NOT AN ORDINARY LIFE – László Hódy (Les Hody) a compelling and adventurous autobiography of a European basketball champion and Olympian for both Hungary and Australia.
This remarkable life story unfolds in Hungary, a country caught up in frightening political and social issues throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. During the 1956 revolution against the communist dictatorship, at age 22, Les escaped and became a refugee to Australia.
A couple of days ago on the occasion of his book release at the press gathering the „Gold Team” players and family members of some former players and elder fans who cheered at his goals had a chance to breathe the same air with him at the Lake Városliget Café in Budapest. He was touched by the high number of audience to have had arrived.
Spoke about getting down to write his lifeline book. As said, the memories just sparked as he has touched his pen alike he use to play on the basketball track to punch the net. László (Les) added Q.: „It has taken me the good part of six months to rewrite my biography in Hungarian. But finally, I can say I put a full stop at the end and I passed the manuscript over to Dezső Dobor in Hungary, who was editing it for the publisher. The Hungarian Basketball Federation offered to sponsor the publication of Les’s autobiography, “Not an Ordinary Life”
From class enemy to the Hall of Fame and a lifetime in between, in Hungarian.
As he was speaking we could hear a man talking how his life was shaped by courage, goodwill, diligence, most of all love. What was really heartwarming to be present together with László (Les) Hódy, to see the presence of some Hungarian basketball champs and former players family members and of course seeing those individuals who brought old pictures to sign + autographs, era’s basketball sporty yearbooks, and a bunch of media and press representatives.
The sparkles lightened the long gone era and he relived step-by-step his chapters of life. His book also covers stories about his family. As Hódy told me Q.:„This book is not a textbook, nor a juicy celeb, neither a novel, it is an autobiography book. Basically, unfolds a lot ups-and-downs experiences, how to deal with success and loss and for the future basketball generation there are lessons to be heard and to be kept in mind, these a marvellous stories along the way, that can not be shut out from them. As he said: Q.:”This is what life taught me about and never too old to pass on good advice.”
The launch of Les’s book in Hungarian was published with the support by the Hungarian Basketball Association. At first, the launch was held at Szeged and then after in Budapest late May.
The intended publication date was to be said out in Hungary during May 2017 and so it happened. To add some more good news to the autobiography book „Not an Ordinary Life” is now available in Hungary, title: “Osztályidegenből Halhatatlan” in Hungarian language and also can be purchased on Kindle from Amazon in English edition. Download the free Kindle app and get a „slice” of the electronic version of the book. But, no worries the book is available by ordering through Amazon and not just on a „Lazy Sunday” it could be read on the porch.
The official book launch was held in Melbourne last November. Dr Endre Domaniczky – Consul of Hungary officiated with Lindsay Gaze OAM who represented the Australian basketball fraternity.
Updated and snaps Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 