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John Czingula's Story
From Refugee To Entrepreneur
This is my life's dramatic story so you can overcome adversity, escape obstacles and reach the American Dream.
Meet The Author
John Czingula
Seven-year-old Janos Czingula of Debrecen, Hungary dreamt of being a railroad man, soldier, pilot, engineer, actor, and entrepreneur.
Hunkered down with his family, literally dodging the German and Russian bullets piercing the gatekeeper’s house where they hid, survival became his only ambition. He lived through World War II only to be trapped behind the Iron Curtain, unable to realize any of his ambitions. Unwilling to accept the indignities of Communism and facing persecution in the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, he was forced to flee his family, friends, and the only life he’d ever known.
A refugee, Janos immigrated to America and became John: hard-working immigrant, popular foreign student, Hollywood actor and producer, aviator, skier, businessman, and successful entrepreneur. His utterly fascinating, harrowing, joyous journey is the true embodiment American Dream.
Mission Statement
I wish this dramatic story of a life to reach and show the readers how to overcome adversity and escape and reach the American Dream. I want this to be a best seller and made into a motion picture.
Media
Author Spotlight:
John Czingula
The Incredible True Story of a Young Immigrant’s Journey to the American Dream.
John Czingula reveals his family life in Debrecen, Hungary when the Russian army began to turn Hungary into a communist nation during and after WWII. He provides the unique perspective of a child who does not understand the full gravity of the situation, but his descriptions and experiences paint the horrifying full picture. In an interview, Czingula states, “I had a wonderful, wonderful childhood in Hungary before the war ... then came the war, the Germans and the Russians and the Americans and some English, and we went through the second World War within the battle. In other words, my grandmother had five acres of land just outside of the city of Debrecen, and my father was a gardening engineer.” The Czingula family survives in a small bunker on this piece of land, where they live in fear of the warzone that Hungary had become.
From Utopia To The American Dream
‘From Utopia to the American Dream,’ a fascinating and inspirational autobiography by John Czingula, is a tale that spans many different worlds and showcases triumphs and tribulations ... Under the yoke of the Soviet Union, the Czingula family was lucky to survive intact and continued to struggle as the Soviets tightened their grip of every aspect of Hungarian society ... Really this is two books—before and after John’s escape from Hungary. ‘From Utopia to the American Dream’ is a story of hope, a book which demonstrates how dreams, determination and imagination are the magic elixirs of life. Brad Butler, Author of ‘A World Flight Over Russia’ and ‘Without Redemption.’
Dream USA
This book is deeply personal and thoroughly captivating, as readers are led through John’s life from his childhood in Hungary to his adulthood in America. John is someone who will leave behind a legacy of many careers, but most importantly, he will be known for his journey and the mindset that led him to the American Dream.
Radio Interviews
Dr. Pat Baccili
Kathryn Raaker
Mark Bishop
Revolution
On the left: Russian army officers in The Hungarian Revolution
On the right: The Hungarian revolutionaries fighting the Russians.
Escape
Book Reviews
John J. Kelly
"An extraordinary escapist adventure"
In his miraculous, sweeping and epic memoir, “From Utopia To The American Dream,” author John Czingula tells the incredible and fascinating story of his journey over the course of more than 80 years and his escape from the constraints and constrictions of Communism in his Soviet-occupied homeland of Hungary. It’s a beautifully told and inspiring story of how one individual pursued and eventually got to live the American dream through sheer relentlessness, ingenuity, hard work and perseverance.
The book is both a personal reminiscence and a polemic to the evils of Communism, the hardship of war, the unceasing generosity of human beings and the triumph of the human spirit. Always suspenseful and often mesmerizing, this memoir is both entertaining, page after page, and completely satisfying. John Czingula dedicates the book to his parents, Dezso and Iren Czingula. As he writes in the beginning, his parents “dedicated and sacrificed their lives … through incredible hardship during and after the Second World War in Europe, followed by the dungeons of darkness with the Soviet occupation and Communism in Hungary.” Every page is stamped with his love for his parents and he says in the dedication “God bless them. I shall never forget them.
msmoon
"An excellent memoir about never giving up"
This is a memoir about John Czingula, the author of the book. It follows him through childhood in his home country of Hungary to the United States. The focus on the memoir is John’s ambition to become successful in his endeavors. His father inspired him to be the best and to never give up and that stuck with him.
