A major new assessment of the "vanished kingdom" of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth--one which recognizes its achievements before its destruction Richard Butterwick tells the compelling story of the last decades of one of Europe's largest and least understood polities: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Drawing on the latest research, Butterwick vividly portrays the turbulence the Commonwealth experienced. Far from seeing it as a failed state, he shows the ways in which it overcame the stranglehold of Russia and briefly regained its sovereignty, the crowning success of which took place on 3 May 1791--the passing of the first Constitution of modern Europe.

This new edition of Norman Davies's classic study of the history of Poland has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century. The writing of Polish history, like Poland itself, has frequently fallen prey to interested parties. Professor Norman Davies adopts a sceptical stance towards all existing interpretations and attempts to bring a strong dose of common sense to his theme. He presents the most comprehensive survey in English of this frequently maligned and usually misunderstood country.

Facing a Holocaust: The Polish Government-in-exile and the Jews, 1943-1945

Poland, 1918-1945 is a challenging, revisionist analysis and interpretation, supported by documentary evidence, of a crucial and controversial period in Poland's recent history

Suppressed for decades, this post-World War II memoir of Wladyslaw Szpilman, who survived in Warsaw between 1939 and 1945, offers a testimony to the power of music and humanity.

This book for the first time links the thoughts of modern Western sociologists of literature with an overall description of the literary activities, views, and attitudes in late 18th-century Poland. The author tries to establish whether Poland witnessed the rise of a more complex and autonomous literary field or, as Schmidt calls it, a functionally differentiated literary system in the age of the reign of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski (1764-1795).

With Fire and Sword, a historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, intricately weaves the tumultuous events of the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into a vivid narrative. The book masterfully explores themes of war, loyalty, and heroism through its richly developed characters and dramatic plot progression. Sienkiewicz employs a romantic literary style, characterized by emotive language and lush descriptions, while grounding the narrative in the context of the Khmelnytsky Uprising, showcasing the personal and societal impacts of conflict against the backdrop of national identity. Henryk Sienkiewicz, a Nobel laureate in literature, is renowned for his deep appreciation of Polish history and culture, elements that profoundly influenced his writing. Having lived through the partitions of Poland, Sienkiewicz was keenly aware of the significance of national identity and historical memory, motivations clearly reflected in his work. His passion for storytelling and a profound understanding of his homeland's struggles drive the narrative's intense emotion and authenticity. This seminal work is a cornerstone of Polish literature, making it an essential read for scholars and enthusiasts of historical fiction alike. Sienkiewicz's compelling prose and dynamic characters promise to immerse readers in the chaotic yet rich tapestry of Poland's past, offering insights into the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

A detailed study of the first major conflict of the Second World War, comparing the German Blitzkrieg offensive to the small but formidable Polish defense. The German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 began World War II in Europe, pitting the newly modernized army of Europe's great industrial power against the much smaller Polish army and introducing the world to a new style of warfare – Blitzkrieg. Panzer divisions spearheaded the German assault with Stuka dive-bombers prowling ahead spreading terror and mayhem. This book demonstrates how the Polish army was not as backward as it is often portrayed and fielded a tank force larger than that of the contemporary US Army. Its stubborn defence did give the Germans some surprises and German casualties were relatively heavy for such a short campaign.

Surprisingly little known, the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-20 was to change the course of twentieth-century history. In White Eagle, Red Star, Norman Davies gives a full account of the War, with its dramatic climax in August 1920 when the Red Army - sure of victory and pledged to carry the Revolution across Europe to 'water our horses on the Rhine' - was crushed by a devastating Polish attack. Since known as the 'miracle on the Vistula', it remains one of the most decisive battles of the Western world. Drawing on both Polish and Russian sources, Norman Davies illustrates the narrative with documentary material which hitherto has not been readily available and shows how the War was far more an 'episode' in East European affairs, but largely determined the course of European history for the next twenty years or more.

"A landmark book that changed the story of Poland's role in the Holocaust"--