Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2000. [Vol. 6.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 26)

Book reviews - András Tarnóc: Tibor Frank: Ethnicity, Propaganda, Myth-Making: Studies on Hungarian Connections to Britain and America 1848-1945.

campaign conducted by two infamous police agents Gusztáv Zerffi and János Bangya, the alleged long-held hostility between Marx and Kossuth is utilized by the Habsburgs. In his assessment of the exchanged images Frank reveals that the purpose of the Habsburgs was to divide and undermine the credibility of the Hungarian émigré community, thereby to discredit and eliminate a potential threat. Frank, however, proves that the hostility between Marx and Kossuth appears to be an exaggeration, as Marx considered the Hungarian leader his "fellow fighter" (344). In this case the intercultural communication process takes place not between countries, but individuals suffering a similar political fate. Thus the culture projection process is carried out between two refugees as neither Marx, nor Kossuth represent the official government of their countries. Whereas Marx was residing in England, Kossuth in Turkey, and Szemere in Paris, neither of them attempted to convey images in order to change the international perception of their chosen home. Consequently, culture projection only takes place on the individual level, and the end result is the mutual rejection of the projected images. One of the basic values of Frank's book is that it displays the objectivity of the scholar and provides an analysis of the main issues not only from the Hungarian point of view, but from the American and British one, too. "It is his questions that make a historian" (7) as Frank quotes László Németh. Indeed the author poses many questions, forcing the reader to re-evaluate Hungarian connections with the Anglo-Saxon world. However, Frank should not limit himself to being a professional historian as the work reviewed here offers a major contribution not only to the field of history, but to American studies and cultural studies as well. As a result of the historical philologist approach Frank does not simply examine historical events, but investigates the forces that help to shape the perception of those events. By focusing on the perception of events and the reception of certain historical developments both in Hungary and in the AngloSaxon countries he reinforces the fact that these cultures are interrelated and interdependent. In fact, the author's research methodology of finding sources, and reading and rereading them are instructions to heed for those encountering this truly significant achievement because a work of this magnitude indeed should be read 229