The Smell of Wet Soil: Interview with Paul de Vladar

By Harold P. De Vladar

Paul de Vladar Teleki faced a fate not uncommon to many other Hungarians of last century. When 17, he had to suddenly leave the country just before the borders were closed by the upcoming communist regime in 1943. Having had an aristocratic upbringing he and his family were political targets. They had to find their way out of their native country to -unexpectedly- land in the Latin America. The book "The Smell of Wet Soil" is an interview to Paul, performed by his grand son Harold P. de Vladar. In it, Paul explores his roots, which coalesce back not to decades but to centuries. In this lieu de memoire Paul recounts personal views, experiences, family histories and looks back not only to his life and lost land, but also reflects on a path followed by many Hungarians that ended up scattered across the globe. What is for Paul and others with a similar fate to be Hungarian? This interview is a result of a juxtaposition of cultures, that exposes particular -or even peculiar- standpoints regarding Hungarian heritage. Also, Paul tells us personal stories of historical value, such as personal perspectives on Teleki Sandor and Teleki Pal. These are in contrast with the scholastic and academic material that can be found in libraries, articles and on the internet. The book is enriched by unpublished photographs of his childhood and of historic characters of the Vladar and Teleki families."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1503230449
• ISBN13: 9781503230446
• Release Date: November 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 122 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"