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The Eagle Unbowed
In Halik Kochanski's extraordinary book, the untold story of Poland and the Poles in the Second World War is finally heard By almost every measure the fate of the inhabitants of Poland was the most terrible of any group in the Second World War. Following the destruction of its armed forces in the autumn of 1939, the Republic of Poland was partitioned between Nazi and Soviet forces and officially ceased to exist. As the war progressed millions of Poles were killed, with each phase unleashing a further round, from the industrialised genocide of Treblinka to the crushing of the Warsaw Rising. Polish Jews were all to be murdered, Christians reduced to a semi-literate slave class. This powerful and original new book is perhaps the most important 'missing' work on the whole conflict, describing both the fate of those trapped within occupied Poland and of the millions of Poles who were able to escape. 'A remarkable book ... [Kochanski] brings to the subject not only an impressive grasp of the military and political context, but also a balance, neutrality and honesty few could manage, combined with the intelligence, imagination and empathy necessary to grasp the true depth of the experience she recounts ... This book is history at its best. It tells the whole story, and tells it well, with just the right mixture of detachment and empathy, in crisp, readable prose. But it also speaks to the imagination and makes the reader think - and not just about the subject in hand' Standpoint 'Until Halik Kochanski's The Eagle Unbowed nobody had written a comprehensive English-language history of Poland at war ... She uncovers details that will surprise even history geeks ... Ms Kochanski marshals an impressive and comprehensive array of English and Polish material' Economist 'Poland's war was so terrible as to almost defy summary ... this book is opinionated, fluid and forceful' Oliver Bullough, New Statesman 'An informative, authoritative and wide-ranging account of the tragedy that befell Poland and its inhabitants, Gentiles and Jews, during the war and its aftermath ... An engaging and important book' Hubert Zawadzki (author of A Concise History of Poland) About the Halik Kochanski read Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford and then completed a PhD at King's College London. She has taught at both King's College London and University College London and presented papers to a number of military history conferences. She has written a number of articles and is the author of Sir Garnet Victorian Hero (1999). She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has been a member of the councils of the Army Records Society and Society for Army Historical Research and remains a member of both societies. She is also a member of the British Commission for Military History and the Institute for Historical Research. She is currently a judge for the Templer Medal book prize.
600 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2012
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June 2, 2022
Bracing myself to yet again try to gain more knowledge and understanding of the lives of my parents and why I was born in Australia so far away from the homes of my ancestors.
Yet again I am reading with tears in my eyes. As Halik Kochanski relates the story of what happened to Poles (my father, Jan) and Belorussians (my mother, Alexandra) I think of my grandmothers, my grandfathers and other relatives of whom I know nothing.
My parents could not speak of their experience of WW2 - I only know they lost my brother, Zygmush (4) and my sister, Irena (11 mths). My mother lost touch with all her family forever. Halik's clear, factual and compassionate text explains why this happened.
As Hitler and Stalin played their cruel Chess game of power - people died, people suffered. My parents survived - but with wounds so deep they could not share. They poured all their love into their only child, her husband and their three beautiful grandchildren.
I can read this book only a chapter at a time. Thank you Halik for writing this history.
Yet again I am reading with tears in my eyes. As Halik Kochanski relates the story of what happened to Poles (my father, Jan) and Belorussians (my mother, Alexandra) I think of my grandmothers, my grandfathers and other relatives of whom I know nothing.
My parents could not speak of their experience of WW2 - I only know they lost my brother, Zygmush (4) and my sister, Irena (11 mths). My mother lost touch with all her family forever. Halik's clear, factual and compassionate text explains why this happened.
As Hitler and Stalin played their cruel Chess game of power - people died, people suffered. My parents survived - but with wounds so deep they could not share. They poured all their love into their only child, her husband and their three beautiful grandchildren.
I can read this book only a chapter at a time. Thank you Halik for writing this history.
October 13, 2012
Recently published here in the UK and soon to be followed in the USA. This is a big mighty tome and worth its weight in gold. This is a very comprehensive history of Poland and her people during the WW2. She pulls no punches when she brings in the September Campaign and then how the Soviet joined the war in support of Nazi Germany and how they divided the country between them. This book examines all parts of Polish history and shines lights in to the darker parts some people would prefer not to mention.
I recently used it as part of a source for reference while writing an overview on aspects of Polish war events and this was a valuable source of information. The book is not for the faint hearted as it is delves into the past.
If you want to know why those of Poles do not really consider that the war ended in 1945 but 1989 then read this book. If you are interested in all aspects of Eastern Europe and WW2 this book is a must buy.
I recently used it as part of a source for reference while writing an overview on aspects of Polish war events and this was a valuable source of information. The book is not for the faint hearted as it is delves into the past.
If you want to know why those of Poles do not really consider that the war ended in 1945 but 1989 then read this book. If you are interested in all aspects of Eastern Europe and WW2 this book is a must buy.
July 11, 2013
Thorough, complete and instructive. Highly recommended.
February 16, 2013
Page 536 (my book): “A war begun in the defence of the inviolability and independence of Poland has ended with the deprivation of Polish independence and the placing of the country under the rule of a foreign power.”
This book traces the sad history of Poland during World War II. No country suffered more than Poland, which faced, at the beginning, two occupations by Germany and the Soviet Union, then Germany from 1941- 44, and at wars’ end that of the Soviet Union. In a very real sense Poland’s occupation ended only after the demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. It could be argued (which is not a debate I have any inclination to be involved in) that the Soviet Union suffered more than Poland during the Second World War, but proportionately more Poles were victimized and Poland’s war started in 1939.
The author describes all the events beginning with the dual occupation and the division of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union – both were vicious occupiers. Even though Poland was a poor country, the Soviets were impressed in 1939 by the abundance they found, and abruptly started to take everything. I was not aware that during its occupation the Soviet Union killed and/or deported to their extensive Gulag system - thousands upon thousands of Poles. Many starved to death – and many that were sent to the Western Allies after 1941 from their Gulags, via the circuitous route of Iran, were in a deplorable physical state.
There are chapters on the Warsaw ghetto uprising, the Holocaust, the Warsaw uprising of 1944 with Soviet troops looking on sixty kilometres away. As an aside, the author points out the extreme arrogance of the French army who did not consult with the remnants of the Polish army after 1939 – the French were next on the German “chopping block”.
The author recounts the Katyn massacre of Polish officers in 1940 and its constant denial by the Soviet Union – the guilt of this was only acknowledged by both Gorbachev and Yeltsin in the early 1990’s. There is a direct link between the Katyn massacre “controversy” and Stalin’s non-recognition of the exiled Polish government in London in April of 1943.
Yalta, Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill, The Polish London Government (or Polish exile government) & Lublin Polish Government (Stalin’s puppets)
There is a strong tendency I wish to comment on throughout this book to blame the Western Allies – particularly Roosevelt and Churchill – for allowing Stalin to set up his own puppet regime in Poland – which started in 1944. It is Stalin who set up a cruel dictatorship in Poland, not the Western Allies.
For instance on page 508 of my book: “Ultimately the success of the Yalta conference would rest on whether Churchill and Roosevelt had been correct in assuming that the Soviets could be trusted not to impose communist dominated governments on the countries of Eastern Europe.” This is pointing in the wrong direction. The question should be: would Stalin live up to his agreements at Yalta – which he clearly did not. He never allowed any opposition parties in Poland (in fact many were arrested and killed) and “unfettered and free elections” as called for at Yalta, did not happen until after 1990. The author also points out that Stalin had 2 million Red Army troops in Poland – he had all the cards – having over 10 million troops in Eastern Europe. Going to war with Stalin after the Germans had been defeated was not an option. Stalin wanted his puppets in Poland and there was very little the Western Allies could do about it. Stalin had “boots on the ground” in Eastern Europe, the Western Allies did not. With these “boots on the ground” Stalin was able to build his own government – and sadly, this became a rule by terror with massive population resettlements and the arrest of thousands of members of the Polish resistance.
The author on page 358: “But for Stalin... to ensure political dominance over the entire population of Poland the authority of the Polish government in London had to be undermined”. I find this statement unrealistic. The Polish government in London never had authority in Poland after September 1939. It was a government in absentia. Much closer to the truth is the author’s statement from Stalin (page 510): “Churchill wants the Soviet Union to share a border with a bourgeois Poland, alien to us, but we cannot allow this to happen.” Did this London Polish government really think that a person of Stalin’s’ nature was going to merely let them waltz into Warsaw and set up a democratic government?
On page 436: “The Polish government (in London) wanted the British and United States governments to give guarantees that they would uphold Poland’s post-war frontiers and that the Soviet occupation of Poland would end as soon as the war did”. This guarantee would have merely been a paper guarantee which was worthless in front of Stalin’s Red Army in Eastern Europe. As mentioned on page 439 by Roosevelt to the Polish ambassador: “Do you expect us to declare war on Joe Stalin if they cross your previous frontier?” On page 479: “The men of the II Polish Corps held on to the belief that after Germany was defeated they could go into action against the Soviet Union.” This was a delusion.
Up until the end of the Second World War the Soviet Union was viewed as an ally – and correctly so. Beginning in 1943 it was the Red Army that was primarily defeating Germany, which was the main objective. They were hardly viewed as someone to go to war with. Unfortunately Churchill and Roosevelt needed Stalin more than the London Polish Government (and the same applied to DeGaulle). It was only after the war – and the beginning of the Cold War – that many saw the Soviet Union for what it was: a despotic dictatorship that waged war against its own people.
One must realize that Poland’s vulnerable geography places it directly between two of Europe’s most dangerous nations – sadly Poland risks being emasculated by one of the two.
Despite all, this book is still very worthwhile. There is a thorough examination on the ramifications of the Warsaw Uprising along with Russia’s intransigence. I did feel the author went on too long about Polish participation with the Western Allies (like in Italy) – but it does make us understand more the dismay and bitterness of the Polish people when their country became usurped, once more, under the yoke of a powerful neighbor.
One further quote:
Page xxix: “In 1939 Poland was a heterogeneous country with significant national minorities of Ukrainians, Belorussians, Lithuanian, Germans and Jews, but in 1945 Poland became a homogenous country.”
