Like the heroic land that is its subject, James Michener's POLAND teems with vivid events and unforgettble characters. In the sweeping span of eigh...
read full description
reviews
Feb 02, 2012
Stephen
rated it: 
Poland was one of several Michener historical novels I read in the late 70s and early 80s, when it seemed everybody else was doing the same. I rarely hear him mentioned these days and wonder why.
I hadn't intended to read it again now, but a copy fell into my lap, and after opening it idly I was hooked.
Large chunks of the story had stayed with me over the years. I remembered Michener's accounts of the invasions by Tatars and Swedes, and the unspeakable things those people More...
I hadn't intended to read it again now, but a copy fell into my lap, and after opening it idly I was hooked.
Large chunks of the story had stayed with me over the years. I remembered Michener's accounts of the invasions by Tatars and Swedes, and the unspeakable things those people More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 13, 2011
Johnny
rated it: 
Michener’s Poland: A Novel is primarily about three families in nine different ages. It was written during the height of the Solidarity movement in Poland and uses a fictional, but quite representative, conflict between Polish union organizers and Communist sympathizers as the bookends between which the rest of the historical fiction is racked. Even the struggle between the two families involved in the bookend conflict serves as framing for the conflicts within the book. It is not only epic in t
More...
Aug 12, 2010
Kristine
rated it:
Michener has a signature style that can feel tedious and emotionally removed. Additionally, his individual sentences are straightforward, lacking frills and displaying little elegance. That said, if a reader buries expectations for what Michener clearly does not deliver, and embraces instead what Michener does indeed deliver -- a whole lot of history and geography in a centuries long fictional format -- the experience of reading POLAND immediately seems far more worthwhile, possibly even enjoy
More...
Apr 19, 2010
Mister
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 22, 2011
SB
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 12, 2011
Mary
rated it: 
James A. Michener's historical fiction, "Poland", is remarkable. It dives into the heart of the country - its people, culture, art, music, landscape, traditions, rituals - in such a way as to enkindle in the reader a love for the country.
Michener paints a thorough picture of the events that have shaped Poland, and clearly establishes the boundaries between history and fiction before the novel begins. A thousand years of history are cleverly presented through tracing famili More...
Michener paints a thorough picture of the events that have shaped Poland, and clearly establishes the boundaries between history and fiction before the novel begins. A thousand years of history are cleverly presented through tracing famili More...
Aug 27, 2011
Karen
rated it:
If I judged this book on what I learned from it, I would have given it 5 stars. Apparently I was asleep during our high school European history class when I should have learned the history of this country. Or I was too busy telling Pollack jokes that were very popular at that time? (Why can't they make ice cubes in Poland anymore? Because they lost the recipe.) I have always loved Michener books and have read most of them because I come away with a great appreciation and respect for the peo
More...
Dec 03, 2010
Ian
rated it:
Having lived in Poland for 2 years and having Polish ancestry this book was very interesting to read. Michener does a great job of immersing the reader into the Polish culture starting in the early middle ages. Due to Poland having no natural borders to the north, east or west, it has been invaded so many times in it's history it is hard to keep track. They have been through a lot but have shown incredible resilience to those who tried, and sometimes succeeded, to extinguish their culture and
More...
Jul 06, 2010
Patty
rated it:
Mr Michener uses fictional characters to walk us through the history of this often non-exsistent, but strong willed country. Being of a Polish background through my grandparents who immigrated to America, I had no idea that over and over again the country of Poland was elimated as a country or taken over by surronding countries in very cruel ways. I also never realized the impact of the Holocast on the Poles. Almost as many Poles lost their lives and were in concentration camps as Jews. This
More...
Sep 12, 2010
Benjamin
rated it:
Though not of Polish ancestry, I chose to read this book because I marvel at James Michener books, in general. I found it to be an excellent read, don't let my 3 star rating fool you. As is the case for most Michener books, we see the entire history of a land and its peoples through windows in time (aka chapters). It was not as interesting to me as Centennial or Chesapeake, (thus my rating) but it definitely exposes the reader to some valuable history that is not normally seen in mainstream fict
More...
Jun 07, 2009
B
rated it:
After reading this book (one of the few books I bother owning & storing on my shelf), I read the rest of Michener's historical novels. It's great the way he weaves history of whatever region he's writing about into the lives of people in that region through the ages. And it doesn't go too deeply into the mumbo jumbo lovey stuff like (a la "Days of Our Lives") but just the basic way of life from each generation, and how it affects future generations.
This style also got me ho More...
This style also got me ho More...
