The History of Poland

by M.B.B. Biskupski

Poland is a land whose boundaries and people have been divided and redivided by conquering nations throughout its long and tumultuous history. Only now, as it enters the 21st century, is it a stable democracy with a bright economic and political future. This compassionately written history provides readers with a clear understanding of Poland's complex history from its origins in the Middle Ages through the end of the 20th century and is ideal for student research. It is the most up-to-date history of Poland available.

Biskupski, an expert on the history of Poland, provides an overview of Poland today, its geographic, economic and political realities, a timeline of significant events in its history, and chronologically organized chapters on its history from the heritage of Old Poland to the rise of the Third Republic and the current situation as Poland enters the 21st century. Ready reference materials include short biographical sketches of important people in the history of Poland, a glossary, and a bibliographic essay.

Genres: History

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

About the author

Professor Mieczysław B. Biskupski is a Polish-American historian and political scientist, with focus on Central European (particularly Polish) history and international relations.

He has held professorship appointments at St. John Fisher College, the University of Rochester, and the University of Warsaw. In 1997 he was a Fellow of the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Since 2002 he is the Endowed Chair in Polish and Polish-American Studies at Central Connecticut State University. He received his Ph.D. in 1981 from Yale University.

Biskupski's academic and national awards include listing on the Honor Roll of Polish Learning by the Polish Ministry of Education (2001), and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2000). In 2004 he received the Mieczysław Haiman Award from the Polish American Historical Association. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America; and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Józef Piłsudski Institute of America, and as president of the Polish American Historical Association.

He is the author of several books and numerous articles.

Reviews

[Patrick Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is aimed at the general public and at high school and college students. It's a little dry for its intended audience and not terribly detailed, but it has the advantage of being both more recent than and [i]much[/i] shorter than Norman Davies' [i]God's Playground [/i].

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise overview of more than a thousand years of history. If you need depth and analysis, this isn't your book. But, if you just need some general info, this one will do.