Poland Books

Polish filmaker Roman Polanski who was born and raised in Poland by Catholic parents, was there to see what it was really like, unlike many others who were never there, but make ignorent anti-Polish judgements. It's funny how those who were actually there, like Wladislaw, tell a completely different story that the Hollywood/Media tells. Wladyslaw told the truth. Read the book, and see the movie. Get this book and movie to your schools and libraries - Please. This story has healing qualities that brings people together, and not apart.

One of those amazing stories that makes you realize just how much the human spirit can take, and still survive. And just how inhumane we humans can be towards each other. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put this down.

Szpilman reveals the tragedy of Jewish life in Warsaw under the German occupation from 1939-1946. Szpilman's autobiographical work was first published in postwar Poland in 1946 but then quickly removed from circulation by Polish authorities. An accomplished pianist before the war, Szpilman played for Polish Radio during the siege of Warsaw and later within the Jewish ghetto to provide food for his parents and siblings. With the systematic liquidation of Jewish life in Warsaw and separation from his family, Szpilman's life took a series of surprising twists. As the reader views life in the ghetto through the eyes of a survivor, his escape from the ghetto before the Jewish up-rising and his ultimate survival consistently depended upon a timely combination of luck and sympathetic acquaintances B including a German army officer.

Included with Szpilman's memoirs are excerpts from Captain Wilm Hosenfeld's diaries and Wolf Biermann's own brief commentary. Hosenfeld's equating of National Socialism with Stalinist Communist and Biermann's emphasis on Szpilman's willingness to break with his past detracts from the overall quality of this work. Nevertheless, this work is well written and will retain the reader's attention to the end.

I could not put down this book, and read it in two sittings. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famed pianist and composer, describes his harrowing account of life under Nazi terror. As a Polish Jew, Szpilman was considered by the Nazis to be entirely subhuman, and it is a miracle he survived the persistent and random acts of violence that surrounded him. He was nearly sent to a death camp along with his five family members, and somehow was pulled off the Birkenau-bound train to a grim prospect of survival. The images in this book are harrowing, such as the depiction of the shattered skulls of little girls, victims of the Nazis' "preferred" method of killing children by picking them up by their legs and swinging them into a brick wall. Imagine the horror....Szpilman's account is so matter-of-fact at times that you wonder how he survived. The fact that he did is a testament of human endurance, but also the ways of fate. There were occasions when he survived simply by the luck of the draw in a Godless universe.

This book is an incredible story of survival. I have seen the movie also. I would recommend both!

This is one of the first Holocaust survival stories that I read. It is by far one that has stayed with me in the most detail.

What a strong girl Gerda is. she was told to never give up her boots and in the end it is one thing that saved her life after marching in a blizzard half frozen to death. How she survived is nothing short of a miracle.

Reading this when you are in a hard time reminds you that you do have the inner strength to survive. If she can do that then I can face my problems. It is quite graphic and tells the truth of really happened in the holocaust.

I'm not going to give the story away I'm just going to say you will cry and rejoyce in this story. It will touch you to core of your very being.

I must read for EVERYONE!

I have read many of the holocaust books out there but this is the one I pass on to friends to read. Especially moving is the liberation of the prisoners at the end of the book. I wish all schools made this mandatory reading. What a way to learn history! This author is quite an incredible woman.

This book was gripping and I could not put it down until I finished it. It's so hard to believe the hardships so many endured for being Jewish. A must read. Beautifully written with rich detail.

I read this book a long time ago and just got done listening to the book on tape for the second time. It is the most powerful representation of the Holocaust I have found. Please read this book if you want to learn about the Holocaust from a gifted author and survivor.

Despite the horrors around her, and fellow prisoners dying and becoming mentally unbalanced every day, young Gerda Weissman managed to survive several Nazi camps from the late 1930s through the grisly end of World War II.

Imagine being a teenager, wrenched away from your beloved parents, older brother and home -- and never seeing any of them ever again. It would be enough to make anyone unstable, not to mention bitter. Yet somehow, Gerda emerges from her horrifying ordeal stronger than she began. As her body heals in a hospital run by the Allies during the spring of 1945, Gerda begins a relationship with Kurt Klein -- a young soldier who urges her to tell her story.