Through war torn Hungary from WW1 through to WW2, John and his family lived in fear. His father refused to join the communist party and thus John followed in his father’s footsteps in avoiding any confrontation or push to join the party. Communism, as it should be, was not what it really was. On the outside, it looked perfect and pristine, but the reality of it was not so. For John and his family (and a lot of other Hungarians) the party and its belief worked against them. John had a lot of ambitions. There was so much he wanted to do but communism wouldn’t allow him any of his success. He yearned to experience life in America where he’d heard he’d be able to do whatever he wanted without politics stopping him at every point. The way to America was not an easy one, especially during war, but John persevered. He took chances to escape his home country. With some luck he made it to America successfully.
John didn’t live in a dream world. He knew the good and the bad of America, but compared to communism, America was freedom in both mind and opportunities. John’s story is about overcoming fears and never giving up. There were times in his life when things were so bad that he was at a lost, but he didn’t let those moments take him down. He kept going. He became a successful business owner, actor, and pilot. He came from a place where dreams were stomped on to a place where a single idea could create massive success.
I’m so glad to have read John’s story because I can relate to a lot of his experiences. I liked that he looked up to America and saw the beauty of it and the ability to succeed. I see America the same way and it’s a great feeling to know that there are still people out there who believe in this country. Btw, John mentioned goulash a couple of times and it made me crave it (I’m not Hungarian though but have made my own version of it many times and have also had it at a restaurant). Love it when a book does that!
Chris Mentillo
"Well-written, entertaining, and life-changing"
The book’s title, From Utopia to The American Dream, is precisely as it states: Born in 1937, Seven-year-old John Czingula, aka Janos of Debrecen Hungry, who is the author of this memoir… had ambitions of going to America and accomplishing many dreams. However, like so many before him, this would not be an easy feat:
To make matters worse, during this time World War II was in its infamy, holding back John’s ability to evade the clutches behind the Iron Curtain and persecution in the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising.
Nonetheless, these obstacles did not deter Czingula, and he became more than a survivor. Johns ambitions to utilize capitalism and independence were also stripped from him.
As a result he had failed attempts to implement a strategy pertaining to starting an electricity company. However, through hard work, John overcame these obstacles and eventually succeeded after joining other ambitious business leaders to form his own solo energy company. This later became a powerful, multiple-million-dollar endeavor. Achieving this was his recipe ingredient to overcome all that impeded his forward motion to move ahead – like his father before him.
Later, these impediments opened up the channels to conquer all that held him back, leading him to entry into America from Europe, and ultimately to his objective of acquiring and achieving all his dreams.
If you love a good rags-to-riches story as I do… about ordinary individuals (especially from other countries outside of America) who overcome some of the toughest obstacles to achieve success, then you must read this book. The book became more interesting, due to the geographical location of the story being in Hungry where my wife’s parents grew up during this time making this read all the more fascinating, and intriguing to me.
In conclusion, I loved the concept of how John’s autobiography was dedicated to his parents and how you can learn many life-altering lessons by never giving up hope and having faith in achieving your dreams.
In other words, through hard work, faith, overcoming your obstacles and personal struggles, along with a little luck, the sky is the limit and anything is possible. Well-written, entertaining, and life-changing. I highly recommend this one. Thank you.
pellepelle23
"Good Book"
From Utopia to The American Dream by John Czingula is a gripping story of one man’s eventful journey through life that should captivate the most stoic and inspire the most cynical of readers. I speak from experience because it is not very often that I am so moved by reading about a person’s life. This book serves as a powerful warning of the dangers of communism and other governmental controls that other humans seek to use to subvert their fellow man. The enemy (communists, fascists, etc.) will use many tactics that make them appear to be the compassionate humanists while they are really by far the more evil and greedy of the two parties. It is always interesting for me to read first person accounts of historical events as opposed to reading about generalities in history. Collective history is truly the combination of all of our individual life stories and some people profit by certain events and others are losers. Certain people tend to be profiteers and don’t really have a moral code other than get as much as they can and live as easy and comfortable life off the struggles of others. The author seems to be a decent hard-working person like most people that has had to struggle to overcome the lunacy of collective humanity. It is unfortunate that with all the technological progress, humans have made very little in terms of government and inter-personal relationships. This book provides food for thought to the hungry reader, eat up!
Cath Gowe
"Wonderful Narrative"
A memoir from John Czingula’s own life, From Utopia to The American Dream. Fighting poverty, famine and government, Czingula shares his journey from Hungary to the United States. Unlike many other biographies, the author explores the historical events from a civilian perspective. While emotions and personal anecdotes are included in most of the stories, pure facts of the historical events are also present. This helps the reader sync the decisions of an event to the personal effects on a family. There are plenty of books exploring communism and the iron curtain, especially through Russia, Ukraine and neighboring countries. I believe this memoir is distinctive because it is centered in Hungary and around their people. As a country, they’re often forgotten, like Poland or Kazakhstan. They may not be a top world power, but that is usually because they have been so oppressed and tormented as a culture. Czingula shares beautiful memories of his family and culture, though many are demented, sad and twisted as consequences from socialism and the war increase. A childhood scarred by propaganda and fear. Yet through it all, he perseveres. He sees sacrifice and demonstrates mercy. He tells of his childhood and adulthood, successes and failure, businesses, prospects and dreams. The prose itself is intriguing and engaging. His vocabulary is thoughtful and challenging. This is a wonderful account, that, in the end, reveals hope. What a life and what stories to share with future generations. Highly recommended.