This book traces the sad history of Poland during World War II. No country suffered more than Poland, which faced, at the beginning, two occupations by Germany and the Soviet Union, then Germany from 1941- 44, and at wars’ end that of the Soviet Union. In a very real sense Poland’s occupation ended only after the demise of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. It could be argued (which is not a debate I have any inclination to be involved in) that the Soviet Union suffered more than Poland during the Second World War, but proportionately more Poles were victimized and Poland’s war started in 1939.
The author describes all the events beginning with the dual occupation and the division of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union – both were vicious occupiers. Even though Poland was a poor country, the Soviets were impressed in 1939 by the abundance they found, and abruptly started to take everything. I was not aware that during its occupation the Soviet Union killed and/or deported to their extensive Gulag system - thousands upon thousands of Poles. Many starved to death – and many that were sent to the Western Allies after 1941 from their Gulags, via the circuitous route of Iran, were in a deplorable physical state.
There are chapters on the Warsaw ghetto uprising, the Holocaust, the Warsaw uprising of 1944 with Soviet troops looking on sixty kilometres away. As an aside, the author points out the extreme arrogance of the French army who did not consult with the remnants of the Polish army after 1939 – the French were next on the German “chopping block”.
The author recounts the Katyn massacre of Polish officers in 1940 and its constant denial by the Soviet Union – the guilt of this was only acknowledged by both Gorbachev and Yeltsin in the early 1990’s. There is a direct link between the Katyn massacre “controversy” and Stalin’s non-recognition of the exiled Polish government in London in April of 1943.
Yalta, Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill, The Polish London Government (or Polish exile government) & Lublin Polish Government (Stalin’s puppets)
There is a strong tendency I wish to comment on throughout this book to blame the Western Allies – particularly Roosevelt and Churchill – for allowing Stalin to set up his own puppet regime in Poland – which started in 1944. It is Stalin who set up a cruel dictatorship in Poland, not the Western Allies.
For instance on page 508 of my book: “Ultimately the success of the Yalta conference would rest on whether Churchill and Roosevelt had been correct in assuming that the Soviets could be trusted not to impose communist dominated governments on the countries of Eastern Europe.” This is pointing in the wrong direction. The question should be: would Stalin live up to his agreements at Yalta – which he clearly did not. He never allowed any opposition parties in Poland (in fact many were arrested and killed) and “unfettered and free elections” as called for at Yalta, did not happen until after 1990. The author also points out that Stalin had 2 million Red Army troops in Poland – he had all the cards – having over 10 million troops in Eastern Europe. Going to war with Stalin after the Germans had been defeated was not an option. Stalin wanted his puppets in Poland and there was very little the Western Allies could do about it. Stalin had “boots on the ground” in Eastern Europe, the Western Allies did not. With these “boots on the ground” Stalin was able to build his own government – and sadly, this became a rule by terror with massive population resettlements and the arrest of thousands of members of the Polish resistance.
The author on page 358: “But for Stalin... to ensure political dominance over the entire population of Poland the authority of the Polish government in London had to be undermined”. I find this statement unrealistic. The Polish government in London never had authority in Poland after September 1939. It was a government in absentia. Much closer to the truth is the author’s statement from Stalin (page 510): “Churchill wants the Soviet Union to share a border with a bourgeois Poland, alien to us, but we cannot allow this to happen.” Did this London Polish government really think that a person of Stalin’s’ nature was going to merely let them waltz into Warsaw and set up a democratic government?
On page 436: “The Polish government (in London) wanted the British and United States governments to give guarantees that they would uphold Poland’s post-war frontiers and that the Soviet occupation of Poland would end as soon as the war did”. This guarantee would have merely been a paper guarantee which was worthless in front of Stalin’s Red Army in Eastern Europe. As mentioned on page 439 by Roosevelt to the Polish ambassador: “Do you expect us to declare war on Joe Stalin if they cross your previous frontier?” On page 479: “The men of the II Polish Corps held on to the belief that after Germany was defeated they could go into action against the Soviet Union.” This was a delusion.
Up until the end of the Second World War the Soviet Union was viewed as an ally – and correctly so. Beginning in 1943 it was the Red Army that was primarily defeating Germany, which was the main objective. They were hardly viewed as someone to go to war with. Unfortunately Churchill and Roosevelt needed Stalin more than the London Polish Government (and the same applied to DeGaulle). It was only after the war – and the beginning of the Cold War – that many saw the Soviet Union for what it was: a despotic dictatorship that waged war against its own people.
One must realize that Poland’s vulnerable geography places it directly between two of Europe’s most dangerous nations – sadly Poland risks being emasculated by one of the two.
Despite all, this book is still very worthwhile. There is a thorough examination on the ramifications of the Warsaw Uprising along with Russia’s intransigence. I did feel the author went on too long about Polish participation with the Western Allies (like in Italy) – but it does make us understand more the dismay and bitterness of the Polish people when their country became usurped, once more, under the yoke of a powerful neighbor.
One further quote:
Page xxix: “In 1939 Poland was a heterogeneous country with significant national minorities of Ukrainians, Belorussians, Lithuanian, Germans and Jews, but in 1945 Poland became a homogenous country.”
May 25, 2013
In my work on the Brute Polak stereotype, I attempt to explain why so many otherwise Politically Correct people, who find stereotyping of African Americans, homosexuals, and women to be utterly beyond the pale, feel free to engage in the most egregious stereotyping of Poles. One justification for anti-Polish stereotyping: "Poles have not suffered." Others have suffered, and they must be shielded from verbal assault. Poles, on the other hand, have not suffered, and deserve no such protection.
Poles have not suffered: that anyone could say this, never mind as an excuse for stereotyping, demonstrates that Poles have not adequately communicated their story on college campuses, in literature, through museums or in the political arena. In addition, there are pressures against Poles speaking the truth. In 1939, a week before the Nazi blitzkrieg in Poland, Hitler stated, "I put ready my Death's Head units, with the order to kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of the Polish race or language." I was once told that I could not include that quote in a scholarly work if I wished to see my work published. Referencing Polish suffering, I was told, would be interpreted as an attempt to minimize Jewish suffering.
According to the Harvard University Press webpage, in "'The Eagle Unbowed,' Halik Kochanski tells, for the first time, the story of Poland’s war in its entirety." It's been a long wait, but now that Kochanski's book is here, one thing is clear: if the word "genocide" cannot be applied to Poland during World War II, then the word "genocide" has no meaning.
The sadism and suffering recorded in these pages is overwhelming. Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia invaded Poland in September, 1939. Both intended to erase Poland. Both explicitly stated as much. Both Germany and Russia had, for hundreds of years, tried to erase Poland. Both performed genocidal acts, including mass murder of non-combatant civilians, mass murder of political, religions, cultural, and military leaders, targeting children for persecution, outlawing education, outlawing Polish language, focused attempts to erase Polish culture, mass deportations, enslavement, and resettlement of former Polish territory with non-Poles. Both had clear and plausible plans for the ultimate elimination of Poland and Polishness; the German was named Generalplan Ost.
Polish priests in Dachau concentration camp; Polish professors in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp; Polish military officers mass murdered by the Soviets in Katyn; Polish children kidnapped by Nazis; some to be raised as Nazis, some to be gassed; Polish children starved to death in the Soviet Gulag; Polish villages destroyed by the Nazis; Polish villagers massacred by Soviet partisans; Polish villagers massacred by Ukrainians; Polish museums, factories, forests, libraries, artworks, burned, bombed, despoiled, crated up and carted away; Poland abandoned and betrayed by her allies France, England, and America: If the word "genocide" cannot be applied to this, the word "genocide" has no meaning. It does not belittle others' suffering to state that Poland was a victim of genocide during World War II. It demeans humanity to refuse to say so.
We've read bits and pieces of this history in other volumes. If Harvard's advertising is correct, this is the first English-language overview of WW II in Poland. It is the first such book I have read. Even though I am familiar with this history, reading it all in one sitting is an emotional and spiritual challenge.
Kochanski's style is brisk and no-nonsense. She covers a massive amount of material – addressing diplomacy, military maneuvers, espionage, torture – in the most efficient manner possible. She does not linger over the heartbreaking aspect of her narrative. She does select quotes that do the work of bringing to brief life the emotional impact of massive human evil. These quotes flame out on the page, and, like lit matchsticks, go out quickly, as we return to the forced march through hell. At times, Kochanski's text can be dry. This is especially true of the opening chapters that hurry the reader through a necessary introduction to Polish history. Even when discussing highly contested material, such as the role of Polish non-Jews in the Nazi genocide of Jews, Kochanski is dispassionate and quick. This book will never be a bestseller, but anyone who has any interest in Poland owes it to himself to read it, indeed, to soldier through it.
I am not a historian, and I am not qualified to assess this massive amount of data. I have read professional reviews of "The Eagle Unbowed" and been positively impressed. I've also read two critical reviews of the book, one by Antony Polonsky, the other by John Connelly. Polonsky praises the book on its handling of military history and the Second Polish Republic. Polonsky cites errors of fact, errors that could easily be corrected in subsequent editions. Polonsky faults the book for not citing recent work by Barbara Engelking, Andrzej Zbikowski and Jan Grabowski, including work that depicts Polish-Jewish relations during World War II in a less favorable light.
In his December 3 review of "The Eagle Unbowed" in The Nation, John Connelly mimes a tone of forced befuddlement. He doesn't understand how Poles can be sometimes stereotyped as noble, and, at other times, as base scum. Connelly would benefit from reading "Bieganski, The Brute Polak Stereotype." Ironically, Connelly chastises Kochanski for not being aware of current scholarship. This current scholarship, Connelly writes, demonstrates that Poles, inspired by their own anti-Semitism, collaborated with Nazis in the Final Solution. He also criticizes Kochanski for citing anti-Communism as the cause of Polish hostility to Jews, for example, in territory often occupied by the Soviets. In sum, Connelly writes, Kochanski is to be faulted because the Polish viewpoint prevails in her book.