Now an elderly woman living in Arizona, Gerda Weissman Klein is able to see just how far she's come from the young Jewish girl living a priviledged life in Poland. Yet at the same time, her writing style allows readers to see clearly just how that same persona has managed to live such a rich, eventful life to the fullest all of these years.

I've read many Holocaust memoirs, though I must say that Gerda's story is beautifully and distinctly told.

We had the privilege of having Mr. Alter Wiener visit our elementary school and meet with our 5th and 6th grade students to share his story. His visit culminated a unit of study the children had engaged in to learn about the Holocaust and the reality of hate, bigotry and it's results. Our children were very solemn as they listened to Mr. Wiener's story. Afterwards, many asked questions about his experience and memories these many years later.

Mr. Wiener has written a book of his experiences, losses, and journey through an earth bound hell that every adult should read to be better informed about Hitler's atrocities on mankind. This book presents a story from someone who was there and is written in an honest and comprehensive manner. In his book, Mr. Wiener answers a question for a student who asked, "how is it that you have that constant smile?" Mr. Wiener responded, "My smiling face does not indicate that my heart stopped bleeding. In fact, it has indeed been bleeding for the last sixty-seven years. I am just sending a message to Hitler and to those who had been following his racist ideology that Nazis' plan to stop me breathing at the age of thirteen did not materialize. At the age of eighty, I am still breathing and smiling."

"From a Name to a Number" is appropriate for older students and could easily be part of a high school reading list. It should definitely be one of those books that all freedom loving adults should read.

Alter Weiner is a very special person and it was a very special book. We "The Bad Girls Book Club" read together and he came with pictures and spoke to our club even though we were quite small. It was a horrifying experience and he tells it without bitterness and even some humor. If ever you want to realize how lucky we are in America and this time period you need to read this book.

Alter Wiener's book, "From A Name To A Number" is a message of survival, hope, love and forgiveness. It is a prominent and important work of history that all should read. It not only puts a personal face on the Holocaust, but reveals the horrors of Hitler to the generations who came after the war. I believe this book should be mandatory reading in our school system.

Besides the previous comments listed in the other reviews, I would like to add what Alter means to me: He is one of the increasingly rare examples of living history.

Alter is someone from another time and place who is here with us now, reporting first-hand about not only the horrors of war, but about the extreme and unique horrors this war included which surpases other conflicts. Is it possible to fully understand this? No, it takes a survivor's account to show us. And Alter Wiener is with us as a guide into one of the worst times in history.

He is a resource for teaching us and reminding us not to forget. Not to forget, so this doesn't happen again.

Mr. Wiener possesses many gifts, foremost of which is his ability to connect with people. I have seen him face Junior High School audiences, many to whom he is the first Jewish person they have ever met, and hold them spellbound as he recounts his life with compassion, humor, and wisdom. I have seen him embraced by those same students and their teachers afterward. Reading this book one feels the same connectedness, as he is a wonderful storyteller who can draw readers into his complex past.
I was most moved by some of the many letters he has received from listeners and readers of all ages which are included in this book. You will experience a profound sense of hope as you read them.

I am a clinical psychologist, and I found Sara's Children well worth reading for the personalized insight it provides about the Holocaust. Although this book is poignant and heartrending, it remains well written without going over the top. The five Garfinkel siblings endured far beyond what human beings seem capable of bearing. Out of the war's destruction and nearly complete genocide, this family emerged without bitterness, without anger. That they managed not only to survive but also to rebuild their lives is a triumph of the human spirit.

A touching sad story of brave persecuted peoples caught in the political times and war. It is a story of faith and strength that has a happy ending of freedom with their escape and survival. It is a story that would be a great movie. The message is what happens to all families and groups caught in war and political up heavals still going on today. Ms. Hagstrom has caught and told us of the mood, the times, and emotional moment of the times. History is to be remembered in this book, to avoid being repeated. John Elwell

"Sara's Children" is a compelling story about five siblings who survived the Holocaust. Yet, their immediate family was not untouched: both parents and two other siblings were murdered by the regime.