Jul 29, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
Though Michener's books are long, I learn so much. Of course, in Michener's style of following the decendents of families from different classes & examining the relationships, politics & world outlook of Poland & the various European regions/countries through these characters at their place in history, the reader gains an understanding of the development of Europe.
I also can relate the history of Poland & constant attacks on her borders to the strong ethnic pride & adherance to tr More...
I also can relate the history of Poland & constant attacks on her borders to the strong ethnic pride & adherance to tr More...
Nov 17, 2011
James
rated it:
I've never read any historical fiction before, so I can't judge it by genre-standards, but I rather liked it. The third quarter of it was an absolute bore, but the last fourth made up for it, though largely dealing with WWII, the holocaust, and communist occupation, all of which I was already familiar enough that I didn't learn too much. All said, I feel as though I learned quite a bit about the history of Poland from 1100 AD and on. The story-telling was good enough, but if you're not at all in
More...
Jan 22, 2009
I never understood why Poland was always the underdog in European politics. This book gave me a better understanding of geography and history in relation to Poland. I wanted to know more about Poland as that is where my father and his parents lived before emigrating to Canada. I got impatient with the characters in the book several times and put the book down, only to return to it because I couldn't stop thinking about it. The author makes the point over and over again that the Polish people o
More...
May 12, 2011
Robert
rated it:
Would give it a 3+ if available.
Certainly provides an interesting and detailed historical review of Poland throughout seven centuries. It was especially interesting to me, as I previously had little knowledge of Poland's history. Told through well developed characters who are presented so as to compliment the periods in which they lived. Most compelling to me was the chapter that takes place throughout WWII; to say the least, it was heart-wrenching.
Most definitely worth the read if More...
Certainly provides an interesting and detailed historical review of Poland throughout seven centuries. It was especially interesting to me, as I previously had little knowledge of Poland's history. Told through well developed characters who are presented so as to compliment the periods in which they lived. Most compelling to me was the chapter that takes place throughout WWII; to say the least, it was heart-wrenching.
Most definitely worth the read if More...
Jun 15, 2008
Rita
rated it:
Since visiting Poland, I have wanted a way to absorb more Polish history, this book is a good way to do it.
[James was reading it in Copenhagen and recommended it too.]
Michener is not among the greatest of writers, one does not 'savor every sentence'.
But he's a good storyteller and that keeps me reading.
He stresses that the Poles have always resisted having a strong leader. It was a long long time before regional 'warlords' were willing to relinquish some of their po More...
[James was reading it in Copenhagen and recommended it too.]
Michener is not among the greatest of writers, one does not 'savor every sentence'.
But he's a good storyteller and that keeps me reading.
He stresses that the Poles have always resisted having a strong leader. It was a long long time before regional 'warlords' were willing to relinquish some of their po More...
Jun 18, 2008
Kristopher
rated it:
One Michener book is much like another. I obviously continue reading his work because that's not a bad thing.
Like any good writer on history, he is a good student of history, which means he grasps human nature really well. A continuing theme, not meant to bore so much as to enlighten, might be summarized as "the more things change, the more they stay the same" (see, for example, his definitions of history on 447 and 557). In every exchange, the peasant or working class is t More...
Like any good writer on history, he is a good student of history, which means he grasps human nature really well. A continuing theme, not meant to bore so much as to enlighten, might be summarized as "the more things change, the more they stay the same" (see, for example, his definitions of history on 447 and 557). In every exchange, the peasant or working class is t More...
Nov 17, 2009
Ebookwormy
rated it:
Poland
James A. Michener
Over 15 years ago, I rode a bus with a group of 60ish young people from Berlin through Poland to Ukraine… The trip felt more like a slow plane ride as we slide through the flat, Polish, night from one border to another, but I remember the sun rose in beauty to beckon us the final miles to the east. This book brought back my brief experience in Poland as I searched my mind for memories of our late night stop in Krakow and a glimpse of the Vistula as we cro More...
James A. Michener
Over 15 years ago, I rode a bus with a group of 60ish young people from Berlin through Poland to Ukraine… The trip felt more like a slow plane ride as we slide through the flat, Polish, night from one border to another, but I remember the sun rose in beauty to beckon us the final miles to the east. This book brought back my brief experience in Poland as I searched my mind for memories of our late night stop in Krakow and a glimpse of the Vistula as we cro More...