No doubt historians will debate whether or not Kochanski is too soft on, or underrepresents, Polish anti-Semitism, and whether or not the book is representational. I am not an historian, and I can only watch from the sidelines of such a debate. No matter the outcome, the book as it stands now is one that must be read by anyone who wants to talk about Poland during WW II.
Poles have not suffered: that anyone could say this, never mind as an excuse for stereotyping, demonstrates that Poles have not adequately communicated their story on college campuses, in literature, through museums or in the political arena. In addition, there are pressures against Poles speaking the truth. In 1939, a week before the Nazi blitzkrieg in Poland, Hitler stated, "I put ready my Death's Head units, with the order to kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of the Polish race or language." I was once told that I could not include that quote in a scholarly work if I wished to see my work published. Referencing Polish suffering, I was told, would be interpreted as an attempt to minimize Jewish suffering.
According to the Harvard University Press webpage, in "'The Eagle Unbowed,' Halik Kochanski tells, for the first time, the story of Poland’s war in its entirety." It's been a long wait, but now that Kochanski's book is here, one thing is clear: if the word "genocide" cannot be applied to Poland during World War II, then the word "genocide" has no meaning.
The sadism and suffering recorded in these pages is overwhelming. Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia invaded Poland in September, 1939. Both intended to erase Poland. Both explicitly stated as much. Both Germany and Russia had, for hundreds of years, tried to erase Poland. Both performed genocidal acts, including mass murder of non-combatant civilians, mass murder of political, religions, cultural, and military leaders, targeting children for persecution, outlawing education, outlawing Polish language, focused attempts to erase Polish culture, mass deportations, enslavement, and resettlement of former Polish territory with non-Poles. Both had clear and plausible plans for the ultimate elimination of Poland and Polishness; the German was named Generalplan Ost.
Polish priests in Dachau concentration camp; Polish professors in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp; Polish military officers mass murdered by the Soviets in Katyn; Polish children kidnapped by Nazis; some to be raised as Nazis, some to be gassed; Polish children starved to death in the Soviet Gulag; Polish villages destroyed by the Nazis; Polish villagers massacred by Soviet partisans; Polish villagers massacred by Ukrainians; Polish museums, factories, forests, libraries, artworks, burned, bombed, despoiled, crated up and carted away; Poland abandoned and betrayed by her allies France, England, and America: If the word "genocide" cannot be applied to this, the word "genocide" has no meaning. It does not belittle others' suffering to state that Poland was a victim of genocide during World War II. It demeans humanity to refuse to say so.
We've read bits and pieces of this history in other volumes. If Harvard's advertising is correct, this is the first English-language overview of WW II in Poland. It is the first such book I have read. Even though I am familiar with this history, reading it all in one sitting is an emotional and spiritual challenge.
Kochanski's style is brisk and no-nonsense. She covers a massive amount of material – addressing diplomacy, military maneuvers, espionage, torture – in the most efficient manner possible. She does not linger over the heartbreaking aspect of her narrative. She does select quotes that do the work of bringing to brief life the emotional impact of massive human evil. These quotes flame out on the page, and, like lit matchsticks, go out quickly, as we return to the forced march through hell. At times, Kochanski's text can be dry. This is especially true of the opening chapters that hurry the reader through a necessary introduction to Polish history. Even when discussing highly contested material, such as the role of Polish non-Jews in the Nazi genocide of Jews, Kochanski is dispassionate and quick. This book will never be a bestseller, but anyone who has any interest in Poland owes it to himself to read it, indeed, to soldier through it.
I am not a historian, and I am not qualified to assess this massive amount of data. I have read professional reviews of "The Eagle Unbowed" and been positively impressed. I've also read two critical reviews of the book, one by Antony Polonsky, the other by John Connelly. Polonsky praises the book on its handling of military history and the Second Polish Republic. Polonsky cites errors of fact, errors that could easily be corrected in subsequent editions. Polonsky faults the book for not citing recent work by Barbara Engelking, Andrzej Zbikowski and Jan Grabowski, including work that depicts Polish-Jewish relations during World War II in a less favorable light.
In his December 3 review of "The Eagle Unbowed" in The Nation, John Connelly mimes a tone of forced befuddlement. He doesn't understand how Poles can be sometimes stereotyped as noble, and, at other times, as base scum. Connelly would benefit from reading "Bieganski, The Brute Polak Stereotype." Ironically, Connelly chastises Kochanski for not being aware of current scholarship. This current scholarship, Connelly writes, demonstrates that Poles, inspired by their own anti-Semitism, collaborated with Nazis in the Final Solution. He also criticizes Kochanski for citing anti-Communism as the cause of Polish hostility to Jews, for example, in territory often occupied by the Soviets. In sum, Connelly writes, Kochanski is to be faulted because the Polish viewpoint prevails in her book.
No doubt historians will debate whether or not Kochanski is too soft on, or underrepresents, Polish anti-Semitism, and whether or not the book is representational. I am not an historian, and I can only watch from the sidelines of such a debate. No matter the outcome, the book as it stands now is one that must be read by anyone who wants to talk about Poland during WW II.
April 6, 2017
Finished at last! My gosh that was horrible. A real review will come tomorrow (if I can remember that it...)
January 11, 2018
Every student of history knows, generally, what happened to the Polish people during WWII, but this is one of those situations where, when you read a 600 page book dedicated to the subject, it turns out to be so much worse than you thought. From relocation to political missteps, countless atrocities to their war contributions, the westward shifting of their borders to more relocations, Halik Kochanski does a superb job of bringing together the whole of the Polish experience during the Second World War, concluding with a final chapter of the aftermath. During almost any other time the Polish experience would have been the focal point of justifiable outrage, but the Holocaust (which included approximately 3,000,000 Polish Jews) casts a long shadow, and unfortunately, the story of the Polish people has been seen, if seen at all, as an insignificant side-story. This is one of those books that sticks with you long after the final page is turned.
October 13, 2013
Horror story, history, expose, explanation and cautionary tale. Also, completely true, impeccably researched and documented.
January 9, 2020
I started The Eagle Unbowed for two main reasons. First to get out of my comfort zone. Most of my reading on World War II has come from an American perspective so I wanted to branch out to be introduced to other experiences during the war and other views about the war. The second reason was that it was highly recommended by a loyal contributor to the Goodreads World War Two group.
I'm thankful for the recommendation as I found the Eagle Unbowed to be engaging, informative, and comprehensive. The author covered every facet of the war that touched Poland and Poles. She started with a history of the country including its reformation after the First World War. She moves to Poland's foreign relations before the war then moves on to Germany's invasion and the subsequent atrocities inflicted on the country until after the war. Other topics the author explored includes deportations to Russia; German occupation; military engagements of Polish forces; the underground army and government; plus much more. I was surprised to learn that Polish forces fought in Norway and France in 1940. This isn't typically covered in western narratives of these battles. The book ends after the 1947 elections.
I highly recommend this book!!
I'm thankful for the recommendation as I found the Eagle Unbowed to be engaging, informative, and comprehensive. The author covered every facet of the war that touched Poland and Poles. She started with a history of the country including its reformation after the First World War. She moves to Poland's foreign relations before the war then moves on to Germany's invasion and the subsequent atrocities inflicted on the country until after the war. Other topics the author explored includes deportations to Russia; German occupation; military engagements of Polish forces; the underground army and government; plus much more. I was surprised to learn that Polish forces fought in Norway and France in 1940. This isn't typically covered in western narratives of these battles. The book ends after the 1947 elections.
I highly recommend this book!!
February 22, 2013
Allow me to explain what led me to The Eagle Unbowed. First and foremost, I am mostly Polish and I have always had an interest in history. In high school and college (majored in History) the most I ever learned of Poland was that it was partitioned several times in the 18th and 19th centuries, and that it was invaded by Germany in September, 1939. Clearly, there was a lot of history there that I'd been missing out on. By the time I graduated I was so burnt-out on history that I never dug any further. It wasn't until I recently saw three films by Polish director Andrzej Wajda (mentioned briefly near the end of the book) that I regained an interest in Polish history circa WWII. These films were A Generation (Pokolonie) (1955), Kanal (1957), and Ashes and Diamonds (Popiół i diament) (1958); they're all great and I recommend watching them in order (as well as the interviews afterwards, if you get the Criterion Collection editions). In each, Wajda portrays a group of people: Polish communists resisting the Germans, Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa or AK)in the Warsaw Uprising, and the post-war remnants of the Home Army resisting communist takeover, respectively.
Now my interest was really piqued. I found The Eagle Unbowed (TEU) at the library after searching for Polish history books about WWII and the years after. What I thought I'd be most interested in were the years just after the war (as depicted in Ashes and Diamonds), but I think this was just because I didn't realize how much was going on in Poland during the war. TEU gives a brief history of Poland's rise to prominence and eventual "pickle in the middle" status with Austria, Prussia, and Russia; WWI and the intervening years, including the war with the Soviet Union in the 1920s, are also reviewed. The main focus of the book is WWII itself, from the mythical cavalry charge on German tanks to the "end" of the war in 1945, which, as Kochanski and other reviewers note, was no end at all for the Poles.
One of the things I was most impressed by while reading TEU was how confusing everything is. I'm not saying that Kochanski's writing is confusing; in fact, her appendices and name guides were helpful in keeping things straight(relatively speaking); rather, how confusing it must have been to be a Pole at that time. Which of the numerous groups do you ally with? Who are their allies? What do the other powers want for Poland or from Poland? On top of that, every power wants them to move east or west, or just vanish from existence entirely. And in spite of all this, a great many Poles were able to organize and effectively combat the Nazis and Soviets all around the world. I imagine myself as a Pole in the 1940's carrying around this book and scratching my head trying to get things figured out. Basically, if the book is confusing, it's because the history itself was confusing, as much for those living it as for those studying it.
Also mind-boggling is the staggering number of people killed in such a short time. Kochanski throws a lot of numbers at us during all the battles, executions, forced migrations, etc., and I admit that by about halfway through I was glossing over the stats; part of this was laziness, but I think part of it is the mind's inability to comprehend such destruction, like "I can't even fathom 40,000 people dying in one spot in one day so I'm going to skim over this paragraph."
