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A Traveller's History of Poland
Poland is a major European country with over 38 million inhabitants and a land area comparable to Spain. It has played a major role in European history, but its subjugation by foreign powers in the nineteenth century and during the Cold War eclipsed Poland in the minds of many in Western Europe and the United States. Throughout its long and diverse history it has been a meeting place of many cultures and has given the world the poetry of Czeslaw Milosz, the music of Chopin, and the scientific discoveries of Copernicus and Marie Curie, to name but a few.
In A Traveller's History of Poland, John Radzilowski vividly describes the beginnings of the country, first fragmented then reborn to overcome the aggression of the Teutonic Knights and its greedy neighbors. Poland enjoyed a Golden Age in the fifteen and sixteenth centuries but a gradual decline then led to Poland losing its autonomy despite winning many battles with its army's legendary military skill and gallantry. Yet the spirit of the country and its people lived on.
Since the horrors of the Second World War and Soviet control, Poland has gradually regained its rightful place in Europe, joining NATO in 1989 and in May 2004, the EU. It is playing a new role on the European and international stage. This makes now an ideal time to introduce students and travellers to Poland and its complex history through the pages of this Traveller's History.
The book includes a full chronology of major events, a list of monarchs and rulers, a historical gazetteer, historical maps and is fully illustrated.
"Beyond stars such as Chopin, Copernicus, Pope John Paul II and Madame Curie, you'll learn plenty in this 300-page historical survey that includes a chronology of major events, illustrations and maps. It's a great companion for students, armchair travelers and visitors alike--and may even inspire you to add Poland to your travel wish list."
The Detroit News
JOHN RADZIL
302 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2003
2 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 8, 2019
More preparation for my Poland trip next year. Pretty readable and short, all things considered -- shoving 1,500 years of history into 250-plus pages of a book is an impressive feat.
Anyway, it's a no-nonsense book. Not much too complain about but also not really much else to say other than to quote myself in a review of a previous book: Poland has seen some shit.
Anyway, it's a no-nonsense book. Not much too complain about but also not really much else to say other than to quote myself in a review of a previous book: Poland has seen some shit.
February 10, 2020
This book is what you would get if you wanted to see a book about the course of Polish history if it was written by a general friend of the country. The author clearly has a perspective in mind that he wishes to get across, and as someone who neither has particularly strong feelings either for or against Poland, this book was notable to me in the way that it sought to tone down some of the less flattering or complementary aspects of Polish history for the presumably intellectual Western reader. Some readers will likely take offense to these elements, such as when the author includes a prophecy from early modern Polish history that claims a Slav would become pope and help lead to the freedom of the Polish people, something that came true in the papacy of John Paul II, but the reader who is tolerant about such matters will find this book to be a generally enjoyable if brief discussion of Polish history that like many such histories tends to focus more on the present day and less on the ancient and medieval aspects of history that may be more enjoyable but are also more remote.
This book is a bit more than 250 pages long and it is divided into ten chapters. The book begins with a preface and acknowledgements and introduction. After that the author discusses early Poland from its prehistoric origins to 1138 (1). After that the author discusses the fragmentation of the Piast state and then its rebirth as a unified nation from 1138-1333 (2). This leads to a discussion of the shift in construction from wood to stone in the period from 1333 to 1466 (3) as well as the Golden Age of Polish greatness and influence from 1466 to 1576 (4). After that the author looks at the Silver Age of Polish decline from 1576 to the end of the Polish Commonwealth in 1795 (5). The author discusses the period of Polish rule by Russians, Prussians, and Austrians from 1795 to 1914 (6) and then the rebirth of Poland as an independent nation in the interwar period (7). The author then discusses the Second World War, Occupation, and the Holocaust (8), presenting the Poles as victims on the same level as Jews (8) while also discussing the period of Poland under Soviet domination from 1946 to 1978 (9). The book then ends with a discussion of Poland in the age of John Paul II from 1978-2005 (10), as well as a chronology of major events and a list of Polish rulers including the leaders of the Polish government in exile during and after World War II, sources of information on Polish history in English, a historical gazeteer, and an index.
As someone who reads a lot of histories, I can say that this book has the same general difficulty that many histories of peoples do who were under the rule of others for long stretches of time, and that is the way that the discussion of a culture that is being ruled and dominated by others can clearly become an exercise in advocacy for subaltern groups and thus biased by the author's desire to support a historical cause and not primarily a desire to be fair-minded and just in one's approach. This book clearly crosses the line from narrative history to advocacy for the Poles as a historically oppressed people in the period between 1790 and 1914 as well as between 1939 and 1989. In many ways, the author fails to do justice to the fact that the Poles themselves did not always do right by the Jews and other ethnic minorities when Poland was itself a powerful imperial nation, and the injustice of Germans being removed from their homes so that Poland could claim Gdansk and Silesia for itself are not even discussed at all. But if you know that this book is being written by a friend of the country who only wants to speak what is good and noble about Poland, you can understand why the book is silent about certain things and why it is very loud about others.
