A Concise History of Poland

Cambridge Concise Histories

by Jerzy Lukowski, Hubert Zawadzki

Poland is a tenacious survivor-state: it was wiped off the map in 1795, resurrected after the First World War, apparently annihilated again in the Second World War, and reduced to satellite status of the Soviet Union after 1945. Yet it emerged in the vanguard of resistance to the USSR in the 1980s, albeit as a much more homogeneous entity than it had been in its multi-ethnic past. This book outlines Poland's turbulent and complex history, from its medieval Christian origins to the reassertion of that Christian and European heritage after forty-five years of communism. It describes Poland's transformation since 1989, and explains how Poland navigated its way into a new Commonwealth of Nations in the European Union. Recent years have witnessed significant changes within Poland, Eastern Europe and the wider world. This new edition reflects on these changes, and examines the current issues facing a Poland which some would accuse of being out of touch with 'European values'.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Poland, Polish Literature, European History, Historical

526 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Jerzy Tadeusz Lukowski is a Polish-British historian at University of Birmingham.

Reviews

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is beyond a doubt the best history of Poland I have read so far (and I run a website on Polish History). It is concise yet detailed enough for any reader or for the curious. There are fascinating facts that one does not come across in any of the other histories which add to the general background and it is written in a eminently readable fashion. Lukowski is a very familiar name amongst students of Polish History - his account of the Partitions is a classic and the partnership with Zawadzki makes me want to read that historian's work also. I cannot recommend this book enough. If you want a History of Poland then this is the definative version.

[Mel Bossa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, Poland. Russians to the left of me, Germans to the right--here I am stuck in the middle with you. Read this for my Polish boy. :-)Such an interesting, rebellious, and complicated scarred little country, as he is...

:-)

[Adam G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good introductory history of Poland. I found it quite objective and balanced, in terms of how much material was given to different areas as well as the political overtones of Poland's more recent history. The chapters are chronologically ordered and I did notice that the book started off mainly talking about the rise and fall of various regional dynasties, whereas the later chapters gave more time to the affairs of the intelligentsia (including the cultural and political developments of Poles abroad). Unsurprisingly, given the publisher and authors, the tone is on the dry side - definitely not a casual read. However, the text is broken up by a few plates - photographs of historically significant buildings, paintings etc, as well as a number of very useful maps showing the political spheres of influence in the region over the centuries, and charts and graphs of the ethnicities and languages spoken in the nation.

[Gonzalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 300-pages book covering eleven centuries of Polish history could be seen as either insulting or impossibly short. I however think it is exactly what I was looking for: something to give me a bit more context than a traveling guide prior to my first trip to Poland. Due to its brevity, I do not think I understand every single event properly, but I am sure a second reading would help a lot. As a plus, the maps included are truly excellent, nicely divided taking into account the thickness of the volume. So is the bibliography: an excellent starting point to dive into a specific topic.

[Hugolane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this fresh from reading Patrice Dabrowski's book, and I think this gets the balance better with much more focus on recent events, even though Lukowski made a name for himself as a scholar of the late Commonwealth. He writes clearly and I think he does a better job of acknowledging the appeal of tri-loyalism (people being loyal to their respective imperial states in the period of the partitions). The difficulties of the interwar, Communist, and post periods definitely get more attention than Dabrowski gives them. The discussion of the rise of Law and Justice and its appeal to those who see the roundtable as being an insufficient reckoning with the Communist past is also helpful. That said, while my inclination is to prefer this book to Dabrowski's survey, I wonder if Lukowski's greater detail is as user friendly to the novice.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book aims to survey the entire political history of Poland in just a few hundred pages. The authors chose as their starting point the first written attestations of a Slavic-speaking population in Poland in the late first millennium AD (so no description of earlier eras from e.g. archaeological evidence or vague Greek and Roman claims), and in the most recent edition they get up to the second decade of this new millennium.

Obviously space constraints put a tight squeeze on what this book could discuss and how it could discuss it. If all you need is a survey of what kings and democratically elected politicians succeeded whom, and how Poland's borders changed over the century and how surrounding states managed to grab pieces of it at times, then this book works okay. While written by Polish authors, this book is refreshingly free from the sort of nationalist sentiment and melodrama that pervades political discourse within Poland today.

But I do wish that the authors had made more chapter divisions to give the reader some opportunity to take a break and assimilate the flood of information presented. As it is, their rather florid chronological account is told breathlessly with nary a place for pause.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My knowledge of Polish history going into this was fairly limited, which is why I thought that this book would be a good introduction to the topic. I ended up feeling a bit ambivalent about this presumption. On one hand, there's no doubt about the fact that it is a concise book which presents events throughout the country's history in an accessible manner. On the other hand, there are several times where you feel that you lack the necessary background or pre-history to properly understand a given period or event.