Mar 07, 2008
Amy
rated it:
I read this book when I was in college at the suggestion of a friend of mine who was serving as a missionary in Poland at the time. I had read some James Michener previously and would consider myself a fan. "Poland" completely blew me away because it once again made me realize how little history I know. Michener is known for being a good researcher and I am often taken in by the way he brings history to life. Poland has a rich and tragic history that is rarely considered important in w
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 29, 2011
Elena
rated it:
This was, for me, a really good way to learn the history of a country that I never could quite understand. An actual history book would have been entirely too dull, and anyway I have learned that history is often subjective. Speaking of which, this author definitely does not depict the Poles of the WW2 area as the raving anti-Semities that I have learned about. I decided though, that this is only logical, because the book is meant to highlight the patriotism and resilience of the Polish people
More...
Aug 17, 2011
Scott
rated it:
Second shelf Michener, for sure.
Saadly this is a testimonial to the losing of talent as one ages.
OK, OK....not always, for sure; but as the norm, yes.
Sorting out the unfamiliar Polish names was something that I was never able to do throughout the 600+ pages, causing a flagging interest.
Many fascinating historical 'revelations' as only Michener can provide, but no continuity of style or format.
I am an even greater music lover than I am a bibliophile, but the rea More...
Saadly this is a testimonial to the losing of talent as one ages.
OK, OK....not always, for sure; but as the norm, yes.
Sorting out the unfamiliar Polish names was something that I was never able to do throughout the 600+ pages, causing a flagging interest.
Many fascinating historical 'revelations' as only Michener can provide, but no continuity of style or format.
I am an even greater music lover than I am a bibliophile, but the rea More...
Feb 02, 2010
Denise
rated it:
I chose this book since my maternal grandmother was born in Poland (then Russia) and felt a need to learn more about what her life might have been like until age 13 when she came to America.
The book follows three fictitious families through centuries of Polish and East Europe history. I did not realize how little I understood about the political and historical significance of this unique geographic area which stands between the continents of Europe and Asia. Understandably the most i More...
The book follows three fictitious families through centuries of Polish and East Europe history. I did not realize how little I understood about the political and historical significance of this unique geographic area which stands between the continents of Europe and Asia. Understandably the most i More...
Feb 19, 2010
Aaron
rated it:
One of my all-time favourites. To find out more about Pope John Paul II's home country is amazing. The history, especially the part of the wars, the steadfast fortresses-slash-religious convents, the adoration and dedication of the country to Mary and of course how she leads the people to Jesus. The great constitution of Poland-Lithuania - as a history buff, I immensely loved this book!
May 12, 2009
David
rated it: 
We were planning a trip to Poland and the Ukraine. I have an ancestor that emigrated from there in 1890. It seemed like a 'no brainer' to read this book.
The book bogged down for me about two thirds through because the story lost its focus, with the introduction of many characters and a complex political landscape. I began to feel I was reading a textbook.
The book bogged down for me about two thirds through because the story lost its focus, with the introduction of many characters and a complex political landscape. I began to feel I was reading a textbook.
Jul 28, 2011
Derek
rated it:
Michener's template is to take a setting and trace episodes in its history. This time it was... Poland, home of brave striking dock workers! I just couldn't finish this one, partly because it dragged on and on and partly because the unremitting "America is great and the Soviet Bloc bloody well isn't" theme was just a tad too thickly laid on.
Oct 13, 2009
Sara
rated it:
As in many Michener books, the sweep of history is broad, dramatic and informative. I wanted to understand Polish history, as my son was spending a month there, and this book gave it to me. I was also impressed when a Polish friend told me that for a non-Pole, Michener got an unusually-high approval rating for his book from Poles.
Aug 04, 2009
Annie
rated it:
This was really good. I learned a lot about the history of eastern europe. Its no wonder Poland was always at the mercy of either Germany or Russia or both! It was a freakin corridor between the two countries who were always mad at each other of course so they just swept through poland every 30 years or so to get at the other guy.
Aug 31, 2009
Bart
rated it:
The reason Western Europe wasn't conquered by the Tatars, Teutons, Turks and Mongols. Ok so we got jacked up by zee Germans. James A. Michener spent 2 years researching the history and lineage of 3 families spanning 8 centuries and turned it into a "titanic documentary novel". I'll be reading this again soon.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 03, 2009
I didn't know that much about World War 2 when I read this book, and was aghast at how the world stood by and did nothing when the Nazis took over Poland. Now that we've had the same kind of thing in Sudan and Rwanda, I keep asking myself "What are we supposed to do in these cases?"
Feb 11, 2012
Sue
rated it:
It's been many years since I read this book but in true Michener style, he took me back to the earliest history (Maybe Attila the Hun?) and brought me forward to Polish independence. Another great book! So much culture covered.. part of the Eastern influences on Europe.