I read this book after having re-read Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning." I followed it by reading "Night" by Elie Weisel. "Sara's Children" tells a story as shocking to the conscience as any narrative.

I can think of any book that portrays in such historical understanding and journalistic flair of what life has been like for these five holocaust survivors siblings.
Sara's Children is not only a compelling biography, it is a revealing personal story about a family caught up in the events for which no one could have prepared them.

I can think of any book that portrays in such historical understanding and journalistic flair of what life has been like for these five holocaust survivors siblings.
Sara's Children is not only a compelling biography, it is a revealing personal story about a family caught up in the events for which no one could have prepared them.

First I listened to the book on audio. I liked it so much I got the book a year later andit it. Amazing story of survival. Hiding right in a Nazi officers home. WOW. What courage.

A must read for those who what to never forget.

Uplifting to what we can and will do for others when we have to.

Whereas the novel I mentioned in my title left me feeling cold (not to mention the author was a small child when she writes about her experiences, which must be grainy), this powerful account is simply written, but also written well. It's deliciously descriptive and emotional. I felt like I did walk in Irene's shoes, for I saw everything through her eyes (true, it was written in first-person point-of-view), instead of like watching a movie.

By the way, I think this would make a great film, though I am not sure if there is an actress beautiful enough to play Irene (who really should be played by a young, unknown girl, age appropriate, not a trashy pop starlet, who would degrade).

Through it all (being raped by two Russian soldiers and left for dead, becoming a German officer's mistress to protect her Jewish friends, etc.), Irene maintains an innocence that is refreshing, and when she loses her first truelove before they have a chance to marry, it broke my heart.

I will say I have an even dimmer view of the Catholic Church than I did before (not Catholics in general, just some of the politics of the religion), because when Irene goes to a priest to confess being a German's lover to save the lives of her friends, he says, "They are Jews", and I could actually hear the inflection in his voice that said, "They're just Jews", like they weren't worth saving. This un-Christlike priest refuses to give her absolution, which, from a doctrinal standpoint I understand, but not from a spiritual standpoint. Yes, Irene was sinning, but she was not committing crimes against humanity, and I believe my God is a merciful and just God and that He understands for He can see Irene's soul.

This deeply religious, courageous woman has earned my respect and her chronicle is hardcover worthy.

My 14-year-old daughter read this book and insisted that I read it. When I finally agreed, I could not put the book down. The story is so well told that you can can truly understand the experience of a 17-year-old girl in the midst of the horrible events. A compelling book that everyone should read and discuss.

I often think of this woman in my day to day life. She serves as a testament to all mankind that we must put others first and fight for the just cause. What she went through herself is quite harrowing. I am happy that she has been honored with a tree planted in her name at Yad Vashem in Israel. An easy read and a book that you cannot put down. She is truly inspirational.

Unlike most characters featured in such books, Irene Opdyke had no vested interest in helping the Jews during the Nazi occupation of Poland. She began her work in small, timid steps, gradually growing more bold and forceful as she matured. The story is told in an entirely credible and sympathetic way, without forcing young readers to wade though long narratives of graphic atrocities. I found the afterward to be the most moving and memorable part of the entire book.

This book was sure cure for my insomnia. Just a few pages and I was out like a light. Comparing this story to Gone with the Wind is like comparing a McDonald's hamburger to filet mignon. If you are interested in Polish history, check out Wikipedia - its more interesting and won't waste hours of your time and bore you with one-dimensional characters and predictable outcomes.

Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin is a one-of-a kind truely unique novel that is bound to become a classic for many years to come. The novel's concept is unprecedented as the author uses the diary of a real life Polish Countess, Anna Maria Berezowska, (1791-1794) and mixes facts with fiction to creat a truely outstanding historical fictional novel.

The novel is based on the real life story of a young polish girl who's diary is found after passing down generation after generation. The author discovered the diary from a friend who had translated it from his great great great great grandmother and then spent many years researching the historical period it covered.