I am going to supplement this book with further readings, as should anyone else who has been through this fine book as an introduction to Polish history.

[Wendy Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a 3.5 than a 3. I read this prior to a short trip to Poland, and I feel it has given me a good understanding of the country's history and people.
Pros: Fairly readable, comprehensive. Lots of useful maps, which are needed considering how much the country has changed, even in relatively recent history.
Cons: The authors often provided extensive detail on particular historical events, and it was not apparent to me if/why they needed so much attention. It might be apparent to people who know Polish history better than I do.

[Brendan Steinhauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Polish history, from medieval to modern times. The book gives the reader a solid understanding of the relationship between Poles and Russians, Germans, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, and other nationalities, and it provides context that helps the reader better understand Polish identity and nationalism. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Polish history and culture, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Intermarium, or other similar topics.

[Ajay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poland’s history is arguably one of the most compelling and tragic narratives in Europe, yet it remains deeply underappreciated in the English-speaking world. From the vast, multicultural Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth—a great power—to the horrors of the deluge, its painful erasure from the map in 1795, through failed uprisings, two world wars, Soviet satellite status, and its pivotal role in collapsing Communism, it’s a story of resilience and constant turbulence.

This richness is exactly why I was so excited to pick up Jerzy Lukowski’s A Concise History of Poland. On its face, it promises an essential overview: covering a massive timeline from medieval dynasties to the present day. For a complete novice needing a timeline of events and names, this book is a solid, if dry, introduction. I particularly appreciated the included maps, which are incredibly helpful given how drastically Polish borders have shifted over the centuries.

However, the word "concise" feels like a euphemism for "surface-level."

My disappointment lies in the book's failure to engage with the huge, interesting questions that Polish history raises. I was hoping for deep analysis on topics like:
The relationship between the Poles and their neighbors (Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Baltics).
What forces truly led to the collapse and partition of the Commonwealth in 1795, and were there viable alternative paths?
Poland's complex relationship with its Jewish population and the post-WWII emergence of Israel.
Why the interwar Cordon Sanitaire failed to contain both Nazi Germany and the USSR.
The socio-economic shifts that underpinned the unique structure of the noble republic and have changed so dramatically in the last 100 years.

The analytical gaps leave the narrative feeling like a simple chronology, not a historical argument. For instance, key moments like the 1920 victory against the Soviets at Warsaw (the "Miracle on the Vistula") are touched on, but lack the geopolitical context to truly understand their significance. Furthermore, starting the narrative with the first written historical mentions, rather than exploring the archeological theories of earlier Slavic migrations, felt like a puzzling, missed opportunity to provide deeper cultural foundation and interrogate national mythology.

[Francis Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the 3rd edition, 2019 which was admirably up to date. These concise histories are really good, covering a lot of material at pace without losing sight of the key issues. The history of Poland was particularly interesting because Poland has such a fascinating history. A relatively early Christian state in the melting pot of Eastern Europe, as a nation state it was shifting and changing shape throughout its history, battling for supremacy and survival with all its neighbours. From the glory of the 14th-16th centuries, when through its union with Lithuania it became one of the greatest states of Europe, to the disasters of the 18th-19th, when it was carved up by Russia, Austria and Prussia, to the renewed struggle for and winning of independence in the 20th-21st centuries, including the horrors of World War Two, this is an amazing story of fortitude, marked by major successful battles against invaders, such as Grunwald in 1410 (against the Teutonic Knights) and Warsaw in 1920 (against Bolshevik Russia). It is also a story of a social hierarchy that created a unique constitution (elective monarchy and the liberum veto). The book helps to explain Poles’ strong and somewhat romantic Catholic nationalism and patriotism today.

[Nicola Poloni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riscontro nuovamente la validità di questo formato.
La parte iniziale forse è un po' confusa e dà per scontati alcune conoscenze circa le condizioni dell'Europa centro/orientale nel IX o X secolo che non sono forse così diffuse.
Per il resto molto valido per mettere in ordine e sistematizzare nozioni che magari si sono apprese un po' confusamente o per connessione ad altre vicende più note.

Di per sé la storia della Polonia credo sia appassionante soprattutto per il periodo del Commonwealth polacco/lituano e delle particolarissime istituzioni che lo fondavano (monarchia elettiva, il ruolo della piccola nobiltà, le questioni religiose e proto-nazionali).

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic primer for anyone interested in Poland, definitely recommended!

Summarizing the history of any country is next to impossible. In the case of Poland it's an even more difficult task. This book does a really good job though, and the writing itself is not a deterrent - which I find is often the case in academic books.