TEU helped to fill in the massive knowledge gaps left by my formal education, and at the same time it increased my pride in being Polish and my gratitude at not having to be alive at such a horrifying time (not that the world's a sunny paradise in 2013 but that's another story).
Kochanski should be commended for writing a comprehensive history on Poland in the years around WWII. Regardless of her Polish name, I did not get the feeling, as some of you did, that Kochanski was unjustly opinionated without the backing of facts and excerpts from primary sources at her side. I also appreciated her guide on Polish pronunciation at the beginning of the book enough to tab it and constantly flip back to it until I could remember what letters made what sound. It makes a big difference to me when reading a book with foreign names to be able to pronounce them correctly. It also helps me to remember names better when I say them aloud and in their appropriate accent. For TEU I read all of the names in the voice of Andrzej Wajda, as heard in the Criterion interviews mentioned above.
A few suggestions of improvements for future editions: a second section of pictures, fix the typos (I can remember almost a dozen obvious ones), and redesign the maps so that the different portions stand out better in black and white (sometimes it was hard to tell dark gray from slightly darker gray). Apart from those minor complaints, I recommend reading this book in conjunction with the three Wajda films to get a better idea of the story.
Now my interest was really piqued. I found The Eagle Unbowed (TEU) at the library after searching for Polish history books about WWII and the years after. What I thought I'd be most interested in were the years just after the war (as depicted in Ashes and Diamonds), but I think this was just because I didn't realize how much was going on in Poland during the war. TEU gives a brief history of Poland's rise to prominence and eventual "pickle in the middle" status with Austria, Prussia, and Russia; WWI and the intervening years, including the war with the Soviet Union in the 1920s, are also reviewed. The main focus of the book is WWII itself, from the mythical cavalry charge on German tanks to the "end" of the war in 1945, which, as Kochanski and other reviewers note, was no end at all for the Poles.
One of the things I was most impressed by while reading TEU was how confusing everything is. I'm not saying that Kochanski's writing is confusing; in fact, her appendices and name guides were helpful in keeping things straight(relatively speaking); rather, how confusing it must have been to be a Pole at that time. Which of the numerous groups do you ally with? Who are their allies? What do the other powers want for Poland or from Poland? On top of that, every power wants them to move east or west, or just vanish from existence entirely. And in spite of all this, a great many Poles were able to organize and effectively combat the Nazis and Soviets all around the world. I imagine myself as a Pole in the 1940's carrying around this book and scratching my head trying to get things figured out. Basically, if the book is confusing, it's because the history itself was confusing, as much for those living it as for those studying it.
Also mind-boggling is the staggering number of people killed in such a short time. Kochanski throws a lot of numbers at us during all the battles, executions, forced migrations, etc., and I admit that by about halfway through I was glossing over the stats; part of this was laziness, but I think part of it is the mind's inability to comprehend such destruction, like "I can't even fathom 40,000 people dying in one spot in one day so I'm going to skim over this paragraph."
TEU helped to fill in the massive knowledge gaps left by my formal education, and at the same time it increased my pride in being Polish and my gratitude at not having to be alive at such a horrifying time (not that the world's a sunny paradise in 2013 but that's another story).
Kochanski should be commended for writing a comprehensive history on Poland in the years around WWII. Regardless of her Polish name, I did not get the feeling, as some of you did, that Kochanski was unjustly opinionated without the backing of facts and excerpts from primary sources at her side. I also appreciated her guide on Polish pronunciation at the beginning of the book enough to tab it and constantly flip back to it until I could remember what letters made what sound. It makes a big difference to me when reading a book with foreign names to be able to pronounce them correctly. It also helps me to remember names better when I say them aloud and in their appropriate accent. For TEU I read all of the names in the voice of Andrzej Wajda, as heard in the Criterion interviews mentioned above.
A few suggestions of improvements for future editions: a second section of pictures, fix the typos (I can remember almost a dozen obvious ones), and redesign the maps so that the different portions stand out better in black and white (sometimes it was hard to tell dark gray from slightly darker gray). Apart from those minor complaints, I recommend reading this book in conjunction with the three Wajda films to get a better idea of the story.
October 26, 2020
Honor and betrayal
I gave this book five stars because of the impeccable research and the excellent writing. Poland fought with honor against a German nation that had none. Of course it was no match for the Nazis. Poland was completely overpowered but still managed to fight longer and harder, and with more bravery then France. Remember Poland was fighting the Nazis and the Soviets, who split a proud nation into halves, until it suited Hitler and his murdering minions to attack the Soviet Union. Thousands of Poles fought for the western allies during World War Two. Polish pilots helped save London. Liberated parts of Italy, and offered intelligence that was desperately needed to defeat the Germans. In return Poland was betrayed by Churchill and Roosevelt, handed to Stalin to keep him happy. Churchill has been lauded as one of the greatest leaders of all time, and perhaps he was, but history shows he betrayed Poland. That is often overlooked when singing his praises. Just as guilty was Roosevelt. Anything Stalin wanted he got, such as Poland. Is it any wonder this history was hidden so well? Such a complete betrayal of the most loyal ally Great Britain and America had during the war. No longer. Poland will not be betrayed again. It is today a wealthy, powerful, nation. Soviet hatred of Poland remains because despite its best efforts it NEVER really came close to defeating Poland. I do not agree with all Polish policies today but it is their country and they fought long and hard for it. An excellent book and highly recommended for anyone interested in history. Very well done.
I gave this book five stars because of the impeccable research and the excellent writing. Poland fought with honor against a German nation that had none. Of course it was no match for the Nazis. Poland was completely overpowered but still managed to fight longer and harder, and with more bravery then France. Remember Poland was fighting the Nazis and the Soviets, who split a proud nation into halves, until it suited Hitler and his murdering minions to attack the Soviet Union. Thousands of Poles fought for the western allies during World War Two. Polish pilots helped save London. Liberated parts of Italy, and offered intelligence that was desperately needed to defeat the Germans. In return Poland was betrayed by Churchill and Roosevelt, handed to Stalin to keep him happy. Churchill has been lauded as one of the greatest leaders of all time, and perhaps he was, but history shows he betrayed Poland. That is often overlooked when singing his praises. Just as guilty was Roosevelt. Anything Stalin wanted he got, such as Poland. Is it any wonder this history was hidden so well? Such a complete betrayal of the most loyal ally Great Britain and America had during the war. No longer. Poland will not be betrayed again. It is today a wealthy, powerful, nation. Soviet hatred of Poland remains because despite its best efforts it NEVER really came close to defeating Poland. I do not agree with all Polish policies today but it is their country and they fought long and hard for it. An excellent book and highly recommended for anyone interested in history. Very well done.
July 3, 2013
One of the best books on history of Poland during the Second World War. Addresses a number of issues from different perspectives. Quotes Churchill's reaction to the Katyn murder of Polish officers: "if they are dead nothing you can do will bring them back" (page 343). However, on the whole it portrays Churchill as an advocate of Polish people, a man of high moral principles and most human of the allied troika.
Among many examples of objective addressing of Polish history are an explanation why the First Polish army formed in USSR under Anders left to Palestine, and why Polish soldiers were not invited by British government to the Victory Parade to commemorate VE Day.
An Excellent book for all those interested in the Second World War and the fate of Poland, the only country fighting along Allied armies that ended up with its borders and without freedom for another 45 years, with majority of its educated leadership murdered by Germans and Russians, and those who survived persecuted by the Communist regime for years after.
Among many examples of objective addressing of Polish history are an explanation why the First Polish army formed in USSR under Anders left to Palestine, and why Polish soldiers were not invited by British government to the Victory Parade to commemorate VE Day.
An Excellent book for all those interested in the Second World War and the fate of Poland, the only country fighting along Allied armies that ended up with its borders and without freedom for another 45 years, with majority of its educated leadership murdered by Germans and Russians, and those who survived persecuted by the Communist regime for years after.
April 27, 2015
A excellent documenting of the incredibly important role that the poles played in the various theatres of World War 2. I will initially confess that prior to reading this of knowing only really about the fierce defence that the poles enacted after the invasion of Poland and their role in the battle of Britain, I had no idea of the importance that they played on the eastern front and particularly at Monte Cassino. This book covers a great deal in its pages and for a fascinating account of a lesser known side of the history of WW2 I couldn't recommend a better starting point.
February 1, 2013
This is a great book. I think most folks know the bits anecdotally, but this puts the whole World War II experience in context. And it is horrendous. The Poles suffered hugely, especially but not limited to their Jewish population. And the politics of the Allies, Britain, US, and the Soviet Union are daunting and sad. A great book.
