The Struggles for Poland

Rating:
Summary: Poland's history up to the 1980s.
Review: This was a good informative read, with plenty of pictures. Ascherson dispels the notion that Poland was just another backward East European nation. The first chapter details the early history of the country and most of the later chapters details the independence, inter-war period, WWII, and the post war Communist domination of this nation. Poland is indeed a unique nation.
Poland was one of the first democracies of the world. After the partitions, Poland didn't cease to exist, but lived on with the people who lived in Austrian Galicia, Prussia's Silesia, and the Russian dominated Kingdom of Poland. The author details these struggles with the three large powers, and later struggles with the U.S.S.R. and Nazi Germany. As the Pope stated, Poland doesn't exist on any particular land, but in the hearts of its people.
This is good informative short read. There are plenty of pictures in this book that add to the good writing. For more information about Poland, read Halleck book on the History of Poland.