The Power of Symbols Against the Symbols of Power: The Rise of Solidarity and the Fall of State Socialism in Poland

by Jan Kubik

In this study of the culture of opposition, the strategies of the Polish Communist party for remodelling national culture are examined. This is followed by a history of the rise of Solidarity, the circumstances that led to it, and why it did not happen in other communist-run countries.

Genres: History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1994

Reviews

[liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn’t unreasonable that a 300+ page book centered solely on a specific aspect of a specific movement in a specific country during a specific era would draw concerns of potential boredom, exhausting over-analysis, and excessively academic language to cover up the same point being made over and over. However, none of this was true for this book. It was such a delight and you end the book wondering how you ever overlooked the role of symbols, ceremony, and ritual in the Solidarity/counter-hegemonic Polish movement of the 70s and early 80s. The author keeps such a clear focus on the topic and doesn’t not waste a single word on an irrelevant topic, answering his opening question perfectly. Everything loops back to the original point and you don’t have to wait until the very end for it all to connect, as you will sometimes find in other academic-leaning works. And while he makes it clear that the specific events described could have and did only happen in Poland, he doesn’t place Poland in a vacuum, but rather provides elaborations on each aspect he presents that allow you to use them as analytical tools for different countries at different points in time. Such an amazing read.

[Artur Rosman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book you want to read if you want to understand where solidarity came from.

[Joseph Serwach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the impact of symbols (think branding) in Solidarity's push to revolutionize the communist world. Lessons apply across disciplines and boundaries.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read.