July 28, 2017
#引言
《不折之鹰》是英国历史学家哈莉克·科汉斯基2012年出版的一本历史著作。本书主要讲述了二战期间波兰的人民所蒙受的苦难和所做出的抗争。
先说苦难，二战期间波兰人口损折600万人，占到战前人口的1/6。再说抗争，波兰流亡政府组建了第1军、第2军、喀尔巴千旅；波兰地下政府组建了国家军；苏联方面组建了波兰第1集团军和第2集团军。他们在南线、西线、东线打击德国侵略者，在本土还发动了彪炳史册的华沙起义。
可惜的是，波兰民族虽然英勇善战，毕竟经济落后。它不能完全掌握自己的命运：战争刚爆发，就被德苏两国瓜分；战后在雅尔塔体系下，国土整体向西迁移。当然波兰民族本身也不纯洁无辜：战前��犹，压迫东部边疆的乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人，战中做德国人屠杀犹太人的帮凶；战后又掀起反犹浪潮。
正由于这复杂的历史过程，才使这段历史书写起来尤为厚重。首先这是一段史诗：波兰人在二战中英勇无畏、不畏牺牲，让人可钦可佩。第二是冰冷的算计：英德苏美法乌波各国为了自身利益纵横捭阖，在结盟的时候算计盟友、和敌人却往往有默契。第三是可怖的罪行：最恐怖的当然是德国纳粹对犹太人进行的大屠杀，还有卡廷惨案、波兰人与乌克兰人的互相屠杀，乃至犹太人牺牲同胞苟活——在民族之林活下来的，没有善男信女。第四是切肤之痛：本书作者的父辈亲身经历了整场战争，而且本书收集了大量当事人的回忆录，使得文字描述极为生动。第五是苦中作乐：在如此艰苦的环境下，波军还要吐槽英国厨子做饭难吃。
#主要内容
本书的内容极为丰富，全书45万字。我根据自己的阅读理解，做了一个年表。我没有受过历史学训练，这个表做得挺粗糙的。
#本书的写作特点
##资料内容极为详实
本书的写作过程是非常扎实的。各种事实、言论、数据都有相当明确的引证。首先是采纳多方资料，而且诚如本书所宣称的那样，由于本书是第一部全景性描写波兰二战史的书籍，所以作者能够从对多方史料的汇集比对中得到较为客观的看法。例如在论述波兰人对于犹太大屠杀的态度的时候，就把波兰人、犹太人、德国人的论述都引用了，所以出卖、乘火打劫、帮助、旁观漠视等各种事例都写到了。第二是写作恰逢其时。写作本书的时候冷战结束了，作为英国历史学家可以探访波兰、乌克兰、立陶宛等地。距离战争结束已过去63年，大量的档案已经解密了。尤其幸运的是，叶利钦总统那种“黑历史全公布”的大无畏精神使得苏联方面的黑材料特别齐备。（之后普京当政，这方面就收紧了）。第三是善于运用访谈。作者有先天的优势，她本人就出生在波兰移民家庭，父辈有很多做公务员、军官的，而且有很多世交，能够采访到当时波兰流亡政府中很多关键人物。
##较为客观的立场
首先作者是英国人，又是波兰流亡者的后裔，亲西方、亲流亡政府的立场不可避免，对于苏联的所做作为是持批判态度的。例如著名的苏联红军对华沙起义袖手旁观的事例。但即使这样，对苏联政府做得可圈可点的地方还是承认的。比如说1939年9月侵占波兰东部后，不但提供义务教育、大学教育也免费了。又比如给波兰第一集团军、第二集团军提供了很好的武器装备、也是先训练再投入战场的。又比如对于被流放到西伯利亚、哈萨克斯坦的波兰难民也提供小学教育。
更加难能可贵的是，作者不掩饰、避讳波兰人本身的“可怜之人必有可恨之处”。诚如作者在序言中所说的：
“本书并不是一本民族主义研究的著作，它不会毫无原则地维护波兰政府（指波兰流亡政府）的政策或是一些个人的行为。就我归纳来说，主要有如下几点：
首先是战前趁着纳粹德国并吞捷克斯洛伐克的时候，侵略了特申地区。（特申地区的归属问题十分复杂，这里仅是说时机不恰当）。这直接导致了邻国对它的高度不信任。
第二是波兰第二共和国时期，过于宣扬波兰民族意识，压迫东部边疆的乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人，埋下了民族仇杀的祸根。
第三是始终如一的排犹反犹。这个问题其实挺复杂的，犹太人也不是纯洁无辜。但是由于犹太大屠杀的极端残酷性、再加上战后以色列的兴起、美国犹太人获得的巨大成功，导致反犹主义是绝对的“政治不正确”。所以波兰人经常被拿出来和瑞典人做比较，各种揭露波兰人当德国人屠杀犹太人帮凶的书很多。、
第四是没有抓住时机。在1941年6月德国入侵苏联的时候，波兰流亡政府有个过于乐观的打算，认为二战是一战的重演：德国先打败俄国、英美再打败德国。这样波兰就能获得更大的利益，乃至成为中欧联盟的盟主。所以当时不急得和苏联确定战后边界。而当时正是苏联最脆弱的时候，也是斯大林最容易妥协的时候。1943年苏联取得战争主动权后，波兰流亡政府想和苏联谈，苏联都不理它了。
##文字优美流畅
本书引用的回忆录部分，写得都非常精彩。例如写一个小女孩逃亡到伊朗，但是由于长期饥饿吃不了重油重味的食物只能吐出来。但吐出来又害怕主人反感，就把呕吐物偷偷地埋在土里。再比如写卡西诺战役爆发前的这段：
“11点炮火齐射前，四下一片寂静，这是我们听到了你能想象到的最动人的夜莺歌声。之后我们开始炮击，天知道有多少门大炮，在这轰鸣的炮声里，夜莺却唱得更响亮了……你都可以听到它们的歌声回荡在炮弹的轰炸声中。”
#我的一点感想
##我们不乞求自由，我们争取自由
波兰第二共和国仅仅40天就沦陷了，但波兰人民始终坚持战斗，努力光复故国。这有两方面的原因。从客观上来说，当时环境严酷，容不得人置身世外、苟且偷安，自愿或者不自愿，都得上战场。所以逃亡的难民，除了少部分妇孺老人，青壮年男子都上战场了。从主观上来说，波兰人血性足，“男人的生命中只有一件事——国家和民族，它们是无价的，是至高无上的荣誉”。所以在法国，他们比法军勇敢；在英国，波兰303战斗机飞行队英勇到英国军人要冒充波兰飞行员来搭讪姑娘；在北非，他们和隆美尔的北非军团对峙；在意大利，他们以百分之30到40的伤亡率往前进攻。波兰人行走江湖，靠的就是一个勇字。
这也难怪现在的波兰政府拒绝再接收中东难民。人总是从自己的道德标准出发看待别人的。我想起BBC访问匈牙利，问当地男子为什么反对接收中东难民。受访者说：“这些男人见我们操棍子要揍他们，就把小孩举在前面当盾牌，一群懦夫！”当然政治、民族、经济的考量很重要，但人确实很少帮助自己瞧不起的人。
我以前总觉得二战打完，捷克死亡10万人，波兰死亡600万人，有些轻视波兰人。现在我觉得情况不同。当时捷克是相当程度的工业国，又是被德国完整侵吞的。海因利希为了充分发挥其军火生产能力，特意加以优待和保全。波兰当时是农业国，被德苏两国瓜分，可掠夺的一是劳动力、二是粮食。所以波兰人伤亡多不是由于他们不想苟全性命于乱世，实在是敌人太凶暴，只能拼死反抗。
##英雄只是权力的工具
可惜的是，波兰正处于地缘政治理论中“世界岛”的核心，“波兰问题太重要了，不能由波兰人决定”。其实关于英美苏在波兰疆域问题上，有很多倾轧、妥协和勾结，单纯地说波兰被盟国出卖也不全面。起码一场豪赌结束，在领土问题上不亏不赚罢。
此外，波兰流亡政府没有回国执政，也是作者的心结。可是它的政权基础——波兰国家军被苏军缴械。没了枪杆子、也就没有政权了。虽然波兰地下政府孤注一掷地发动了华沙起义，但是这件事有点自相矛盾。1.起义的目的是，在苏军占领华沙前自我解放，保持战后独立。2.起义成功的必要条件是苏联红军给予援助。苏联好像也不会做这种事。
##重视教育
波兰人一贯重视教育，保持后辈的民族意识。在二战中，他们流亡在英国、匈牙利的难民逐步建立了自己的初等、中等教育体系，在印度、英属非洲开办了学校。在中东的第二军，办起了少年军校，对于不适合作战的孩子办起了后勤学校（因为教师就是军官，也提供不了完善的中等教育）。在瑞士，被缴械的战俘（瑞士是中立国，不能允许波兰人从事敌对德国的行动）还读起了大学——瑞士真是人间天堂！难怪革命导师列宁在瑞士也无用武之地。尤其让我感动的有如下几点：
（1）在匈牙利的难民印制了波兰语课本，再由交通员送往其他难民点。
（2）华沙地下教师组织悄悄组织学生上课、考试。考试通过就发一张“我对你说的话很感兴趣“的纸条，战后换文凭。
（3）被流放到西伯利亚的难民，用菜谱教孩子学波兰文。
我想难怪居里夫人和肖邦都是在法国取得了极大的成功，但依然热爱当时亡国的波兰。这一点真是让人倾佩。
##远亲不如近邻
波兰在战前一直和法国关系打得火热。据德国、俄国的战略家说，波兰人总是和邻国龃龉不断，却为远方盟友火中取栗。但我觉得匈牙利人对他们确实没话说。在战前收留难民、帮助战俘逃跑。跟随德国入侵苏联（原波兰领土）对当地人也比较友善，在华沙起义的时候也保持中立。对他们真不错了。
##多民族国家要团结
本书中最让人看不起的是乌克兰人。俄国人来，帮俄国人剿杀波兰反抗分子。德国人来，做纳粹屠杀犹太人的帮凶。德国人大势已去，为了迅速占领土地，组织了乌克兰起义军屠杀东部边疆的波兰平民。
但说起来，世上也没有无缘无故的恨。波兰人通过巴黎和会复国，分得的土地上有德国人、犹太人、乌克兰人、白俄罗斯人。为了缓和国内阶级矛盾，把德国人的庄园拿出来分给无地农民。可却不动波兰人的庄园。由于商业上和犹太人竞争，所以排犹主义盛极一时。为了控制东部边疆、犒赏军官、强占乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人的土地，建立武装开垦团。国内民族矛盾是很严重的。正如本书中所说的：”如果1939年波兰第二共和国没有被外力摧毁，也必将从内部瓦解”。
当然，以后得看看乌克兰人如何叙述这段历史。要不然容易形成偏见。
##得有适应生活的能力
本书中有太多的颠沛流离、身不由己。到德国做苦工、流放到哈萨克斯坦的沙漠。不应征入伍，立即枪毙。几个姑娘结伴而行、步行穿越德国（当时的边界）回波兰。要掌握知识啊。
比如在西伯利亚森林中缺医少药，就得学草药学：泡松和云杉针汁可以预防坏血病；水煮柳树皮和枝是阿司匹林的替代品；山桑子可以帮助治疗腹泻。
比如逃到印度的难民，邦主送他们两只小鸡，就繁殖成了一群小鸡。后来邦主就送火鸡、鸭、乃至猪给他们，实现了肉食自给。
##三巨头不愧巨头。
虽然本书出于波兰流亡政府的立场对三巨头颇有微词。但从我这个外人看来，三个人都是当之无愧的大政治家。
丘吉尔在英军战斗力不强的实际环境下，甜言蜜语拉住波兰流亡政府建立军队。等到大局已定，又欺瞒哄骗波兰流亡政府接受战后疆域安排。
罗斯福明明不支持波兰流亡政府对战后波苏边界的诉求，但为了让波裔美国人在1944年总统选举中支持他，在选战关键期始终含糊其辞。在见国内波兰人代表的时候，嘴上云山雾罩，桌上又特地放一张二战前波兰地图，误导对方。
至于斯大林，一战获得历代沙皇未能得到的。在和波兰临时政府虚以委蛇的时候，以后一步步准备组建战后波兰政府了。波兰代表问他，那些被俘军官哪去了。他平静地回答：可能去了中国东北吧。其中种种权谋手段（仅指和外国人交锋的），就见其能力了。
我有种想法，要是老先生们管事掌权，人民内务委员部、殖民部、非美活动调查委员会还在，会不会能避免波士顿马拉松恐怖事件、伦敦恐怖事件和圣彼得堡地铁爆炸。残暴的君主专制可以比所有人对所有人的战争好。
#附录
本书收听自静雅思听。文本借阅自无锡市图书馆。
《不折之鹰》是英国历史学家哈莉克·科汉斯基2012年出版的一本历史著作。本书主要讲述了二战期间波兰的人民所蒙受的苦难和所做出的抗争。
先说苦难，二战期间波兰人口损折600万人，占到战前人口的1/6。再说抗争，波兰流亡政府组建了第1军、第2军、喀尔巴千旅；波兰地下政府组建了国家军；苏联方面组建了波兰第1集团军和第2集团军。他们在南线、西线、东线打击德国侵略者，在本土还发动了彪炳史册的华沙起义。
可惜的是，波兰民族虽然英勇善战，毕竟经济落后。它不能完全掌握自己的命运：战争刚爆发，就被德苏两国瓜分；战后在雅尔塔体系下，国土整体向西迁移。当然波兰民族本身也不纯洁无辜：战前��犹，压迫东部边疆的乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人，战中做德国人屠杀犹太人的帮凶；战后又掀起反犹浪潮。
正由于这复杂的历史过程，才使这段历史书写起来尤为厚重。首先这是一段史诗：波兰人在二战中英勇无畏、不畏牺牲，让人可钦可佩。第二是冰冷的算计：英德苏美法乌波各国为了自身利益纵横捭阖，在结盟的时候算计盟友、和敌人却往往有默契。第三是可怖的罪行：最恐怖的当然是德国纳粹对犹太人进行的大屠杀，还有卡廷惨案、波兰人与乌克兰人的互相屠杀，乃至犹太人牺牲同胞苟活——在民族之林活下来的，没有善男信女。第四是切肤之痛：本书作者的父辈亲身经历了整场战争，而且本书收集了大量当事人的回忆录，使得文字描述极为生动。第五是苦中作乐：在如此艰苦的环境下，波军还要吐槽英国厨子做饭难吃。
#主要内容
本书的内容极为丰富，全书45万字。我根据自己的阅读理解，做了一个年表。我没有受过历史学训练，这个表做得挺粗糙的。
#本书的写作特点
##资料内容极为详实
本书的写作过程是非常扎实的。各种事实、言论、数据都有相当明确的引证。首先是采纳多方资料，而且诚如本书所宣称的那样，由于本书是第一部全景性描写波兰二战史的书籍，所以作者能够从对多方史料的汇集比对中得到较为客观的看法。例如在论述波兰人对于犹太大屠杀的态度的时候，就把波兰人、犹太人、德国人的论述都引用了，所以出卖、乘火打劫、帮助、旁观漠视等各种事例都写到了。第二是写作恰逢其时。写作本书的时候冷战结束了，作为英国历史学家可以探访波兰、乌克兰、立陶宛等地。距离战争结束已过去63年，大量的档案已经解密了。尤其幸运的是，叶利钦总统那种“黑历史全公布”的大无畏精神使得苏联方面的黑材料特别齐备。（之后普京当政，这方面就收紧了）。第三是善于运用访谈。作者有先天的优势，她本人就出生在波兰移民家庭，父辈有很多做公务员、军官的，而且有很多世交，能够采访到当时波兰流亡政府中很多关键人物。
##较为客观的立场