This novel is beautifully written with intricate details which allow the reader to identify with the main character Anna. I was so encredibly moved by this novel. I found that I shared all her devastations, hopes, losses, loves, betrayals and despairs. It is a novel about loss, love, hope, betrayel, despair and redemption set in the tremulous period in 1790's Poland. I also found the historical content of Poland very interesting. It was a time when Poland was being torn apart by surrounding countries.

Push Not The River is a truely epic saga that you simply cannot miss. This novel has everything in it and is a truely universal book. It is a novel that all genders, ages and cultures would appreciate. After you read this book, read the sequel, "Against a Crimson Sky" and look for the last book that he is currently working on. The author also received the Polish Culture Award from Poland for this novel. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

This excellent novel, which gets its name from the Polish proverb "Push not the river; it will flow of its own accord", is the story of two cousins, both countesses, who are in love with the same untitled man in a period of eightieth century history, a time when Russia, Prussia and Austria were bent on conquering and dividing Poland.

The characters are well developed, the dialogue is free flowing, and the plot is fast moving, interesting and convoluted. It is a superb five star piece of work.

James Conroyd Martin has taken the diary of Countess Anna Maria Berezowska and created a dramatic and moving historical novel.

A friend of Martin's, a direct descendant of the Countess's shared her diary with him, he thought her life was fascinating and spent years researching the historical setting for this novelization. He was unable to get his work published and so initially published the book himself.

Many times while reading this story I found myself impressed that Martin could write in a woman's voice so perfectly. I later learned the author said he employed almost all of the events and much of the dialogue from Anna Maria's diary.

Anna Maria sadly lost her parents when she was only seventeen. She went to live with her aunt Countess Stella Gronska and her family in Halicz. Her cousin Zofia is a year older yet far more worldly than her country cousin. Zofia's older brother Walter is serving Empress Catherine of Russia.

Not long after her arrival Anna Maria meets a handsome young man named Jan Stelnicki who is impressed by her intellect and appreciation of nature. Anna Maria is happy to have something to take her mind off the deep sadness she feels because of the loss of her parents. However her cousin is also interested in Jan Stelnicki and Zofia is manipulative and conniving and willing to do anything to get what she wants.

While Anna Maria seems an innocent and weak young girl events happen that shape her into a strong and persevering woman. She is a heroine to admire.

I enjoyed this story very much. The backdrop of political unrest made for even more dramatic events in the lives of these people. The history of Poland's fight for democracy as well as independence from Russia, Prussia and Austria was all very interesting.

I also enjoyed the special little things included in this book; the historical maps of the locations in the story that show the changes Poland underwent during this period in time, the Polish proverbs as well as the Wycinanki (folk papercuts) by Frances Drwal.

I think there could have been a better title for the book. For some reason I didn't care for the title Push Not the River which is taken from a Polish proverb 'Don't push the river it will flow of it's own accord'. I didn't like it before reading the book and I still don't, I just seems like there could have been a title that was a more reflective of Anna Maria Berezowska's indomitable spirit. But that's hardly worth mentioning.

I did finish the book wanting to know more of what happened to Anna Maria. And I subsequently discovered that there is a continuation of Anna Maria's story. Yay! It's called Against a Crimson Sky, and I will be reading it.

PUSH NOT THE RIVER is a dream of a book for lovers of historical fiction, panoramic sagas and/or romance novels. Based upon the actual diary of an eighteenth century Polish Countess, Anna Maria Berezowska, this tale sweeps the reader into an adventure in Polish history as they experience the Third of May Constitution which granted freedom to noblemen and peasants alike. The resulting violence and intrigue generated by the Constitution produced an outcome that devastated Poland. It was repeatedly partitioned by bordering countries, an act which literally erased it from the maps of Europe for over 100 years .

The book itself covers three exciting but turbulent years in Anna Maria's life. Readers will find a story that resonates with meticulous historical detail and adventure coupled with a fabulous love story that continues to echo long after the final page is turned.

If there ever was a story that lent credibility to the adage that "truth is stranger (and in this case more hauntingly beautiful) than fiction..........this is that story!

