Poland by James A. Michener Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Poland
Book Review: A remarkable account of a remarkable nation
Summary: 5 Stars
This epic is a phenomenal account of a remarkable nation and a remarkable people.
It documents the resilience of the Polish people, in the face of experiencing their nation being crushed by invaders and more powerful neighbors, so many times.
It begins in 1981, at the time that Poland lay under the heel of Communist tyranny, as a puppet of that Evil Empire, the Soviet Union, introducing us to the brave Polish farmers leader, Janko Buk, who out of love of his people, prepares to take on the might of the cruel Marxist-Leninist monolith.
We are then taken back to AD 1204, to discover how Poland bravely stood against the ravages of the savage Mongol and Tartar hordes sweeping through Europe from the East.
Michener then documents the repeated rape of Poland through history, by the Germans from the West and the Swedes from the North, as well as the brave role played by the Polish in beating back the Islamic Ottoman invasion of Europe from the south. (Is Europe once more faced by an Islamic invasion in the 21st century?).
Through the various partitions of that country, whereby Austria, Prussia/Germany and Russia, divided that nation amongst themselves, like a cake.
Finally in the 20th Century, Poland again re-emerged free in 1918, but only for a short while, and was to experience being at the receiving end of the two cruellest and most vicious movements in history, Communism and Nazism (may both be erased forever!)
Through this sage we get to know many amazing men and women, representing a most resilient nation.
Book Review: A simply good novel
Summary: 5 Stars
The land of Poland, sometimes the strife in which the inhabitants experinced were more difficult even than for English speakers to pronounce Polish words. A land with a rich history so vividly portrayed, each minor detail finds a home here in Michener's masterwork. As always Michener shows intimately the history of the nation, and what nation with a richer history than Poland. Read it!Book Review: A very good tale of Poland
Summary: 4 Stars
"Poland" was the book from which my adventure with Michener started. I bought it initially for my husband, to encourage him to know something about my country and I thought it was a good start - from the novel, with historic background. He enjoyed it immensely and then I read it too, and was very pleased with the way Michener wrote about Polish history, chose and portrayed the characters, tackled the clichés and researched the facts. The important moments in Polish history, both fortunate and unfortunate, are described, the traditions are shown faithfully, some real historical figures are presented, and the plots in each chapter are interesting. It is a great book for someone who does not know anything about Poland and would like t. It is also a good starting point to try Michener - it encouraged me so much that by now I have read six of his novels and I am planning to read more.Book Review: Accurate portrayal of unreasonable anti-Polish hate
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite the revisionist review by another (seemingly polonophobic) reader, Mssr. Hecht. , Michener's book lays bare the truth of the 1,000-year long quest of Poland's neighbors, to both the east and west, to bloodily subjugate her people, the people of "the plain." Poles, like other Slavs and the closely related Balts (and/or Prussians--who WERE NOT AND ARE NOT Germanic, nor Celtic, Herr Hecht) having been comfortably parked on European plains as far west as the Elbe in what is now Germany since at least 500 AD. With Poland's birth as a state, christened by the Pope in 966 AD--and free of control by German bishops--began the colonialist Teutons' never-ending campaign of war and plunder against the Slavs--which gruesomely culminated in World War II. I think losing a little territory--which had been occupied by both Poles, Balts, Slavic Wends, Germans together for a millenium, anyway -- was the least price Poland could have demanded from a murderous Nazi Germany. Hecht, you got lucky--ever heard of an eye for an eye? You owe us 3 million of them.....Then again, if you're truly descended from Prussi, then you're one of us whether you like it or not...Book Review: All Polish Americans should read this
Summary: 5 Stars
The most beautiful account of Polish life I've ever read. It gives us exactly what Poland is, and incredibly, what it means. It means that my day-dreams and longing for things I can't explain are more valid then I thought. I'd like to thank Mr. Michener, wherever he is, for telling me about my ancestors, and how they lived differently from how I do. How they lived and who they were never quite caught my consciousness until I read this book, parts of it made me cry, parts made me think of my grandparents, and best of all, parts made me think about myself. Michener, I am endebted.