Polish-American Heritage Month – Book Review

Hello,

Coinciding with October’s Polish-American Heritage Month, I was lucky enough to have finish an excellent book written by Norman Davies titled God’s Playground A History of Poland: Volume 1 The Origins to 1795. Although it took me about four months to read, due to my college classes and family life, I have finally finished. It was definitely worth the amount of time that was invested in reading the book.

The book is a study of Polish culture and history from the beginning of the Polish dynasty to its collapse after the final partition by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. Norman Davies incorporates numerous studies and histories that were written in Poland and throughout Europe. This book was not a small undertaking on the part of Mr. Davies. The book is divided into two main chapters, which are the Introduction: The Origins to 1572 and The Life and Death of the Polish-Lithuanian Republic (1569-1795).

Without getting into extreme amounts of detail, I will highlight the major topics in the book which are cultures, politics, diplomacy, religions, commerce, urban life, wars, leaders, royalty, and the ever changing borders of Poland. These topics are only the top layer of the depth in Mr. Davies book.

I highly recommend reading God’s Playground A History of Poland: Volume 1 The Origins to 1795. The book is available through bookstores and libraries. If you are interested in learning more about the land, areas, and people that made up Poland, do yourself a favor and read this informative study by Norman Davies.

Currently, I have begun reading God’s Playground A History of Poland: Volume I1 1795 to the Present, which is the second book in the set and was published in 2005. I hope to have it finished by the end of 2009, if my college studies permit…..


Best Regards,
Al