首先作者是英国人，又是波兰流亡者的后裔，亲西方、亲流亡政府的立场不可避免，对于苏联的所做作为是持批判态度的。例如著名的苏联红军对华沙起义袖手旁观的事例。但即使这样，对苏联政府做得可圈可点的地方还是承认的。比如说1939年9月侵占波兰东部后，不但提供义务教育、大学教育也免费了。又比如给波兰第一集团军、第二集团军提供了很好的武器装备、也是先训练再投入战场的。又比如对于被流放到西伯利亚、哈萨克斯坦的波兰难民也提供小学教育。
更加难能可贵的是，作者不掩饰、避讳波兰人本身的“可怜之人必有可恨之处”。诚如作者在序言中所说的：
“本书并不是一本民族主义研究的著作，它不会毫无原则地维护波兰政府（指波兰流亡政府）的政策或是一些个人的行为。就我归纳来说，主要有如下几点：
首先是战前趁着纳粹德国并吞捷克斯洛伐克的时候，侵略了特申地区。（特申地区的归属问题十分复杂，这里仅是说时机不恰当）。这直接导致了邻国对它的高度不信任。
第二是波兰第二共和国时期，过于宣扬波兰民族意识，压迫东部边疆的乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人，埋下了民族仇杀的祸根。
第三是始终如一的排犹反犹。这个问题其实挺复杂的，犹太人也不是纯洁无辜。但是由于犹太大屠杀的极端残酷性、再加上战后以色列的兴起、美国犹太人获得的巨大成功，导致反犹主义是绝对的“政治不正确”。所以波兰人经常被拿出来和瑞典人做比较，各种揭露波兰人当德国人屠杀犹太人帮凶的书很多。、
第四是没有抓住时机。在1941年6月德国入侵苏联的时候，波兰流亡政府有个过于乐观的打算，认为二战是一战的重演：德国先打败俄国、英美再打败德国。这样波兰就能获得更大的利益，乃至成为中欧联盟的盟主。所以当时不急得和苏联确定战后边界。而当时正是苏联最脆弱的时候，也是斯大林最容易妥协的时候。1943年苏联取得战争主动权后，波兰流亡政府想和苏联谈，苏联都不理它了。
##文字优美流畅
本书引用的回忆录部分，写得都非常精彩。例如写一个小女孩逃亡到伊朗，但是由于长期饥饿吃不了重油重味的食物只能吐出来。但吐出来又害怕主人反感，就把呕吐物偷偷地埋在土里。再比如写卡西诺战役爆发前的这段：
“11点炮火齐射前，四下一片寂静，这是我们听到了你能想象到的最动人的夜莺歌声。之后我们开始炮击，天知道有多少门大炮，在这轰鸣的炮声里，夜莺却唱得更响亮了……你都可以听到它们的歌声回荡在炮弹的轰炸声中。”
#我的一点感想
##我们不乞求自由，我们争取自由
波兰第二共和国仅仅40天就沦陷了，但波兰人民始终坚持战斗，努力光复故国。这有两方面的原因。从客观上来说，当时环境严酷，容不得人置身世外、苟且偷安，自愿或者不自愿，都得上战场。所以逃亡的难民，除了少部分妇孺老人，青壮年男子都上战场了。从主观上来说，波兰人血性足，“男人的生命中只有一件事——国家和民族，它们是无价的，是至高无上的荣誉”。所以在法国，他们比法军勇敢；在英国，波兰303战斗机飞行队英勇到英国军人要冒充波兰飞行员来搭讪姑娘；在北非，他们和隆美尔的北非军团对峙；在意大利，他们以百分之30到40的伤亡率往前进攻。波兰人行走江湖，靠的就是一个勇字。
这也难怪现在的波兰政府拒绝再接收中东难民。人总是从自己的道德标准出发看待别人的。我想起BBC访问匈牙利，问当地男子为什么反对接收中东难民。受访者说：“这些男人见我们操棍子要揍他们，就把小孩举在前面当盾牌，一群懦夫！”当然政治、民族、经济的考量很重要，但人确实很少帮助自己瞧不起的人。
我以前总觉得二战打完，捷克死亡10万人，波兰死亡600万人，有些轻视波兰人。现在我觉得情况不同。当时捷克是相当程度的工业国，又是被德国完整侵吞的。海因利希为了充分发挥其军火生产能力，特意加以优待和保全。波兰当时是农业国，被德苏两国瓜分，可掠夺的一是劳动力、二是粮食。所以波兰人伤亡多不是由于他们不想苟全性命于乱世，实在是敌人太凶暴，只能拼死反抗。
##英雄只是权力的工具
可惜的是，波兰正处于地缘政治理论中“世界岛”的核心，“波兰问题太重要了，不能由波兰人决定”。其实关于英美苏在波兰疆域问题上，有很多倾轧、妥协和勾结，单纯地说波兰被盟国出卖也不全面。起码一场豪赌结束，在领土问题上不亏不赚罢。
此外，波兰流亡政府没有回国执政，也是作者的心结。可是它的政权基础——波兰国家军被苏军缴械。没了枪杆子、也就没有政权了。虽然波兰地下政府孤注一掷地发动了华沙起义，但是这件事有点自相矛盾。1.起义的目的是，在苏军占领华沙前自我解放，保持战后独立。2.起义成功的必要条件是苏联红军给予援助。苏联好像也不会做这种事。
##重视教育
波兰人一贯重视教育，保持后辈的民族意识。在二战中，他们流亡在英国、匈牙利的难民逐步建立了自己的初等、中等教育体系，在印度、英属非洲开办了学校。在中东的第二军，办起了少年军校，对于不适合作战的孩子办起了后勤学校（因为教师就是军官，也提供不了完善的中等教育）。在瑞士，被缴械的战俘（瑞士是中立国，不能允许波兰人从事敌对德国的行动）还读起了大学——瑞士真是人间天堂！难怪革命导师列宁在瑞士也无用武之地。尤其让我感动的有如下几点：
（1）在匈牙利的难民印制了波兰语课本，再由交通员送往其他难民点。
（2）华沙地下教师组织悄悄组织学生上课、考试。考试通过就发一张“我对你说的话很感兴趣“的纸条，战后换文凭。
（3）被流放到西伯利亚的难民，用菜谱教孩子学波兰文。
我想难怪居里夫人和肖邦都是在法国取得了极大的成功，但依然热爱当时亡国的波兰。这一点真是让人倾佩。
##远亲不如近邻
波兰在战前一直和法国关系打得火热。据德国、俄国的战略家说，波兰人总是和邻国龃龉不断，却为远方盟友火中取栗。但我觉得匈牙利人对他们确实没话说。在战前收留难民、帮助战俘逃跑。跟随德国入侵苏联（原波兰领土）对当地人也比较友善，在华沙起义的时候也保持中立。对他们真不错了。
##多民族国家要团结
本书中最让人看不起的是乌克兰人。俄国人来，帮俄国人剿杀波兰反抗分子。德国人来，做纳粹屠杀犹太人的帮凶。德国人大势已去，为了迅速占领土地，组织了乌克兰起义军屠杀东部边疆的波兰平民。
但说起来，世上也没有无缘无故的恨。波兰人通过巴黎和会复国，分得的土地上有德国人、犹太人、乌克兰人、白俄罗斯人。为了缓和国内阶级矛盾，把德国人的庄园拿出来分给无地农民。可却不动波兰人的庄园。由于商业上和犹太人竞争，所以排犹主义盛极一时。为了控制东部边疆、犒赏军官、强占乌克兰人和白俄罗斯人的土地，建立武装开垦团。国内民族矛盾是很严重的。正如本书中所说的：”如果1939年波兰第二共和国没有被外力摧毁，也必将从内部瓦解”。
当然，以后得看看乌克兰人如何叙述这段历史。要不然容易形成偏见。
##得有适应生活的能力
本书中有太多的颠沛流离、身不由己。到德国做苦工、流放到哈萨克斯坦的沙漠。不应征入伍，立即枪毙。几个姑娘结伴而行、步行穿越德国（当时的边界）回波兰。要掌握知识啊。
比如在西伯利亚森林中缺医少药，就得学草药学：泡松和云杉针汁可以预防坏血病；水煮柳树皮和枝是阿司匹林的替代品；山桑子可以帮助治疗腹泻。
比如逃到印度的难民，邦主送他们两只小鸡，就繁殖成了一群小鸡。后来邦主就送火鸡、鸭、乃至猪给他们，实现了肉食自给。
##三巨头不愧巨头。
虽然本书出于波兰流亡政府的立场对三巨头颇有微词。但从我这个外人看来，三个人都是当之无愧的大政治家。
丘吉尔在英军战斗力不强的实际环境下，甜言蜜语拉住波兰流亡政府建立军队。等到大局已定，又欺瞒哄骗波兰流亡政府接受战后疆域安排。
罗斯福明明不支持波兰流亡政府对战后波苏边界的诉求，但为了让波裔美国人在1944年总统选举中支持他，在选战关键期始终含糊其辞。在见国内波兰人代表的时候，嘴上云山雾罩，桌上又特地放一张二战前波兰地图，误导对方。
至于斯大林，一战获得历代沙皇未能得到的。在和波兰临时政府虚以委蛇的时候，以后一步步准备组建战后波兰政府了。波兰代表问他，那些被俘军官哪去了。他平静地回答：可能去了中国东北吧。其中种种权谋手段（仅指和外国人交锋的），就见其能力了。
我有种想法，要是老先生们管事掌权，人民内务委员部、殖民部、非美活动调查委员会还在，会不会能避免波士顿马拉松恐怖事件、伦敦恐怖事件和圣彼得堡地铁爆炸。残暴的君主专制可以比所有人对所有人的战争好。
#附录
本书收听自静雅思听。文本借阅自无锡市图书馆。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
This book fills a significant gap in popular understanding of World War II, offering an approachable, well executed and detailed historical account. I began with limited knowledge of Poland's experience during the occupation, and this work proved to be richly informative and essential.
The opening chapters required patience, with their heavy political focus on pre-war maneuvering and governmental structures. However, this groundwork proves crucial for understanding the government in exile that would operate throughout the war, supporting and legitimatising Polish resistance even as the nation itself was carved up between occupying powers.
Once the narrative moves into the lead up to war, the wartime years, and their aftermath, the book is highly engaging. The author's detailed accounts illuminate experiences often overshadowed in broader histories. The Warsaw Uprising emerges not as a distant historical event but as a visceral struggle, highlighting desperate reality of food shortages and civilians forced to live in sewers while their city was destroyed above.
The statistics presented are staggering: around six million Poles died during World War II, representing 20% of the pre-war population, with only a tenth killed in military action. The targeting of Poland's cultural and intellectual elite was systematic: a third of those with higher or secondary education were killed, along with a third of academics, scientists, and doctors, and over half of all lawyers. This was a deliberate attempt to decapitate a nation's future. This is coupled with the author’s account of the Katyn massacre, the Soviet execution of thousands of Polish officers. It became a political chess piece for decades, with the Soviets deflecting blame and deliberately obscuring the truth
Poland entered World War II already scarred by the First World War and its aftermath, which had killed 450,000 Poles and wounded 900,000 more across four different armies, destroyed nearly 2 million buildings, and ruined 11 million acres of agricultural land. During that earlier conflict, retreating Russians stripped Poland of industrial equipment, while the German occupation confiscated resources and deliberately wrecked textile and steel industries to eliminate competition. The Second World War compounded this devastation, with the German occupation again confiscating all resources useful to their war effort and imposing high delivery quotas.