An eight-year-old Jewish girl, Marissa, is sitting down with her family for the Passover seder. This year it is not only her family at the meal, but two guests, an older couple named Alex and Mela Roslan. At her Uncle David's prodding, Marissa's father, Jacob, tells the story of why he is so honored to have the Roslans as his guests. It all started long, long ago, when Jacob was just eight years old.

Jacob and his family lived in Warsaw, Poland, at the start of the Holocaust. His mother died giving birth to his youngest brother, but the rest of his family was well off, with servants and a nice house. Everything changed when the Nazis invaded. All of a sudden all of the Jews were put into a ghetto. The men of the family escaped the country before then, believing the women and children would be safe. Jacob's aunt managed to find places for his little brothers, Sholom and David, in the country. Jacob, however, stayed in the ghetto. Life was hard but livable. Then, his aunt began to worry about the fact that so many people were being arrested and taken out of the ghetto each day. She found a place for Jacob to live, with Alex and Mela Roslan and their two children, a family of Christians.

Throughout the war, Jacob lived with this courageous family, a family who put their own lives at risk to save the life of someone they had barely known.

This is another true Holocause story, and another one that makes the reader see there were some good people out there, surrounded by the bad. I liked that this book showed that helping Jacob was a difficult decision for the Roslans to make. They probably saved his life, but they still were concerned about their own lives and their own children. I would have liked to have seen more of what the Roslan children were thinking during this time. It would be interesting to get the point of view of the children who were involved because of a decision of their parents.

An excellent book dedicated to two people stood up for life when others looked the other way. My children and I enjoyed reading this book together.

Visitors are coming for seder dinner and Marissa wants to know who they are!

This is an amazing story of a young Jewish boy during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Jacob is his name, and he is given a chance to live with a brave Polish family. The Roslan family takes Jacob in and protects his brothers and him. This now united family must go through many hardships throughout this story, but there is still happiness and gratitude flowing in the text. Alex the father is the bravest of them all. He keeps the family alive and healthy.
This book tells a well rendered real life experience of a very brave family. It explains what was going on in Poland from the peoples view not the generals prospective. In this book Jacob tells this story to his daughter. Think of finding out that your father was living through an adventure story that had dire conflicts.
What I'm saying is if read this book if you want a idea of what happened to people that were brave and fought in their own way during World War 2.

PR2

In this story called Jacob's Rescue a Holocaust Story, Jacob is a Jew. He finds out that he has to go away from his Aunt and his grandma, to live with a German. The German's name is Alex. He hides Jacob from the Germans, or any other people who don't like Jews. Jacob becomes family to Alex and his wife and kids. Throughout the whole story Jacob is scared and frightened by the Germans. He doesn't want to get caught.
I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't keep my hands off of it. It was that good. I am really interested in the holocaust, so I enjoyed reading it very much. Anyone who likes reading about history or the holocaust, this is the book for you. This is based on a true story. That makes this book a lot more interesting to read.
By: Tenille

Jacob's Rescue by Malka Drucker and Micheal Halprin is an awesome book to read. It starts with Jacob getting captured by the Nazis and being put in a ghetto but for most of the story he is kept in a small apartment.

This book is about an 8 year old boy named Jacob and the extremely brave people who rescued him, Alex and Mela. There were also two brave kids the son and daughter of Alex and Mela. Jacob is one of the Jewish people who got put in a ghetto. In this story Jacob loves to play cards and do math. The whole story starts when Jacob gets put in a ghetto. Their problem is they have to find a way to stay safe without getting caught and being killed. My favorite part is when he escapes from the ghetto and goes with Alex to his new home.

I gave this book five stars because many of you know how many Jewish people got killed because of the war. This book is about the few people who went way out of their way just to save two Jewish boys life. I think that just to know that people would be so giving is a great thing. I think that Malka Drucker and Micheal Halprin did a great gob on this book and I hope that there are more books of theirs that I can read. I would recommend this book to a friend because I think that it's cool to know that two boys' lived through a war because of two people that saved them.

