In 1956, at the time of the Hungarian Revolution, Sándor Kopácsi was police chief in Budapest. He had fought in the anti-Nazi Resistance and welcomed the Soviet Army. Purges in during the early 1950s eventually led him to question Soviet motives. Reforms in the USSR following Stalin’s death in 1953 gave hope of change in Hungary as well. In 1956 he supported the liberal and nationalist trends represented by Imre Nagy, sympathized with popular demands, and was named deputy commander of the new national militia.

He supported the uprising in an effort to reform the Communist system from within. Following its collapse, he and seven other leaders were tried and four were sentenced to death the others to long prison terms. Amnestied in 1963, Kopacsi emigrated to Canada in 1975, being the only one of the eight who managed to make his way to the West. This fascinating insider's account adds a new dimension to Hungary's history. This book is an expanded revised edtion containing hitherto unpublished material.