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This guidebook will help you find your way to every cultural landmark and every place of outstanding natural beauty in Poland. It will take you to magnates' palaces and open air museums of folk architecture, to the best museums and most remote corners of national parks. En route, you will see lofty cathedrals, historic town centres, stooping timber churches, majestic university buildings. To assist you in planning the trip, the book includes a number of maps, a large selection of lodgings - from knights' castles to horse studs to modern hotels - restaurants and clubs, as well as advice on local foods and drinks. Nearly 1000 full color photographs offer a comprehensive view of Poland's rich and varied natural and cultural landscape. The book is supplemented with essential background information about Poland and a list of travel tips. ... Read more

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In the years between the two world wars, the Jewish community of Poland--the largest in Europe--was the cultural heart of the Jewish diaspora. The Jewish Workers' Bund, which had a socialist, secularist, Yiddishist, and anti-Zionist orientation, won a series of important electoral battles in Poland on the eve of the Second World War and became a major political party. While many earlier works on the politics of Polish Jewry have suggested that Bundist victories were not of lasting significance or attributable to outside forces, Jack Jacobs argues convincingly that the electoral success of the Bund was linked to the work of the constellation of cultural and other organizations revolving around the party.

The Bund offered its constituents innovative, highly attractive, programs and a more enlightened perspective: from new sexual mores to sporting organizations and educational institutions. Drawing on meticulously researched archival materials, Jacobs shows how the growth of these successful programs translated into a stronger, more robust party. At the same time, he suggests the Bund's limitations, highlighting its failed women's movement. Jacobs provides a fascinating account of this countercultural movement and a thoughtful revision to the accepted view. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

I'm not Polish but like the book
A Polish friend has read this book and says it is the funniest travel book ever.I bought my copy in English to read in preparation for an extended trip to Poland.It has a lot of history but I don't find it as funny as my Polish friend! I think for it to be very amusing you have to "have been there".The author has been there and does a very good job of explaining why he loves the country and the people.

Polish travel book is good and bad
Ever notice how many travel books about France, Italy, and Ireland line the shelves of your local Barnes and Noble, while there's none about Poland? Actually, a few Polish travelogues have been published, it's just that you probably won't find them at your bookstore.

Author Michael Moran gives an account of his experiences in Poland shortly after the nation regained its independence from the Soviets. Moran was member of a British corporate training company dispatched to assist the Poles on their return to free market capitalism.

When Moran describes his forays into the Polish countryside or gives short lectures on Polish history, this book is insightful and entertaining.

When he recounts the drama at his workplace, which he does often and at length, this book becomes an absolute drudgery.

A Country in the Moon
This is the best book about Poland I have ever read written by a foreigner. It is fair and objective and contains a wealth of information about Polish history both recent and ancient. It covers politics ,geography and economics of Poland after the fall of Communism.It describes the life of common people and the transformation of attitudes after shaking off the effects of almost forty five years of Communist oppression.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in Central and Eastern Europe.

Country in the Moon
This is not a strictly travel book or travel guide. It is more than that.It is a travel through Poland's countryside, a travel through Polish history, through Polish architecture and sometimes through Polish soul.
Written mostly during the profound changes in Poland (1990 )it seems to be sometimes depressing.
Much is changed in Poland and I hope many after reading this book will be interested in travel to Poland. The author not only fell in love with a Polish woman buthe also fell in love with Poland and Polish people. He now lives in Warsaw. The book ends on a very encouraging note as to the successes of the Polish nation on a way to better daily life of its inhabitants and to a bigger role that Poland plays now in the European Union and in to-days world.
... Read more

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This new edition of Norman Davies's classic study of the history of Poland has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century.The writing of Polish history, like Poland itself, has frequently fallen prey to interested parties.Professor Norman Davies adopts a sceptical stance towards all existing interpretations and attempts to bring a strong dose of common sense to his theme. He presents the most comprehensive survey in English of this frequently maligned and usually misunderstood country. ... Read more

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The Swedish invasion of 1655, known to Poles ever since as the 'Swedish deluge', provoked the political and military collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the second-largest state in Europe. Robert Frost examines the reasons for Poland's fall and the conduct of the war by the Polish government, and addresses the crucial question of why, despite widespread recognition of the shortcomings of the political system, subsequent attempts at reform failed. War has long been seen as crucial to the development of more effective systems of government in Europe during the seventeenth century, but studies usually concentrate on states which responded successfully to the challenges. Much can be learned from those that failed, and the paucity of English-language material on this important conflict means that After the Deluge will appeal to a broad audience among historians of Poland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, and early modern Europe in general. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

review
Excellent book. I learned a lot about Polish history. I found it very interesting and easy to read. I highly recomend this to others.

A book about XVII century diplomacy in Central Europe
I bought the book thinking it dealt with warfare in the XVII century but it is not. The main topic is how The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth tried to survive by looking for the right alliance with others powers. These outer diplomatic strategies were obstaculized by the inner political problems.

Its interesting and it has showed me the political situation in the Commonwealth, but do not look for warfare. It is not a warfare book. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A very highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century European History collections
In 1956 most of eastern Europe in general, and Poland in particular, was firmly under the control of the Soviet Union and had been from the last year of the World War II as the Russian army pushed back the German occupation troops from Polish territory. But that year also saw a mass political movement as Polish citizens sought to change Polish-Soviet relations while averting a Soviet military-backed Communist Party suppression. Drawing upon newly available archival documents of the Polish communist party leadership (including photographs from Pozan in June 1956 taken by the police), "Rebellious Satellite: Poland 1956" by Pawel Machecwicz (Institute of Political Studies, Warsaw, Poland) provides an informed and informative history of the political opposition movements that took place in Pozan in June of 1956 and continued elsewhere in Poland through October and November. A superbly researched and deftly written detailed account, "Rebellious Satellite: Poland 1956" is a very highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century European History collections. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How the People of Poland overthrew their Dictatorship
KOR chronicles the rise of the democratic opposition in Poland starting in 1976 in the aftermath of the riots in Gdansk to the imposition of martial law in 1981. We know now that the good guys won.

This is a detailed account of how a group of intellectuals formed a Committee for the Defense of Workers (the acronym is from its Polish initials.) It is also an account of the difficulties of bringing workers and intellectuals together, getting past the distrust and, er, class divisions.

It is difficult to read, written in the verbally thick style of Eastern European intellectuals. On the plus side, everything is documented and then some. The authors give readers the facts and trust readers to make their own judgement.

Reading this book you get a feel for the human element, the inevitable jealousies that occur when publicity can mean not just the difference between money and nothing, but literally the difference between life and death.

And of course the divisions of society never dissapear. Read how Archbishop Glemp felt it necessary to mention the number of Jews active in the dissident movement and how KOR activists came to call Glemp The Red Prince in consequence.

This is a wonderful book with many valueable lessons in the practical applicaiton of building a just society and I recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Relates how Adolf Hitler's determination to succeed helped him to overcome such obstacles as a poor education and become dictator of Germany. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more