George Jonas

George Jonas

GEORGE JONAS (Budapest, 1935) is a Hungarian-born Canadian writer, poet and journalist, describing himself as a classical liberal. His works include Vengeance (1984), the story of an Israeli operation to kill the terrorists responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre. The book was adapted for two films, Sword of Gideon (1986) and Munich (2005). Jonas worked as a radio producer in Budapest before escaping to the West after the fall of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. He worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a script editor and producer. He worked as a columnist for the Toronto Sun from 1981 to 2001, when he moved to the National Post where he remains a regular contributor. He has written 16 books, one play, and two operas. His latest book, The Jonas Variations (2012), includes his translations from the classical poems of many languages.

TERROR ASYMMETRIC, TERROR TOTALITARIAN

1. FALUDY’S FABLE The Faludy Park near Toronto’s university district is named after the poet George Faludy. The author of My Happy Days in Hell survived terrorists and tyrants in various parts of the world before spending the last 22 years of his exile in an apartment overlooking the small patch of

A MODERATE NATIONALIST MAY BE THE SOLUTION

When the World Jewish Congress opened its 14th plenary session in Budapest last month, its choice of the Hungarian capital for the three-day event went beyond the amenities and attractions offered by the historic city. In the past three years Hungary has become a key battleground for Europe’s soul. What’s

ORAL HISTORY

The researcher arrives. iPod, camera, Uher tape recorder, the works. “Yesterday”, he tells me, “I interviewed an old gentleman just like you. Yes,a little hunched, hands shaking, eyebrows twitching, you know…He was a child in the war, too, except on the other side.” “Same side”, I say.“No, he was a child in the London Blitz…” He consults his

ME, A NOVEL

Chapters 5 and 6 Born in Budapest in 1935, George Jonas first spoke gibberish, then German, and finally settled on Hungarian in preparation for a lifetime of writing in English. Since 1956 Jonas has lived in Toronto. The excerpt here is from a work-in-progress entitled Me, A Novel. When completed,