The only real criticism I have of the book is that it could have benefited from a little more structure within the chapters. But really, that's finding something to complain about. Overall, this is very well-written book.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly written and balanced, going often beyond the classical focus on politics in state history. One major error towards the end though - it mentions Donald Tusk as President of the European Commission...

[Nick Lofthouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched, written in engaging ways, and just the right amount of detail to be comprehensive while balancing length.

[Mihai Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illuminating history of how Polish perceive themselves, especially explaining the current very imperial view they hold of themselves.

[Lorenzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ends on a cliff hanger :/

[Lorenzo Berardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went to one of the Italian presentations of this book, already printed in the UK with Cambridge Press.

It was a very typical (and rather boring) example of academic exibitionism of both Italian and Polish university professors blabbering about their own little corner of a self representative world. Instead of introducing the book as it may have deserved these people were criticizing the tiniest "wrong" detail in it.

Three hours of debate almost without talking about what is really inside this book I didn't read yet, but concentrating on its editing, minor translation choices and small historic episodes the two authors forgot to mention.

Well, probably they had to "forget" them! Otherwise would have been kind of impossible concentrating 900 years of Polish history in 350 pages. But go and tell this to the "Italian Polonists": they would never understand. Quoting one of the professors at the presentation "this book has a limit, there are no notes to the text and a book without notes is a naked one".
Sure. Certo. Jasne. Have you ever heard of artistic nakedness?
Probably not. Personally, I'm glad this book doesn't have notes.

What the most brilliant minds studying the Polish language and lovely discoursing on it, didn't get is that here we have a way for presenting Poland to a wider Italian audience. An audience that may have not studied the magic of Polish strumental case at the university and maybe is just interested in knowing more about a country long time forgotten on our history books.

Lukowski and Zawadki tried to do their best and this book is interesting to read and full of documentation. The Italian publisher should have worked more for introducing this book (no English interpreter for the very patient Lukowski at the presentation), but had the worth and intelligence to translate and print it.
And in Italy the same idea of investing money and time for promoting a history book is enough for a sincere handclap.

All that said, the book is not perfect, but important and accurate.

PS: The only thing the Italian editor is really to blame for is not adding any extra information about what happened in Poland after 2005 when the English edition ends. Guys, if you publish a book in 2009 presenting it as an account on what's happening in a country you should write down some lines about its last four years.

[Richard Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw an incredible film in 2006 named "Jestem" by Polish director Dorota Kedzierzawska who was in attendance at the screening during the Austin Polish Society Film Festival. Not only did I love this film (that was set in Poland), it made me want to learn more about Poland. This book is "concise" as the title says, but you should be warned, if you don't know much about history of eastern Europe, you might get a little lost. I did. But I still want to visit Poland and see if appears as it does in the film Jestem.

[Afina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, mostly because it really is concise as the title explains to the readers, but this book will be less useful if the readers have no needed knowledges about history in East European or European history as a whole. This book helpfully explains the events happened in Poland, but what I like most is the part when both of the authors give us The Grand Duchy of Lithuania to read. There is not part when The Pale of Settlement mentioned (it happened when Catherine II ruled as a Russian Empress).

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a quick review, to recover all that was slipping from Norman Davies' amazing but not at all concise "Poland" books. Touched on the major points in history, with some light editorializing, but I'd still call this an objective work. I also appreciate the authors/editors from taking the same routine historical analysis that treats Poland as if WWII and Communism were the only thing to ever happen there.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but a little much at times. (1914-1945 consumes 80 freakin' pages! 1/4 of the book!) The early bits up to partition in the late 18th century are just mind-numbing, with little to no prehistory, the cool shit. After partition, one slogs through the obligatory nationalist crap, 1848, blah blah blah, World War I, etc., etc. The Soviet period and post-1989 are the good parts but reduced to little-to-nothing. Woefully inadequate in the arts department. Milosz mentioned once??

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished!! I've only been reading this book for a little over two years. I found most parts of it a little hard to follow - even though I know the basic history of Poland. But towards the end it made more sense. I wouldn't recommend it as a good introduction to Polish history.

[Joseph Serwach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the 1,000 year history of Poland from 966 to the present day. Most good books on Poland stop in the 1980s or early 1990s and this book was helpful because it adds the perspective of the past 20 eventful years to the mix.

[Sonya S]

So far, this is a very interesting book. There's a lot I didn't know about where my grandparents came from!

[Derek Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't hold a candle to Norman Davies' 'God's Playground', though that's not to say this isn't a good concise survey of Polish history (which is fascinating)

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering Poland's history and the significance of the material, I feel a bit guilty rating this book a 2. But I felt it was a difficult read for the novice (such as me).

[Fernando · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tedious. Lots of information. Poland did never give up to become a nation.

[Catherine Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

used this as a reference whilst reading Spies of Warsaw. Skimmed what i needed and read the maps.