Brandy M
"Amazing journey that gives hope"
This book was truly an experience to read. After reading this, I kind of feel bad that I haven’t heard of John Cingula. How could I not? His story was so amazing, so touching, and motivating. I did feel heavy reading how German soldiers were treating him and others, how he got hurt and scars from different situations. I couldn’t imagine having family drills of practicing to get to the bunker, fearing this could be the time where bombs dropped over my family and I. When I got to chapter ‘On the Run’, my heart was pounding with joy and fear for him. I was able to learn so much from his life that I didn’t know about the wars and just small things like California not allowing anyone to bring in fruit from outside the state. Reading the things John went through, what he had to leave behind, and the things he was determined to get was joyful.
This was beautifully written and I believe his story needed to be shared with others. He provided great details to help paint a picture of the scenes and how he was feeling during certain times. Glad I came across this book and I think it should be shared in High schools to give them hope of what can be accomplished.
GaryH
"Alternate Title: Escape from Utopia"
book title is a little confusing at first. Isn’t the American Dream one definition of Utopia? John Czingula quickly reveals that he is escaping Russian Utopia and Soviet Communism and pursuing the American Dream. It is saddening that today people don’t remember how truly awful that “utopia” was. All the specious rhetoric I hear today lets me know that people do not. The Berlin wall wasn’t to keep people out of East Berlin; it was to keep the people of East Berlin from escaping.
There is no hidden message in the book. John Czingula does not try to interpret other peoples actions, and he’s not trying to change he world. He is recalling what he observed, how he reacted to it, and what he did after that.
I did an internet search on John Czingula. He is the real deal; everything he claims to have done is documented on The Internet. Knowing this made the stories he told much more interesting. He had a long list of lifetime goals, and he managed to achieve most of them.
I have heard it said that all one needs is a story to tell and someone to tell the story to. John Czingula has a good story to tell, and it was my pleasure to listen to it.
Carrie Thompson
"A beautifully written memoir"
The author John Czingula brings us his first work, a memoir of his life and the thrilling adventure he led. This book covers a lot of ground, starting in Hungary during World War II, detailing the atrocities committed during the Russian occupation and then describing the author’s immigration to the United States and the life he built for himself there.The book opens in the early years before the war and describe an idyllic life lead in rural Hungary, surrounded by family and friends. The later scenes that describe the war and Russian occupation are a little hard to read. The author recalls in specific detail how his family and their neighbors struggled as the Russians stole from them and forced them to work for free. Even decades later his anger over their unjust treatment is clear.Eventually the writer escapes over the border to Austria and then to the United States. In the 1950’s there was a well-managed system for refugees to escape Communist countries and begin lives elsewhere. Learning about this system, along with the author’s success in the United States were the best parts of the book. It’s clear he loved coming to the United States and had many exciting adventures. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good memoir.
FlyingBooksUSA
"This book is tragic, uplifting, sincere, and thoroughly entertaining all in one"
In this amazing true story of survival and learning to thrive in a new place, John Czingula recounts his life. Raised in Debrecen, Hungary during and after World War II, John and his family must survive the combat on a small piece of land with a bunker-like house. A place that was once a utopia becomes a warzone as communism was implemented into Hungary. As childhood innocence is ripped away by the horrors of war, John holds onto his dreams and is able to immigrate to America in 1957.
John Czingula believed the streets of America were paved in gold… and he was right! While in America, he attends school and eventually makes it into Hollywood, where he pursues acting. He also becomes an entrepreneur, starting a wide variety of businesses to make money. John is truly a jack-of-all-trades: an actor, producer, writer, aviator, sailor, skier, and entrepreneur. He becomes the embodiment of the American dream.
This story is truly an inspirational one, sharing the tale of someone who went from fighting for his life to thriving in America. Throughout his journey, John never stopped pursuing his dreams despite the hardships. Readers are given an inside look into the struggles of war and immigration but are left feeling hopeful and inspired by John’s incredible story. This book is tragic, uplifting, sincere, and thoroughly entertaining all in one. Czingula’s story should be required reading by all high school students and all those who love America.