This book is a bit more than 250 pages long and it is divided into ten chapters. The book begins with a preface and acknowledgements and introduction. After that the author discusses early Poland from its prehistoric origins to 1138 (1). After that the author discusses the fragmentation of the Piast state and then its rebirth as a unified nation from 1138-1333 (2). This leads to a discussion of the shift in construction from wood to stone in the period from 1333 to 1466 (3) as well as the Golden Age of Polish greatness and influence from 1466 to 1576 (4). After that the author looks at the Silver Age of Polish decline from 1576 to the end of the Polish Commonwealth in 1795 (5). The author discusses the period of Polish rule by Russians, Prussians, and Austrians from 1795 to 1914 (6) and then the rebirth of Poland as an independent nation in the interwar period (7). The author then discusses the Second World War, Occupation, and the Holocaust (8), presenting the Poles as victims on the same level as Jews (8) while also discussing the period of Poland under Soviet domination from 1946 to 1978 (9). The book then ends with a discussion of Poland in the age of John Paul II from 1978-2005 (10), as well as a chronology of major events and a list of Polish rulers including the leaders of the Polish government in exile during and after World War II, sources of information on Polish history in English, a historical gazeteer, and an index.
As someone who reads a lot of histories, I can say that this book has the same general difficulty that many histories of peoples do who were under the rule of others for long stretches of time, and that is the way that the discussion of a culture that is being ruled and dominated by others can clearly become an exercise in advocacy for subaltern groups and thus biased by the author's desire to support a historical cause and not primarily a desire to be fair-minded and just in one's approach. This book clearly crosses the line from narrative history to advocacy for the Poles as a historically oppressed people in the period between 1790 and 1914 as well as between 1939 and 1989. In many ways, the author fails to do justice to the fact that the Poles themselves did not always do right by the Jews and other ethnic minorities when Poland was itself a powerful imperial nation, and the injustice of Germans being removed from their homes so that Poland could claim Gdansk and Silesia for itself are not even discussed at all. But if you know that this book is being written by a friend of the country who only wants to speak what is good and noble about Poland, you can understand why the book is silent about certain things and why it is very loud about others.
February 28, 2024
I borrowed the book from Internet Archives as a companion for my first trip to Poland recently.
The book is an easy read. It changed and fleshed out my very rudimentary knowledge of the country. Interesting how intertwined European history is!
I confess I skipped the mid 20th century parts unable to read it what with the current world and middle-eastern situation. Maybe I'll go back and read these sections some other time...
The book is an easy read. It changed and fleshed out my very rudimentary knowledge of the country. Interesting how intertwined European history is!
I confess I skipped the mid 20th century parts unable to read it what with the current world and middle-eastern situation. Maybe I'll go back and read these sections some other time...
August 13, 2018
The history of Poland is long and tragic. Its people have been subjected to many atrocities at the hands of its neighbors and its own divisions within. It is a fascinating tale, though, and Radzilowski does an excellent job of organizing it and providing well-researched details. I would recommend this book to anyone of Polish descent or to any aficionado of European history.
June 19, 2010
a concise history, but it's not exactly ... gripping. the illustrations seem like they came from a google image search, and i found some serious grammatical errors throughout, which just exacerbates the non-grippingness of the text (what? it's a word. kinda). still, i feel like i know a lot more about my adopted country now. do you realize that when fighting the russians after WWI, in a desperate and ultimately succesful attempt to get their country back, people fought with whatever they had, including priests, who tried to hold back the attacking hoards with crucifixes?
that's awesome.
that's awesome.
August 3, 2008
An excellent summary of Polish history. The author's emotional gushing about the greatness and importance of John Paul II was a little strange given the sobriety and objectivity of the rest of the book, but a minor detail in an otherwise great book.
December 10, 2015
Brilliant and enlightening book, well-written. Radzilowski's insight and breadth of knowledge is amazing. I know of no better introduction to Polish history. Essential reading for anyone who ever wishes to Poland or is simply interested in European history.
March 15, 2012
Informative but entertaining as well. Written with passion and obvious love for the people and country. Glad I read it before I traveled.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews