Books

The Dark Heart of Hitler’s Europe: Nazi Rule in Poland Under the General Government
2017 Vol. 9 No. 1—Spring / Books

The Dark Heart of Hitler’s Europe: Nazi Rule in Poland Under the General Government

Germany’s genocidal colonialism in occupied Poland was the “Heart of Darkness” in its relentless exploitation and brutality. The Dark Heart of Hitler’s Europe provides essential context to understanding the individual atrocities of that period.

The Chosen Maiden
2016 Vol. 8 No. 1—Winter / Books

The Chosen Maiden

Eva Stachniak’s book offers a rare glimpse into the turbulent life and times of Bronia Nijinska and the waning days of the Russian empire. Nijinska’s talent was overshadowed by her brother but as he said, “Art is all that matters… Everything else is distraction.”

Hela: A Novel of Science, Faith, Love and Poland
2016 Vol. 8 No. 1—Winter / Books

Hela: A Novel of Science, Faith, Love and Poland

Hela can be exasperating. Her views on gender relations outdated and her national prejudices problematic, she says inappropriate things at the dinner table. But she is the aging relative you love anyway, for her frankness and spirit.

Polska Dotty  2
2016 Vol. 8 No. 1—Winter / Books

Polska Dotty 2

Back in 1999, Lipman sailed his little ship in the (mostly) smooth Polish sea. Back in London, they happily welcomed the EU-Polish immigrants. But the once smooth English Sea is getting increasingly turbulent. Not that the Polish sea has remained calm.

Lilac Girls
2016 Vol. 8 No. 2—Spring / Books

Lilac Girls

Martha Hall Kelly’s novel is based on the true story of Caroline Ferriday, a New York socialite who brings Polish Ravensbruck survivors to America for treatment. And locates the criminal Dr. Herta Oberheuser.

Hurrah Revolutionaries: The Polish Canadian Communist Movement
2016 Vol. 8 No. 2—Spring / Books

Hurrah Revolutionaries: The Polish Canadian Communist Movement

Uncovering a Polish communist movement in Canada, historian Patryk Polec suggests the radical ideas came from Poland. Reviewer Gabriela Pawlus Kasprzak thinks the Poles were radicalized here. Either way, a surprising, interesting read.

Black Ribbon Day
2016 Vol. 8 No. 2—Spring / Books

Black Ribbon Day

Why are Stalin’s alliance with Hitler and his genocidal policies overlooked, even denied? Reviewing Black Ribbon Day, Michał Kasprzak suggests “the nightmarish partnership of tyrannies” needs more attention.

Window to Freedom: A Journey of Survival
2016 Vol. 8 No. 2—Spring / Books

Window to Freedom: A Journey of Survival

It took Poland fifty years to regain its freedom. For many Poles it took even longer to liberate their memories. Marian Wiacek recorded his for his grandchildren.

Welcome to Winter 2016!
Books

Welcome to Winter 2016!

Welcome to Winter at CR, wherever you are. Chicago, Warsaw, California or on a dramatic journey across several continents. And maybe a bit of time travel — the 17th, the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Generals Sikorski & Anders in Iran, 31 km to Tehran, 4371 to Warsaw
Books

Trail of Hope: The Anders Army, an Odyssey Across Three Continents

This is a war story that unites the fate of soldiers and civilians. Thank you, Norman Davies, for gathering the memoirs, the photographs, and the historian’s details, and telling the story with such élan. Now where’s the young historian who will break new ground and write a scholarly work on this neglected subject?

The Warsaw Uprising: A Noncombatant Survivor’s Memoir
Books

The Warsaw Uprising: A Noncombatant Survivor’s Memoir

Miron Białoszewski’s memoir of the 63 days of terror endured by civilians during the Warsaw Uprising is a difficult but essential book. Kudos to NYRB for this new edition, translated by Madeline G. Levine.

Remembrance, Commemoration, Education, and Celebrating Life
Books

Remembrance, Commemoration, Education, and Celebrating Life

The Canadian segment of the March of the Living and the March of Remembrance and Hope, under the direction of Eli Rubenstein, commemorates, educates and celebrates life with love and respect for all people in our troubled world.

Jakub Lejbowicz Frank
Books

Księgi Jakubowe (The Books of Jacob)

Winner of Poland’s NIKE Award, Tokarczuk’s book is a spellbinding journey in a literary time machine to a mysterious era in the distant past. No English translation yet, but in the meantime, Małgorzata Dzieduszycka-Ziemilska’s review gives you a glimpse into a world at once historical, and surreal.