The Real Deal! No "Steve Mcqueen" character, but everyone a true hero.The Great Escape

If you want to know how to make something out of nothing, this is the book for you. I've been reading and re-reading this book since early childhood and that's how I learned to make a needed item out of just what was at hand. McGyver had NUTHIN' on these guys.

MRS. Dee Schauer
Texas

I love the movie the Great Escape and I loved reading the book it was based on. The movie did an excellant job of following the book but reading the book gave me so much more of an understanding of what these men went through and the courage they had. To truely understand the courage these men had and what they went through, you have to read the book.

It's a shame the publisher decided to put a picture on the cover of Steve McQueen wrapped up in the barbed wire at the end of his big motorcycle escape attempt. Because, you see, that never happened in the TRUE story of the Great Escape contained in this book. The movie (while good) took serious dramatic license, while Brickhill's book presents the facts. And they are quite inspiring and thrilling enough without the addition of fictional elements such as McQueen's stunt riding.
I first read this book while in elementary school, and was hooked to the extent that I've read it many times since over the decades. A truly outstanding story.

This is the (true) story of the efforts of a multinational group of POWs to escape during WW2, and led to what is one of my favourite films.

I anticipated the book to be a bit of a let down after seeing the movie, but it really wasn't. They emphasize quite different aspects, and some parts of the movie were clearly made up with entertainment value in mind (people jumping motorcycles over fences for instance!). I can't blame the movie makers of course, because the compelling essence of this story is the daily slog of tunnelling set against the backdrop of the mind-numbing drudgery of incarceration. No movie could be long enough to get this point across, but the book allows one to build up a better picture of what captivity was like, particularly because it provides such incredible details. I was really struck by the ingenious ways the prisoners found to fake German uniforms and official passes, improvise tools, and build radios and other vital pieces of equipment. The book provides sufficient descriptions to allow you to get an impression of the main characters and camp layout, though I personally would have enjoyed a few photographs of the people involved (good and bad), though I realise these wouldn't have been easy to obtain.

The author has a relatively dry style typical of a historian rather than a dramatist, and at times relates key events remarkably passionately. The book ratchets up the tension without having to try too hard however, and I could sense the tension that existed whenever the guards entered the barracks to check for tunnels. The depression that accompanies every uncovered tunnel jumps out of the page, as does the resolve to keep trying to escape without ever accepting captivity.

I was also pleased that the author described the events some time after the final escape, so that I could see how thoroughly the Allied authorities pursued the main protagonists, and what was their evetual fate.

This book was a fine testament to the memory of the brave men who didn't wilt despite literally years of incarceration in conditions that can best be desribed as spartan. If they had all died without anyone knowing their story the world would be a poorer place.

After reading this book, I was filled with an intense sense of pride for the small amount of Polish blood that runs through my veins. While this book is, at times, a chore to read, I could not put it down. The writers took great pains in laying a good foundation for the reader, dealing with the early history of Poland, and illustrating the territory struggles which play such an important role as the book unfolds, especially prior to and after WW2. The book made me laugh, and at times, cry for the sacrifice of these brave men. It is beyond words how deeply the western countries betrayed the brave and loyal Poles, who fought harder than any nation "for your freedom and ours".

Another great read, which will equally portray the Czech experience in WW2, is "One Man and His Dog" by Anthony Ricardson. The book is amazing to read and would make a remarkably good movie.

I originally was given this book as a gift. After reading it, I bought several copies as gifts to some relatives.

This is a history narrative that should be read by all. It gives information about WWII that is not covered in the "Anglo-centric" history that is taught to our students or disseminated to the American public. It covers how Roosevelt and Churchill allowed themselves to be bullied by Jozef Stalin. They gave away Eastern Europe in order to keep Russia from signing a separate peace with Hitler. It shows how the fourth largest Allied Military force (The Poles), did not have a free country to return to, after the war. The Polish Military was not even welcome in the countries that they defended or helped liberate. By this act of capitulation, Roosevelt and Churchill were in fact quislings. But then, who remembers Vidkun Quisling.

