about Hungary's connections with other nations and illustrates the order of priorities of Hungarian cultural diplomacy after the war. As a result of a careful examination of the documents and other resources, often scarce and ideologically biased, a work has been produced that it indispensable in higher education and foreign diplomacy. As József N.Szabó's book fills a gap in the history of Hungarian culture and education, it is a useful and interesting work for all those dealing with the history of civilization and education as well, and is heartily recommended to all those interested in the topic.