In preparation for an October trip to Prague and Budapest, I recently read two new books that I want to recommend to others. One is "Goodbye, Eastern Europ: An Intimate History of a Divided Land" that is good if you are going to Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania in particular, but other countries in the region as well. The author is Jacob Mikanowski. It provides a good overview of the history of that region, the frequently changing national boundaries and the unique mix of Germans, Slavs, Jews and Roma that give the region its unique character.
The other is "Tainted Democracy: Viktor Orban and the Subversion of Hungary", by Zsuzanna Szelenyi, a founder of Fidesz who later left the party and became a member of the opposition, subsequently becoming a member of Parliament. She describes the nation's transition period from the fall of communism to the current situation and explains how Hungary arrived at its problematic position in the EU.