The book reads very easily, and is extensively footnoted to support all data and statistics.

"He who does not study history, will be forced to re-live it."

I was ashamed to learn how, as a proud American, we abandoned the Polish people during and after World War II. They were thrown to the "bear" as both Churchill and FDR sold them out.

If you love aviation, that is the focus of this book. It paints the illustrious exploits of the fine Polish pilots who sacrificed their lives during the Battle of Britain - defending an ally that did not come to the aide of the Poles as the country was overrun by Germany at the outset of WWII.

This also provides a brief overview of the attrocities the Russians allowed the Germans to commit while occupying Warsaw. If you've never heard about the Warsaw uprising, this gives you some insight.

A fairly light read as a history book goes but a thoroughly enjoyable story. You'll have new respect for the courage and commitment of these Polish aviators and perhaps of the Polish people.

KINDLE: On the Kindle edition, the images are a bit harsh but you probably already know about that as a general Kindle issue.

I don't use the word lightly -- but in this case "masterpiece" fits. This is in part the story of a group of extraordinary young men, Polish exiles who contributed mightily to the allied cause as fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain and beyond. The prowess and heroism of those men alone could have carried the book -- or a film, for that matter. But "A Question of Honor" is much, much more -- an epic, really, that covers the bravery of the Poles and the despicable manner in which they and their nation were treated, in 1939 and then in the latter period of the war. As the son of a Pole who was nineteen when the war began, I am very familiar with the story; but I had never seen it laid out so well. Olson and Cloud have produced a book that is both gripping drama and a brilliantly-prepared indictment of the powers that doomed Poland, by their aggression (Germany), their failure to keep their word (Britain, France), their lack of interest (the U.S. -- Roosevelt in particular), and -- in the worst case -- it is about the criminal neglect and barbarism of the Soviet Union, as Stalin prepared to take control over postwar Poland. More than anything, the authors show how realpolitik overran every promise, all good faith, and so many impulses to do the right thing. A brilliant, important book.

I found this book to be a highly entertaining and informative read. The exploits of the 303,in particular, are thrilling. I do feel that some of the momentum is lost when dealing with the political machinations of Churchill and Roosevelt, however less exciting, it is very important that these be revealed. The authors did an outstanding job of this. I've seen reviews that say this is done "out of context". I don't see a problem here. This is the account of intentionally overlooked heroes who fought for all and received nothing, from a world that seemed would rather that they just go away! I take this to heart as I am of Polish descent. My grandfather was born near Zamosc. The family, with the exception of his brother and himself were taken by the Russians to a Siberian gulag during the second partition, likely as suspected insurgents. My grandfather made his way to Amsterdam over a period of a few years and made his way to America by ship around the turn of the century. I've been to Poland, to Warsaw, the old town and could picture the devastation as I walked the streets. I've seen the monument to the uprising and the murdered. All this makes me wonder if this could be allowed today, In our "information age"? What if T.V. and video cameras were everywhere then as they are today? Could Churchill and Roosevelt get away with what they did? Would people remain indifferent as Warsaw was flattened and her allies watched? It's difficult to believe that such a thing could happen in a world that vilified a president for having sex but I do have faith in mankind's ability to forget,just change the channel, or with TIVO, not even watch what it does not wish to see. This is why we need books like this! I hope some one make it into a movie!

* I don't think forgotten is strong enough of a word.

The great Polish/Lithuanian empire ruled all of central europe at one point - from Berlin to Moscow. I'm betting most of you weren't even aware of that. I wasn't either until I started reading more of european history. In developing a friendship with some people of Polish descent they recommended this author and his nobel prize winning novels to me. I was daunted by its length and by the date of when it was originally written. However, I started reading and have been hooked on these books ever since. I have come to believe that Mr. Sienkiewicz is the father of the modern novel. This is not a stilted 18th century read!
It gives you history (from a polish perspective) with fictionalized characters and a compelling story behind the backdrop of the calamitous decline of a once proud and powerful empire. The characters are heroic, tragic, conflicted and wonderful to follow. You will love this book and the several sequels in this decades spanning story.
One doesn't win a Nobel prize in literature if they can't write and Mr. Sieniewicz earned his.

