Poland

The First Thousand Years

By: Patrice M. Dabrowski

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

Length: 25 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Since its beginnings, Poland has been a moving target, geographically as well as demographically, and the very definition of who is a Pole has been in flux. In the late medieval and early modern periods, the country grew to be the largest in continental Europe, only to be later wiped off the map for more than a century. Yet even under these constraints, Poles persisted in their desire to wrest from their oppressors a modicum of national dignity and, ultimately, managed to achieve much more than that.

Poland is a sweeping account designed to amplify major figures, moments, milestones, and turning points in Polish history. These include important battles and illustrious individuals, alliances forged by marriages and choices of religious denomination, and meditations on the likes of the Polish battle slogan "for our freedom and yours" that resounded during the Polish fight for independence.

The experience of oppression helped Poles to endure and surmount various challenges in the twentieth century, and Poland's demonstration of strength was a model for other peoples seeking to extract themselves from foreign yoke. Patrice Dabrowski's work situates Poland and the Poles within a broader European framework that locates this multiethnic and multidenominational region squarely between East and West.

©2014, 2016 Northern Illinois University Press (P)2022 Tantor

Easy listen.

Some interesting facts. Expect a history lesson by a professor. It is well professionally and narrated

Riveting epic of Poland’s history

Absolutely superb history of Poland. Epic and entertaining, knowing about Poland’s complicated history is key to understanding the history of Russia, Germany, the Habsburg Empire, Turkey and ultimately Russia.
Dabrowski makes it all both clear and dramatic. Highly recommended

A Thorough History More People Should Know

The author is amazing in her ability to include concrete facts about Poland's history in an overarching narrative. She connects patterns of Polish history through her firm grasp of the facts. This book fills in so much of Polish history that I have learned previously with far more information and perspective.
Also, as a Polish American, I was impressed by the reader's ability to pronounce difficult Polish names and words.

attention to facts not their analysis

pronunciation of polish words leave me wishing to have a polish speaking lecturer. If I would not known the actual sounds of names or places I could not relay story to facts.

Thorough and Informative

I very much enjoyed this history. It has a great deal of not only information, but also insight. It was very fair in its assessments and helped me learn many new things about Poland. I would recommend it as a great place to start if you know little of Poland and want to learn more about the country’s history.

AMAZING

I am so grateful and thankful for this book I've been waiting for this kind of book to come out for a long tim.Profesionally read, the book literally gave the entire history of Poland from start to 2012. It was a comprehensive amazing story of my heritage. Funny enough it came out the day I landed in Poland on a vacation. 10/10

The best popular history book about Poland

Poland: The First Thousand Years, an amusing title as Poland has only been around for 1000 years, but that subtle tongue-in-cheek humour is present through the book, which makes for an engaging read.

the book explores the paradoxical existence of Poland, from its beginnings as a cluster of tribes, to its rise as the largest nation in Europe, then to complete destruction, resurrection in the 20th century, and up to its entrance into the EU. I feel Dabrowski provides a more nuanced perspective of Polish history (at least in the anglosphere), where the Poles have more agency and pertinence and are not just a nation of victims or pawns of greater powers.

I'll admit it's to difficult find a good popular history book about Poland in the anglosphere, and even less easy to find ones that go beyond Poland's gloomy 20th century, but this book does a great job giving a more complete picture, that is quite relevant to the events of today.