Stalin`s death in 1953 led to unrest in several states of the Soviet empire, as their hungry, tyrannized peoples sensed a slackening in the grip of their hard-line regimes.

This is an account of the October 1956 student demonstrators in Budapest who attracted growing support from workers - and, when the secret police opened fire, from many Hungarian troops.

For five days they successfully fought off Soviet tanks, and it even seemed that Moscow might negotiate a withdrawal; but then the tanks rolled in again, in crushing numbers. This stirring story is illustrated with fascinating contemporary photos and meticulously researched colour plates.