Poland: A Modern History

by Anita J. Prażmowska

Polish independence following the end of World War I marked a new era for a nation which had endured centuries of foreign partition. But the spirit of Polish nationalism -- forged during this long period of external domination -- has been frequently at odds with the modernising drives of democracy and communism. How can the ideals of nationalism survive in a modern nation-state? Anita Prazmowska traces this conflict from the emergence of an independent Poland in 1918; through World War II, communism and the democratic victories of Solidarity; to the present day, when Polish membership of the EU is changing perceptions both within Poland and in the wider world. A Modern History presents a vivid and accessible portrait of Poland’s tumultuous history over the past century. It is a clear and concise introduction to a nation which, often at the epicentre of European political history, has nevertheless sometimes struggled to define its national identity.

Genres: History

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Judyta Szacillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well-written, concise and quite objective, but the apparatus is poor: the footnotes are very few and imprecise, there is no list of the photographs and maps used in the body of the book, the maps are also scarce, and one of them (p. 159) is frightfully mistaken. It seems that someone took Rzeszów and its adjacent lands for Lviv, and attached the whole thing to the USSR (the actual USSR gains after WW2 are not shown, although that is what the map claims to be showing).

[Halldór Thorgeirsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book flows nicely and the author has found a good balance between detail and synthesis. It focuses mainly on political developments and has a good concluding chapter zooming back out to look at the big picture. The style is very matter of fact and the author does not give the reader many hints on her own views or perspectives on events. The upside of this is that one gets the sense that one is looking at an objective assessment but the downside is that the reader gets less engaged in the storyline. One can only hope that the suffering of the Polish nation has come to an end. They have already experienced a large dose of tribulations.

[Ola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise political history of Poland in the 20th century.