I highly recommend this book!
May
"Janos to John; The American Dream"
This book gives us two characters with different roles in play for this amazing read. We have Janos who was born in Szerencs, Hungary and American Emigrant John. Don’t burst your bubbles yet because they are the same person, just like two sides of a coin. Janos was born in 1937 just a few years or moments to the start of the 2nd world war which brought on very many deaths and destruction. It was a bad time and war shapes and shatters people’s dreams and that was exactly what happened to Janos. He wanted the best of the world, to be successful, to be famous, a movie star, an engineer, just like every child with a thousand dreams. I just remembered how I wanted many dreams too, army, music, football, marathon but all in all I am happy where I am.
Janos migrated to the US leaving everything behind and changed his name to John and the rest is history. It is a perfect example of people who want an American dream and go hard to ensure it comes to pass. If you ever feel you are stuck, trust me, you are not, this guy was the receiving end of Germany and Russian bombs but here he is. Like my dad always says, bad times create hardened men, who in return create better times.
Lloyd
"An amazing story of one boy's escape from Communist Hungary and his adventures in the United States"
From Utopia to the American Dream is the true story of a Hungarian boy who spends most of his youth under Soviet authoritarianism and still finds a way to emigrate to the United States. What makes this story so incredibly interesting, aside from how he gets to the United States in the first place, is what he accomplishes once he gets there. It’s mind-blowing. Just a list of his inventions will leave you flabbergasted. And let’s not forget that he was also an actor, an executive, and a business guru!
I have read many memoirs through the years. And many of them I enjoyed. I was glad to learn about the individual and what happened in her/his life. But it’s very rare that a memoir makes me feel like I really know who the author is; like I’m on the journey with that person. And isn’t actually feeling what the author went through what it’s all about?
Give From Utopia to the American Dream a try. I know you won’t be able to put it down.
Alfred Petross
"What an incredible story about achieving the American Dream"
Mr. Czingula is a man of many experiences and deep cultural awareness. Anyone who has been given the opportunity to meet this remarkable man, engages with someone whose success is evident by his articulate speech, grand memories, and intellect to create a better, more sustainable tomorrow. This book provides a window into the plight, story, and thought process of a man who has influenced the lives of so many who’ve come across his path. The legacy Mr. Czingula has given the world by becoming a pioneer of renewable energies will impact the lives of tens of millions of global citizens. Kudos on a well written book, and the courage to share such an incredible story!
Amazon Customer
"You must read this to understand what true grit is!"
This is a fascinating story of perseverance, grit, ambition and a multitude of success. It is truly inspirational what the human spirit can achieve.
Lauren Lee
"The True Story of an Immigrant’s Success in America"
This is the fascinating story of a Hungarian immigrant who escapes to America, where he finds success in a variety of careers, including entrepreneurship and acting. Author John Czingula reveals his life experiences in ‘From Utopia to the American Dream.’ Raised in Hungary during the Russian and German occupation after WWII, the Czingula family survives the war around them in a small bunker on a five-acre plot of land. As the Hungarians revolt against communism, John joins in the revolution, and he eventually decides to leave Hungary altogether. He immigrates to America, where he attends college, pursues acting in Hollywood, and starts up a multitude of businesses.
John’s autobiography is truly inspirational: he came from almost nothing, fearing for his and his family’s lives, and became a successful businessman in America. Like the title of the book, John is the embodiment of the American Dream. In America, he was given opportunities that were previously unavailable to him, and he took full advantage of that. This story can serve as a reminder to anyone that you can find success despite bad circumstances.
Additionally, John is a wonderful storyteller. His book is made up of key events in his life, some short and some spanning long chapters. He balances them perfectly, both the heartbreaking scenes and the hopeful ones. I found myself captivated by his writing style, and the quick transitions from scene to scene kept me invested in the story.
I also found this book to be particularly topical, as it parallels what we are currently seeing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is a reminder of what you can accomplish with freedom, and it is educational about the struggles of refugees. Historical/wartime books are not my usual go-to, but I found this one particularly interesting. I felt a connection with John, and I found myself rooting for him the entire time while reading. Overall, I would definitely recommend ‘From Utopia to the American Dream’ to anyone looking for an inspirational story or insight into the refugee experience.
