Hi all, just wanted to pass on a recommendation for a very interesting book I've been reading called 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 is written by Patrice Dabrowski, a historian who teaches at Harvard University and Harvard's Ukrainian Research Institute.
"Poland: The First Thousand Years" 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.
Here is the book - https://www.amazon.com/Poland-Thousand-Patrice-M-Dabrowski/dp/0875807569
and audiobook - https://www.audible.com/pd/Poland-Audiobook/B0B52LNYH3