The book excels at illustrating Poland's impossible position, caught between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, with neither power recognizing Polish sovereignty. Especially moving is the author's treatment of displaced persons scattered across the globe and their decades-long struggle to rebuild, maintain identity, and gain recognition while avoiding Soviet association during the Cold War years.
Thoroughly researched and expertly written, this account does justice to a people often portrayed merely as victims, giving voice to soldiers, civilians, resistance fighters, and exiles alike. This is essential reading for understanding the full scope of World War II's impact and the resilience of Poland, providing insight into why Poland today remains deeply protective of its sovereignty and wary of external influence.
The opening chapters required patience, with their heavy political focus on pre-war maneuvering and governmental structures. However, this groundwork proves crucial for understanding the government in exile that would operate throughout the war, supporting and legitimatising Polish resistance even as the nation itself was carved up between occupying powers.
Once the narrative moves into the lead up to war, the wartime years, and their aftermath, the book is highly engaging. The author's detailed accounts illuminate experiences often overshadowed in broader histories. The Warsaw Uprising emerges not as a distant historical event but as a visceral struggle, highlighting desperate reality of food shortages and civilians forced to live in sewers while their city was destroyed above.
The statistics presented are staggering: around six million Poles died during World War II, representing 20% of the pre-war population, with only a tenth killed in military action. The targeting of Poland's cultural and intellectual elite was systematic: a third of those with higher or secondary education were killed, along with a third of academics, scientists, and doctors, and over half of all lawyers. This was a deliberate attempt to decapitate a nation's future. This is coupled with the author’s account of the Katyn massacre, the Soviet execution of thousands of Polish officers. It became a political chess piece for decades, with the Soviets deflecting blame and deliberately obscuring the truth
Poland entered World War II already scarred by the First World War and its aftermath, which had killed 450,000 Poles and wounded 900,000 more across four different armies, destroyed nearly 2 million buildings, and ruined 11 million acres of agricultural land. During that earlier conflict, retreating Russians stripped Poland of industrial equipment, while the German occupation confiscated resources and deliberately wrecked textile and steel industries to eliminate competition. The Second World War compounded this devastation, with the German occupation again confiscating all resources useful to their war effort and imposing high delivery quotas.
The book excels at illustrating Poland's impossible position, caught between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, with neither power recognizing Polish sovereignty. Especially moving is the author's treatment of displaced persons scattered across the globe and their decades-long struggle to rebuild, maintain identity, and gain recognition while avoiding Soviet association during the Cold War years.
Thoroughly researched and expertly written, this account does justice to a people often portrayed merely as victims, giving voice to soldiers, civilians, resistance fighters, and exiles alike. This is essential reading for understanding the full scope of World War II's impact and the resilience of Poland, providing insight into why Poland today remains deeply protective of its sovereignty and wary of external influence.
February 7, 2019
Most people usually remember the brutality of D-Day, the miracle at Dunkirk and the notoriety of the Japanese attack on Pearl Habour when speaking about World War II. Most of the time, we see the war from the Western, more specifically the British and American perspectives. Seldom do we concern ourselves with the plight and misery of the one country that lost one fifth of the pre-war population and even its sovereignty after the war despite fighting alongside the Allies from the beginning until the very end - Poland. Halik Kochanski’s The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War chronicles and deconstructs in details how Poland’s rebirth after the First World War left her surrounded by hostile neighbours, how Britain and France failed to come to Poland’s help despite having guaranteed military actions against any German military advances on Polish soils, the devastation and suffering inflicted upon Poland and its people by the policies of two of the most diabolical regimes, how the Poles contributed to the allied war efforts against the Nazi war machine, most notably during the Battle of Britain and how Poland was left alone and abandoned, with the connivance of Churchill and Roosevelt, at the mercy of Stalin after the war. This book thoroughly examines how and why the Poles felt completely betrayed by the Allies. And most importantly, the inconvenient truth buried underneath the popular myth advocated by the West that the Second World War was a ‘good war’. Yes, it was to most countries liberated by the Allies but to the Poles, it was never a ‘good war’, only a war that they lost twice - “The end of the war did not bring liberation to the Poles. In the battlegrounds of Central Europe, it simply meant swapping one form of evil for another, Hitler’s henchmen for Stalin’s.”