Dr S Kent Lauson, Author Straight Talk about Crooked Teeth & The NEO Way
"See what evil the flawed communism idea can do from a man who lived it and escaped to the USA"
Five Star Indeed! John Czingula, full disclosure, is a man I have known and respected for many years. He has crafted this book about his extraordinary life in a brilliant way. It brings to life his overcoming of hardships as a youth first with Hitler’s Nazi occupation during World War II and then with the Russian Communist occupation later. Ultimately, John required all the strength of his undeniable spirit that drove him with an unrelenting force to escape the Russian occupation of Hungary to make his way to the United States. Included are very spicy descriptions of imminent threats and dangerous escapes, even sprinkled with romance, that will leave you enthralled and wanting more. It is a true tale of the triumph of the human spirit overcoming great odds to create a fulfilling and successful life. A timely book, It will be an inspiration to all who read it to help show them to respect and honor our way of life in the United States of America. This could be made into a great movie, giving us inspiration to appreciate and defend our country for all it does for us and the world wide community it give hope to.
Dana
"The American Dream"
A must read! John escaped communism and achieved the American dream! I didn’t want to set this book down!
Brad Butler
"Amazing True Life Story of Escaping from Tyranny to Freedom in America"
‘From Utopia to the American Dream,’ a fascinating and inspirational autobiography by John Czingula, is a tale that spans many different worlds and showcases triumphs and tribulations. Starting in post-World War II Hungary, the story of John Czingula and his family is unique and, unfortunately, all too familiar. Under the yoke of the Soviet Union, the Czingula family was lucky to survive intact and continued to struggle as the Soviets tightened their grip of every aspect of Hungarian society. Basic sustenance was a constant battle as ideological constraints punished those unwilling to toe the Communist line, all leading to the bloody 1956 Hungarian Revolution and vicious Soviet backlash.
As a young man, John took part in the failed Hungarian Revolution, in the city of Debrecen, and was scared of being arrested in the aftermath. His family encouraged him to escape across the Austrian border and he set off with a good friend. Their harrowing adventure, nearly thwarted on numerous occasions, is a truly exciting and nerve-wracking part of the book. Through the kindness of strangers and good fortune, they made it across the border and, after months of interviews and procedures, received permission to enter America, where family sponsors were ready to help them make a new life.
Eventually reunited with a younger brother, who escaped shortly after John left, they ended up in Hollywood where John pursued his long-held dream of becoming an actor. Here the fun, along with failures and triumphs, begins. Life in the Hollywood and Southern California of the early 1960s offers an interesting snapshot of a dynamic region on the move, growing fast and changing even more rapidly. Working odd jobs, John runs into famous actors, directors and screenwriters on his way to a successful acting career and then businessman.
I can relate to this book intimately on two levels: 1) I stayed in a small Russian village and, despite it being in the early 2000s instead of the 1950s, it was very similar to the small farm John grew up on in rural Hungary; 2) John’s son attended the same middle and high school I attended, in West Los Angeles, and I lived and worked in the areas and neighborhoods described throughout the second half of the book.
Really this is two books—before and after John’s escape from Hungary. ‘From Utopia to the American Dream’ is a story of hope, a book which demonstrates how dreams, determination and imagination are the magic elixirs of life. I laughed, cried and rooted for John throughout his various successes and failures, always wishing the best for a person who felt blessed at the gifts that life had bestowed upon him and his family.
Brad Butler, Author of ‘A World Flight Over Russia’ and ‘Without Redemption.’
Spyder
"Outstanding"
This is an amazing story of a Hungarian immigrant who escapes to America, where he finds success in careers, entrepreneurship and acting. John Czingula recounts his life in “From Utopia to the American Dream.” John as a young lad took part in the failed Hungarian Revolution, in the city of Debrecen, and was terrified that he would be arrested in the aftermath. His family encouraged him to escape across the Austrian border and he set off with a good friend.John Czingula believed the streets of America were paved in gold. While in America, he attends school and eventually makes it into Hollywood, begins acting and then becomes an entrepreneur, starting many businesses to make money. He was an actor, producer, writer, aviator, sailor, and skier. He is the poster boy of the American Dream and what a person can achieve.John’s autobiography is truly inspirational: he came from almost nothing, fearing for his and his family’s lives, and became a successful businessman in America. In America, he was given opportunities that were previously unavailable to him, and took full advantage of that. This story can serve as a reminder to anyone that you can find success despite bad circumstances.
Jeanne Volkman
"Fascinating Flee to Survive/ Epic/ Incredible"
From Utopia to The American Dream by John Czingula is a truly incredible autobiography of his life over the span of 80 years. A memior of life during and post Word War 2, refusing to accept communism. The author recounts his life of fleeing to America, the hardships,tragedies,hardwork, survival, and perseverance. A young Hungarian boy fleeing to survive truly incredible. The author takes the reader on a fascinating Empowering journey of his life to achieve the American Dream. Yes I highly recommend this novel. 5 stars True Escape Adventure of John Czingulas life.