Description
“[A] story of the visionary upheavals of the 20th century. . . . An immersive and well-told account of a father and his legacy.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A moving and insightful portrait of a brilliant architect and engineer by his son, a seasoned documentary filmmaker. Paul Weidlinger’s trajectory from Hungary through Western Europe and South America to the United States parallels the migration of some of the leading artists and architects of the 20th century. A colleague of Le Corbusier, Breuer, Moholy-Nagy, Kepes, Noguchi, and Dubuffet, Weidlinger made his contribution as a structural engineer who realized buildings, dams, and sculptures on three continents. This is a biography of a unique visionary who helped create the architecture that defines our times. It is also the saga of a family riven by madness—a compelling read. ”
—Steven Kovacs, Professor of Cinema, San Francisco State University, author of From Enchantment to Rage: The Story of Surrealist Cinema
“Weidlinger’s story of his father’s incredible life is both emotionally and intellectually satisfying. Historically pertinent and deeply personal, it is told with searing candor. It is poignant, tragic, and wise.”
—Kati Marton, author of The Great Escape, Wallenberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Saved the Jews of Budapest and True Believer: Stalin’s Last American Spy
“There is a cinematic sweep in the way Weidlinger brings alive the story—and secrets—of his remarkable father.”
—Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold’s Ghost, Bury the Chains, and To End All Wars
“A tender and deeply moving memoir, The Restless Hungarian explores the complicated and, at times, mysterious narratives of Paul Weidlinger’s life as they intersect with the currents of twentieth-century history. Engrossing, affecting, and beautifully written, the book offers important insights into the complexities of memory, Jewish identity, loss, intergenerational trauma, and—most essentially—family, that most luminous structure composed of both pain and love. “
—Nina Pick, Fellow, Yiddish Book Center’s Oral History Project
“In excavating the mysterious background of his titanic father, Weidlinger deploys the kind of compressed storytelling he has honed as a documentary filmmaker: deftly intercutting between past and present, revealing tantalizing clues that he follows across continents and epochs, and providing lively context that enriches his family’s saga. It’s a deeply affecting journey.”
—Peter L. Stein, executive director (emeritus), San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
“With a son’s longing and a historian’s drive, Tom Weidlinger has written an intensely personal book on the shaky radius of genius. Having come of age at “a time of manifestos” in Europe, structural engineer Paul Weidlinger fled the impending Holocaust and made brilliant contributions to twentieth-century architecture—only to watch a new generation of family ties fray and break in the United States. Weaving intellectual biography with warm, searching memoir, his son’s reckoning is both an important document and an unforgettable read.”
—Christine Cipriani, coauthor of Cape Cod Modern: Midcentury Architecture and Community on the Outer Cape and author of the forthcoming Ada Louise Huxtable
“Paul Weidlinger led an extraordinary life. Sleeping under bridges in Paris, escaping Nazi-occupied Europe for the mountains and jungles of Bolivia, he made and lost a fortune during World War II. Coming to the United States, he collaborated with the world’s greatest architects and did top-secret work for the government. This story is compellingly told by Weidlinger’s son, who combines a historian’s grasp of the big picture with a storyteller’s craft, honed over thirty years as a documentary filmmaker. To gain an understanding of what immigrants can bring to our country, this book is a must-read.”
—Barry Vogel, Creator and Host of Radio Curious
“A tale of triumph against all odds. . . a worthy tribute to an exceptional human being who advanced the world through architecture.”
—San Francisco Book Review, 5/5 stars
“The Restless Hungarian is a touching discovery of buried family history. The engaging journey, which seeks out the dormant past, is harrowing and revealing. . . . This is a biography-history book that readers will find entrancing.”
—Manhattan Book Review, 5/5 stars
“In a measured tone that is at the same time compassionate and dramatic, Tom Weidlinger has reconstructed the life of the complex man who was his father, who succeeded against all odds in his career, but had much less success in his family life . . . In uncovering the secrets his father kept buried, Tom Weidlinger has found the understanding he sought and given readers a portrait of a remarkable man.”
—The Jewish Book Council
“The Restless Hungarian is a warm, heartfelt family memoir revolving around complicated relationships defined by world events.”
—Foreword Reviews
Praise for A Dream in Hanoi:
“A tremendously moving record of the first collaboration between theater companies from both countries…lovingly crafted.”
—Ken Eisner, VARIETY
Praise for Swim For the River:
“Weidlinger’s riveting film recounts Swain’s swim . . . and the stories of the communities that have mobilized to reclaim the river from its polluters.”
—Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
