András Fejérdy's new book is a laudable attempt to write the history of the Hungarian mission to the Second Vatican Council. It is not an analysis of the influence of the Council on Hungarian Catholicism (like Timothy Kelly's enlightening study of the Pittsburgh laity in the period 1950–72), but rather an analysis of the bishops who were sent to the council, torn between their Communist nation and the trans-national community of the Catholic clergy. Fejérdy identifies both the rise of Pope John xxiii and a shift in the ecclesiastical policy of the Communist party in Hungary as catalysts for Hungarian participation in the Council. He also correctly links the Council with larger Hungarian-Vatican negotiations on the internal administration and autonomy of the Church and the role of the Vatican in its operations. While a schism was deemed a realistic threat by the Vatican in the 1950s, symbolic concessions and a narrow room for action were granted by the Hungarian state. By the end of the Council, all Hungary's hopes were fulfilled: its attendance was equal to recognition by the Vatican and consequently increased its international standing. The physical attendance of the mission was also useful for the collection of accurate intelligence, which proved crucial in the drafting and negotiation of bilateral agreements. Soon, the Hungarian government triumphed through their newly-gathered knowledge, while the Vatican was further weakened as a party in the negotiations due to its inability to comprehend the situation of the clergy and the Church behind the Iron Curtain in general and in Hungary in particular. One should, however, be reluctant to see the prelates as mere tools in a game of chess played by the pope and the Party. They had to juggle between their commitment to the State and to the Church, often choosing to comply only with demands that did not contradict their clerical duties. This review is certainly not exhaustive in laying out the various conclusions and insights made in the book. The book begins by surveying the preparation for the Council by both sides and introducing the historical background to the issues at hand. Part ii discusses the Vatican's Ostpolitik, Hungary's ‘Vatican Policy’ and the Council itself. The epilogue, part iii, analyses the aftermath of the Council in both Vatican and in Hungarian policy, as well as the practical and theological reception of its meanings in Hungarian. Twenty pages of sources and bibliography map the archival sources, printed sources and ample secondary sources that served as the foundation for this study and are a testament to the erudition of the author. Numerous appendices such as a detailed chronology, a list of Hungarian participants and tables demonstrating the Hungarian contributions to the Council are especially helpful in any attempt to grasp a largely foreign territory by scholars of the Church, Hungary or Eastern Europe whose expertise is not in this period. Overall this is a wonderful volume and great contribution to the existing scholarship.