Heart of Europe: The Past in Poland's Present

Rating:
Summary: Historical framework for communist breakdown in Poland
Review: This a very well researched, comprehensive piece of work that discusses the salient features of Polish history. It's worth reading just as a fairly short and very readable version of the Polish history that is written by a non-Pole. In addition, the author takes on the difficult task of trying to provide a historical perspective on the frustration of Poles put under the Soviet-imposed communist rule and, more specifically, on the historical roots of the Solidarity freedom movement. The original, inverted structure of the book (the most recent events first) serves these goals well but it may be frustrating for readers accustomed to the traditional chronological approach to history. Nevertheless, I liked this structure. I would recommend this book to any Pole and people interested in the history of Poland and Central Europe. In addition, this is a great reading for people of any nationality interested in the Soviet imperialism and in the historical reasons for its ultimate failure.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Well written book, takes a very comprehensive look at the history of not just Poland, but the entire region, and the forces that shaped it. The narration is reverse-chronological, starting with the most recent events, and tracing them back in history. It's worth reading just for his thesis about Poland's history bein characterized by cycles of great idealism and great pragmatism - a paradoxical merger, but one that works to this day.