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"Superbly readable, rich in detail.... Davies understands and exquisitely conveys the importance of historical consciousness in Polish life.... This is beyond doubt not only the best book on Poland in the English language; it is the book on Poland. Anyone writing on Polish affairs- past or present- will have to read it. It is a masterly work." —The New York Times Book Review

"This two-volume book is a truly magnificent work, and there is no doubt that it is the best introduction available to the incredible imbroglio of Polish history. I am not thinking only of its scholarly merit and its depth of insight. Nor only of the fact that the book reads extremely well, thanks to the author's vivid style, his wide spectrum of sources... and his good sense of humor.... What is even more worthy of recognition is that Professor Davies had managed to maintain an equilibrium between understanding and objectivity, sympathy and criticism." —Stanislaw Baranczak, The New Republic

"Davies is the foremost historian of modern Poland. Of his previous books,God's Playground: A History of Poland is widely regarded as a landmark account." —Carlo D'Este, New York Times Book Review

"...widely viewed as the best single-volume general history of Poland." —Richard Bernstein, The New York Times

"He offers one of the best histories of the country. It is a book that reads, not as non-fiction history, but as a popular novel of our times." —Polish American Journal

In this first volume, Davies points out that long before the rise of Russia and Prussia the kingdom of Poland was a major power in eastern Europe. As an early recipient of Latin culture, Poland was deeply involved in the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, and Enlightenment.

Before the notorious Partitions of 1773-95 redrew the map of Europe beyond all recognition, the United Republic of Poland-Lithuania was at once one of the largest states and home of one of the most extraordinary cultures of the continent, displaying a unique blend of military prowess, religious tolerance, democratic ideals, and political chaos.

Contents:

1. Millenium: AThousand Years of History
2. Polska: The Polish Land
3. Piast: The Polanian Dynasty
4. Anjou: The Hungarian Connection
5. Jogaila: The Lithuanian Union
6. Antemurale: The Bulwark of Christendom
7. Szlachta: The Nobleman's Paradise
8. Handel: The Baltic Grain Trade
9. Miasto: The Vicissitudes of Urban Life
10. Anarchia: The Noble Democracy
11. Serenissima: Diplomacy in Poland--Lithuania
12. Valois: The French Experiment
13. Bathory: The Transylvanian Victor
14. Vasa: The Swedish Connection
15. Michal: The Austrian Candidate
16. Sobieski: Terror of the Turk
17. Wettin: The Saxon Era
18. Agonia: The End of the Russian Protectorate

About the Author:

Norman Davies is chairman of the history department, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, at the University of London. He has been a visiting professor at Columbia and McGill Universities.