March 16, 2020
I read it mainly to find out how Polish soldiers had contributed to the allied cause, as I was familiar with the brilliant record of the Polish RAF squadrons.
I learnt that many thousands served and may well have been the ones who cracked deadlocks at Monte Casino and the Falaise Gap. Their code breakers gave the Bletchley crowd a head start by sending over an Enigma machine a few years before WW2. The politic and diplomatic activity before, during and for long after the war is heavy going and distressing due betrayal in 1939 and 1945. Congratulations to the author for the amazing amount of research she must have done!
I learnt that many thousands served and may well have been the ones who cracked deadlocks at Monte Casino and the Falaise Gap. Their code breakers gave the Bletchley crowd a head start by sending over an Enigma machine a few years before WW2. The politic and diplomatic activity before, during and for long after the war is heavy going and distressing due betrayal in 1939 and 1945. Congratulations to the author for the amazing amount of research she must have done!
November 4, 2019
A comprehensive account of the actions of the Polish nation in WWII. A must read book for anyone who wants to get beyond the propaganda of Soviet Russia and the indifference of the West. A true accounting of the Polish people in WWII and their betrayal by Britain and the United States. The cowardice of the west in the face of Russia that continues to this day. Leaving Poland once again as the unheralded protector of the West against the aggressors from the East.
August 3, 2023
Excellent, and very interesting
An excellent history of Poland and the polls during World War II. The author does not shy from controversial episodes, such as issues in Polish-Jewish relations or the bitter internecine fighting in pre-war Polish politics and in the Polish government in exile. One can perhaps disagree with some of the conclusions, but this is nevertheless an extremely interesting history which is well written to boot.
An excellent history of Poland and the polls during World War II. The author does not shy from controversial episodes, such as issues in Polish-Jewish relations or the bitter internecine fighting in pre-war Polish politics and in the Polish government in exile. One can perhaps disagree with some of the conclusions, but this is nevertheless an extremely interesting history which is well written to boot.
January 4, 2024
Poor Poland. How it has come out of the mess of WWII and the Soviet occupation is a credit to it's people. In this engrossing history, the never ending failure of the West to help Poland was another sign that at the end everyone who wants power or is in power will only look after themselves.
Poles were exterminated, forcibly relocated, sent to labour camps and starved. Not an easy read but an important book into Poland, the dangers of persecution and the evil of bad governments.
Poles were exterminated, forcibly relocated, sent to labour camps and starved. Not an easy read but an important book into Poland, the dangers of persecution and the evil of bad governments.
August 6, 2018
History everyone should know
An amazing story told soberly and without sensation about a country and a people that were brutalised, used and then left for dead. Important book for people that are interested not only in modern history, but humanity's ability for good and horrible evil
An amazing story told soberly and without sensation about a country and a people that were brutalised, used and then left for dead. Important book for people that are interested not only in modern history, but humanity's ability for good and horrible evil
April 27, 2019
Thorough and tough tome that provides a solid overview and isight into the multiple tragedies and treasons that constitute the Polish World War 2 experience. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand the extent of the sacrifice and toil that the Polish nation and people were subjected to during the war.
April 5, 2025
Unique perspective into an aspect of history that often gets overlooked.
January 31, 2016
The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War is an outstanding academic work of synthesis history that presents a single narrative that will address all the questions that individuals of Polish descent living in the English speaking world might have about what happened Poland during WWII. Its appeal to those without a personal connection through ancestry, marriage or friendship to Poland will be considerably less.
For myself the greatest value of The Eagle Unbowed is the thorough way in which it explains the six years of expulsions, imprisonments and movements of the Polish population during WWII. Throughout 40 years of conversing with my in-laws and relatives, I found the story getting more complicated every year. One large group of Poles were sent to Russia and then arrived in North America via Iran, India or Africa. Another large group was conscripted into forced labour in Germany. Others spent time with the British Army in Palestine, Italy and France. At least half the immigrants in North America, will tell you that theirfamily had lived for many generations in the Ukraine, Lithuania or Belarus before being transported to Silesia. To Kochanski's great credit she is able to explain why and how all these myriad migrations occurred
Also of value to the reader with partisan ffeelings, Kochanski also analyzes all the major controversies of Polish history during WWII showing where the Poles are the victims of gross calumny and, at the same time, where the criticisms possess a certain legitimacy. Specifically, Kochanski examines the following hot issues.
- the failure of France and England to wage war against Germany after the invasion of Poland in 1939
- the legend of Polish cavalry attacking German tanks
-the reasons why Britain and United States chose to participate in the cover-up of the Katyn Forest massacre
- the conspiracy theory on the death of wartime Polish Prime Minister Sikorski
- the reasons why the doomed Warsaw Uprising was started
- the reasons why the Western Allies provided so little military and diplomatic assistance to the Warsaw uprising
- the alleged failure of the Polish underground to assist the Warsaw ghetto uprising
- the extent of Polish involvement in the Endlosung
- the ethnic cleansing of Poles conducted by other national groups in the Eastern territories
-the Pogrom of Kielce
Armed with Kochanski's analysis, reader feeling a loyalty to Poland knows where the Polish actions can be justified and where some contrition is appropriate. The Eagle Unbowed is indeed a useful book for someone wishing to defend the record of Poles during WWII because it also deters specious defences of Polish actions where the justification is lacking.
For myself the greatest value of The Eagle Unbowed is the thorough way in which it explains the six years of expulsions, imprisonments and movements of the Polish population during WWII. Throughout 40 years of conversing with my in-laws and relatives, I found the story getting more complicated every year. One large group of Poles were sent to Russia and then arrived in North America via Iran, India or Africa. Another large group was conscripted into forced labour in Germany. Others spent time with the British Army in Palestine, Italy and France. At least half the immigrants in North America, will tell you that theirfamily had lived for many generations in the Ukraine, Lithuania or Belarus before being transported to Silesia. To Kochanski's great credit she is able to explain why and how all these myriad migrations occurred
Also of value to the reader with partisan ffeelings, Kochanski also analyzes all the major controversies of Polish history during WWII showing where the Poles are the victims of gross calumny and, at the same time, where the criticisms possess a certain legitimacy. Specifically, Kochanski examines the following hot issues.
- the failure of France and England to wage war against Germany after the invasion of Poland in 1939
- the legend of Polish cavalry attacking German tanks
-the reasons why Britain and United States chose to participate in the cover-up of the Katyn Forest massacre
- the conspiracy theory on the death of wartime Polish Prime Minister Sikorski
- the reasons why the doomed Warsaw Uprising was started
- the reasons why the Western Allies provided so little military and diplomatic assistance to the Warsaw uprising
- the alleged failure of the Polish underground to assist the Warsaw ghetto uprising
- the extent of Polish involvement in the Endlosung
- the ethnic cleansing of Poles conducted by other national groups in the Eastern territories
-the Pogrom of Kielce
Armed with Kochanski's analysis, reader feeling a loyalty to Poland knows where the Polish actions can be justified and where some contrition is appropriate. The Eagle Unbowed is indeed a useful book for someone wishing to defend the record of Poles during WWII because it also deters specious defences of Polish actions where the justification is lacking.
June 26, 2019
A comprehensive look at Poland and the Polish people throughout the Second World War. Kochanski examines every aspect of the topic, not just being limited to the territory of Poland itself, but the experience of the Poles who were either exiled or escaped to fight during the war. Considerable attention is given to these groups, particularly the Anders Army and the Poles fighting out of the UK. She also notes the political dimensions that the Poles faced, mainly how the government-in-exile interacted with the Allied powers, and how the Soviet Union managed to have a Communist group establish itself as the post-war Polish government. The theme of betrayal is evident throughout, which is not to say that Kochanski wrote with that in mind (she notes in the introduction the book is meant to be objective and not present any argument, but merely a summary of events, which largely holds up), but more a facet of what the Poles dealt with during the conflict. It is also a smooth read, not bogged down in overtly academic writing, despite its subject matter, which aids in the overall message being presented.
October 28, 2013
A reasonably even-handed narrative history of Poland and the Poles in the Second World War. Kochanski does focus primarily on the actions of the London Poles and the allied underground movement in Poland. Coverage is given to the Soviet-backed Lublin movement and the associated military forces. More depth on this side would seem merited, as this is the government that wound up in control of Poland in the post-war era. Kochanski is critical of the London government and its inability to respond to the conditions it faced on the ground. Once it became clear that liberation from the Germans would necessarily be by the Soviets, Polish policies needed to change to reflect that and mostly didn't. Kochanski ends with analysis of the post-war swings in Polish history of the war; the book would have benefited from a final reflection on what happened and what might have been done differently.
January 9, 2014
Kochanski’s book, surely, contains everything the general reader will ever want to know about Poland and the Poles in the Second World War – invasion (by Germany and Russia); occupation; exile; fighting under the British and the Russians; the Holocaust; the risings; and the final inexorable establishment of Soviet domination. The book is readable even through the dullest political passages, although I would have liked to have learned more about the main actors as people – Anders, Sikorski, Mikolajczyk. Kochanski takes up the Polish cause, but does not whitewash the Poles in their relations with Jews, Ukrainians, and even Germans.
January 31, 2015
An extraordinarily well research and clear account of Poland's tragic history thought and after world war 2. Subject to merciless subjugation by first the Germans and the Soviets, then the Germans alone, and finally the Soviets again, the author takes us through the magnitude of the atrocities that this country suffered throughout the war at the hands of their two conquerors. An important book to more fully understand the terrible war in the East, but helps put into historical context the present day concerns about Russian pressure on countries like Poland, Baltic countries and more immediately Georgia and Ukraine. It's quite a hefty read but worth it.
June 30, 2013
Fantastic book about Poland during World War II. It is absolutely astounding the suffering that took place in Poland and surrounding Central/Eastern Europe during this period and during the Soviet period of domination following the war.
The book is extremely well written, and while certainly more detailed than a common reader would desire, well worth the effort to finish and gain a well-rounded perspective of the World War II period.
The book is extremely well written, and while certainly more detailed than a common reader would desire, well worth the effort to finish and gain a well-rounded perspective of the World War II period.
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