Poland 1939

The Outbreak of World War II

De: Roger Moorhouse

Narrado por: Roger Moorhouse

A "chilling" and "expertly" written history of the 1939 September Campaign and the onset of World War II (Times of London).
For Americans, World War II began in December of 1941, with the bombing of Pearl Harbor; but for Poland, the war began on September 1, 1939, when Hitler's soldiers invaded, followed later that month by Stalin's Red Army. The conflict that followed saw the debut of many of the features that would come to define the later war-blitzkrieg, the targeting of civilians, ethnic cleansing, and indiscriminate aerial bombing-yet it is routinely overlooked by historians.
In Poland 1939, Roger Moorhouse reexamines the least understood campaign of World War II, using original archival sources to provide a harrowing and very human account of the events that set the bloody tone for the conflict to come.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Exemplary.... About as good as military history can be. Moorhouse has visited the places he writes about, and understands weaponry, tactics and the structures of the German and Polish armed forces.... Like all good histories, Moorhouse's answers an old question and raises a new one."—New York Times

“As Roger Moorhouse relates in Poland 1939: The Outbreak of World War II, the short, savage campaign to crush the Poles, who fought against hopeless odds, proved to be ‘a five-week struggle that prefaced nearly 300 weeks of slaughter’… He tells a tale of Polish gallantry, German brutality, and what he sees as Anglo-French perfidy.”—New York Review of Books

"Moorhouse's book remedies that gap [in the history of The Polish War], weaving together archival material, first-hand accounts, perceptive analysis and heartbreaking descriptions of Poland's betrayal, defeat and dismemberment."—Economist

"Chilling... All Poles know that their September war -- and of course the many subsequent years of occupation, resistance and exile -- was no side-show. Now Moorhouse has expertly laid bare this simple truth: that when two totalitarian regimes make common cause, everyone in their immediate neighbourhood is likely to be trampled underfoot."—Times (UK)

"Excellent... a harrowing, but very needed, account of the first engagement of the Second World War."—Telegraph

"A fascinating book.... There are moments of heroism and defiance here that will put a catch in your throat and a shiver down your spine."—Sunday Telegraph

"Timely and authoritative.... Moorhouse has trawled through an impressive quantity of unpublished Polish and German sources, as well as a wealth of eyewitness testimonies from both sides, to produce a balanced account of this much neglected yet important episode of the Second World War which is both harrowing and inspiring."—Spectator

"Moorhouse...admirably achieves his aim of putting the Polish-German war back onto the broader canvas of the Second World War."—Richard Overy, History Today

“Readers will be fascinated by this well-written, carefully researched study of the beginning of World War II. Polish Americans, in particular, will be proud of the heroism and determination displayed by the Polish people throughout that devastating ordeal.”—The Am-Pol Eagle

"We tend to overlook 'the war Hitler won' but Roger Moorhouse brilliantly underlines its crucial importance for the future course of the Second World War. This deeply researched, very well-written, and penetrating book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come."—Andrew Roberts , author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny

Russian Early Involvement

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t realize that when the Nazis invaded from the west, Russia saw this as the perfect excuse to invade the east. This book does a beautiful job of listing the names of heroes that may be lost to history otherwise.

I also enjoyed the way the author/ narrator was able to describe the action as if one was actually there.

Well read and most interesting

It helps to understand the complexity of the era and the start of the war to see how it happened in Poland and foreshadowed so much to come. Well worth a Covid-19 week of listening.

A really important addition

I love books read by their authors. There is clearly so much emotion behind the reading.

Very interesting

Eye opening to hear the Poles side in more details, i enjoyed it. Thank you.

Excellent history of a misunderstood and under appreciated Polish effort and campaign

Poland received little credit for its effort against German and then Soviet forces. This book corrects myths and gives voice to Poland’s strong fight against overpowering odds in September 1939. A must read for anyone interested in WWII’s European Theater.

Remarkable look into Poland 1939

Extraordinary work on the events in 1949 Poland. Mr. Morehouse does an exceptional job with his own content. His voice, tone, pace, and delivery are very pleasing. Do not listen to the other reviewer‘s as they were listening to some other book. Exceptional job. Highly recommended.

Excellent, although at times painful story.

The invasion of Poland I remember suggested that the Poles essentially "rolled over" and let the Nazis and Soviets take their country at little cost. Listening to this audible book one gains a very different view of how the Polish military resisted this invasion. What they did not possess in terms of numbers and modern weaponry they made up for with courage and tactics. One initially looks at the Polish use of calvary in WWII as a foolish anachronism; right up to the episodes of that calvary being able to route Nazi troops over and over again. At the end, you finish the story with a new respect for the skills and courage of the Polish people and a deeper understanding of Poland's determination to support the people of the Ukraine in their fight against Putin's current aggression against a neighbor.

Informative and expanding

fantastic information on Polands fight for independance. much context has been added in comparison to other books about the same subject including personal al accounts and examples not referenced in other materials. This is a significantly well researched and executed book. The narrator was easy to listen too although I sped mine up to 1.3 and it helped shorten the listening time and worked well for me.

Excellent!

An excellent book, well-written and covering the twin invasions of Poland in September 1939. The author is correct in stating how little information is given about these events--certainly true for me. despite the time I've spent in learning about WW2, Until recently, I can't remember any mention of the Soviet invasion, whether in classrooms, documentaries or books. In fact, the German invasion is usually told as a date for the beginning of WW2, with brief explanations of the German-Polish comparisons and then swiftly switching to what problems it presented to Britain and France.
This book tells what actually happened in Poland and does that very well. The narration is excellent. The only problem I had was in understanding most Polish names and places. and also some Russian and Germsn too. but that is not the author's fault.

It’s about time!

History may have been originally written by the victors but in this case it has been corrected! Thank you to Roger Moorhouse for painting a more accurate portrait of what actually happened in Poland in 1939. Hopefully this book will lead to many more true stories of how valiantly the Poles fought for their homeland. Being attacked by not only one barbaric regime but two at the same time, who attacked innocent citizens first before an opposing army in many cases just showed their true cowardice.