I have read "With Fire and Sword," "The Deluge," and "Pan Michael" ("Colonel Wolodyjowski") and I recommend all of them highly. The characters are memorable and well-developed, the heroes are likeable, and even the villains are understandable as people with very human motivations.

Ask around a bit and you'll find no shortage of folks, men in particular, who became readers via their encounters in youth with class adventure tales: The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Ivanhoe, the Lord of the Rings, etc. ask again and you'll find almost no one whose heard of half the Nobel Laureates in Literature, fewer who've read them, and none enjoyed many of them. All the more remarkable then that one of the great adventure authors of all time actually won a Nobel and somewhat tragic that so few have read him in recent decades. But Henryk Sienkiewicz has made something of a comeback and it could not be more welcome.

Sienkiewicz is the great author of Poland--indeed, to some extent his works are said to have created and helped to maintain the strong Polish identity that prevailed through the troubled 20th Century. When his books were first published -- mostly late in the 19th Century -- the English translations were done by Teddy Roosevelt's friend Jeremiah Curtin and, whether they were adequate for their time, they are are terribly dated now and have served to put off potential readers. Add in the fact that neither the Nazis nor the Communists had much interest in fostering Polish patriotism and you've the recipe for lost classics. But then, fittingly as the Iron Curtain was crumbling, Hippocrene Books commissioned a new translation of his greatest works, The Trilogy and Quo Vadis?, by the highly-regarded Polish novelist W. S. Kuniczak, and these eminently readable versions won Sienkiewicz a modern audience. New translations of other works followed, then a terrific film version of In Desert and Wilderness, and a massive Polish television adaptation of the Trilogy. Suddenly we've a surfeit of riches and some catching up to do.

If you're just starting out it might be wise to begin with Quo Vadis?, a stand alone tale of Christians in Rome that really deserves a fresh film treatment. But it's well worth your time to dive into the Trilogy, the first volume of which is the magnificent With Fire and Sword. Set in 1647, amidst a Cossack uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it tells the story of a young Polish patriot and hero, Yan Skshetuski, and his love for the beautiful Helen, who is also coveted the brutal Bohun, who fights with the rebels. Pan Yan's twin tales give us epic history and grand romance, while his compatriots offer comic relief. There's his wily servant, Zjendjan, whose semi-faithful service somehow keeps lining his own pocket. There's the mopey giant Pan Longinus, who has sworn a vow of chastity until he lives up to the example of his forebears and takes off the heads of three enemy soldiers with one swing of his massive battle sword. There's Pan Michal Wolodyjowski, whose bravery and feistiness belie his diminutive stature. And, best of all, there's the Falstaffian Pan Zagloba, who makes up in drinking capacity, gluttony, and biting wit what he lacks in zeal for battle, as he keeps his one good eye peeled for threats to his corpulent frame.

It'll take you a hundred to a hundred and fifty pages to orient yourself and get used to the odd names and nicknames, but the subsequent thousand pages go by far too fast. It's one of those stories you don't ever want to end.

I've read Kuniczak's translation of the Trilogy and greatly enjoyed it. It was my introduction to Seinkiewicz. However, while reading it, it seemed somehow incoherent, like something was missing. It also seemed impossible that the companions of Zagloba would be so credulous of his boasting.

I went and found a copy of the 1890 translation of the Trilogy by Jeremiah Curtin. What a difference! Though the language is somewhat archaic, the story flows so much better and the character of Zagloba is much more believeable. There is more context to his antics, and his companions are presented as far more skeptical of his boasting, making the story much more realistic.

Kuniczak seems to have omitted and simplified much that appears in the Curtin translation, to the detriment of the story. Many believe the Kuniczak version is superior, and maybe it is more accessible, but I recommend you find the old editon in the basement of the local library and read it first.

This was one of the most sweeping epics I've ever read. It's over 1,000 pages, but it takes little effort to finish the book. I found myself white knuckled and breathless through many of the battle scenes. This was truly a good read for both men and women.