I first purchased this book of poems 12 years ago, and I have treasured it ever since. Rothenberg is without a doubt one of the great late-20th-Century poetic innovators writing in English. In this collection, we are presented with verbal collages drawing on traditional Jewish folklore and mysticism, fragments of a world eventually wiped out; ancestral memories as personal as a series of black-and-white photographs. A must read.

This calendar is beautiful. It brought many memories of my trips to Poland. The pictures are excellent even if you've never been to Poland. Not a bad price either considering how hard it is to find a nice Poland calendar.

This new Polish cookbook blends recipes for favorite Polish foods with the history and culture which created them, using a seasonal arrangement to explore Polish life and how food traditions evolved. Recipes have been adapted for American kitchens but retain their authentic roots, while plenty of Polish cultural insights make for inviting leisure browsing by more than just the cook.

This is a small book of biographies written for young adults. Each chapter is a concise version of the lives of these famous people. The author, Arnold Madison not only told of the best known achievements of each person, but gave enlightening information about how their personalties and interests were formed.

The variety of talent and the hard work that went into their pursuits is amazing. Many of these people could have become famous for other endeavors.

Nicholas Copernicus who is considered the father of astronomy was not only a mathematician, but also a Catholic priest and a medical doctor who trained in Italy. He is also known as an economist and a statesman.

Tedeusz Kosciuszko, a military engineer, and a Polish patriot was an aide to General George Washington and directed the construction of the fortifications at West Point. He achieved the rank of brigadier general, and was granted U. S. citizenship. He was also gifted with American land, but sold it. A great believer in freedom, he used the land profits to buy black slaves in order to set them free. His efforts to help Poland stay free were never realized. He died in Switzerland, but his body was returned to Poland and was placed in the Cracow cathedral.

Count Casimir Pulaski had no formal military training, but at the age of 20 led a force of 6 thousand men in guerrilla attacks against invading Russians. The attacks were successful, but the odds were insurmountable. Pulaski became a Polish folk hero and was exiled. He met Benjamin Franklin in Paris, and offered to serve in the American Revolution. With the support of Congress, he raised an independent cavalry army and was comissioned with the strange title of Brigadier General Count Pulaski. He was wounded in battle, and died on the American warship the Wasp. He was 31 years old.

Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous composer pianist was also a Polish statesman who worked hard to help free his native country.

He was the Chairman of the Polish National Committee, and headed the Polish government which was exiled in Paris.

Josef Konrad Korzeniowski, who became the author Joseph Conrad spend many years of his life as a seaman. When he finally became recognized for his writing, he was acclaimed as one of the greatest English novelists of the 20th Century.

Marie Sklodowska Curie the winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for chemistry died a victim of her own discovery, radium.

The book also contains biographies of seven other great people, including, Pope John Paul II and Frederick Chopin.

Thanks to my friend Jan for gifting me with this book. Many great stories of real lives!

The only book in the English language on Polish military and civilian decorations from 1705-1985. It contains 1,300 photos, some in color of all Polish orders,medals,badges and insignia. It also contains the history of Polish decorations and award statistics. 404 pages,large format

Beautiful wycinanki, a Polish art form that creates traditional designs by paper cutting, graces front and back covers in full color. Wycinanki designs in black and white illustrate the pages of Polish proverbs inside.

Proverbs gathered from historical and modern day sources offer insight and wit on such topics as love and marriage, romance, law and order, religion, home and family, bread and beer, nature, money, friends, and the cycle of life.

Examples of Polish proverbs:

Love yourself, and be hated by the multitudes.

May the Lord grant me a sword and no need to use it.

Krakow was not built in a day.

Without work there is no bread.

Nowadays to meet an angel, you must go to Heaven.

Trust in the Lord, and then put your shoulder to the wheel.

Eat short banquets, live a long life.

Love your neighbor, but do not remove the fence.

Polish Proverbs is one of a series of proverb books published by Penfield Press. Joanne Asala of Chicago, Ill., is an editor and writer dedicated to the preservation of folklore and traditional customs. Of Polish and Finnish descent, she grew up in Bloomingdale, Ill., and earned an English and Medieval literature degree from the University of Iowa. She is the author of Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen, and has edited several collections of proverbs for Penfield Press, including Norwegian Proverbs, Swedish Proverbs, Words of Wisdom from the Vikings, and Czech Proverbs.

Timothy Ash was sent to Poland in August 1980 to cover a strike by workers in a Gdansk shipyard. He ended up covering a 16 month struggle for national independence which ended when the Polish Army declared a State of War and crushed the Solidarity movement in December 1981. His account is compelling, human and covers not only events in Warsaw, but other Solidarity centres and strikes around Poland. This book is a wonderfully rich introduction to contemporary Poland and the events and attitudes that have shaped Polish thinking since the war. If you are interested in reading about the Polish struggle for independence this is the book for you.

It was this wonderful book by Frances Drwal that truly brought this art form to life for me. These papercuts, some white on black and some black on white, are wonderfully done.

I happened across this litle gem just before publishing my novel PUSH NOT THE RIVER and immediately decided I had to use a few in the book. Ms. Drwal was more than willing for me to choose a number of her little masterpieces, thus greatly enhancing a story based on the actual diary of a Polish countess in the 1790s.

For this tiny investment, you'll reap a treasure of art in these painstakingly and perfectly done wycinanki designs!

Pelinka is one of the most poetic political writers I have ever read. He clearly takes on the leadership of Poland, both defending it and tearing it apart at the same time. Although the book's title, would lead you to believe that it is just about Jaruzelski, Pelinka provides an in-depth analysis of international leadership and the role of "democracy" in Eastern Europe and in the internationl arena. He brings in bits from every area of study and introduces new views on international politics that I have rarely seen. One of the most memorable anectdotes is what Hitler told the Lord Halifax of Great Britain to do about civil uprising in India, "Shoot Ghandi." Although I stumbled upon it for a research paper, I now have the book in my library and consider it a necesary component--much more valuable than Huntington or Kant.

Poltava 1709

Few Americans have benefited from a formal education that included studies of the Great Northern War and the campaigns of Charles XII of Sweden. We seem to have to remind ourselves that, at one time, Sweden was a power to be reckoned with in European affairs. This interesting and well written book gives a quick review of the events leading up to the battle of Poltava, which marked the end of Sweden's dominance in northern Europe - and the start of Russian influence in the history of Europe.

The author discusses the events leading up to the ill-fated attempt to again 'put Russia in her place'. He gives a very good description of the armies involved, as well as the contrasting tactics employed by each. branch. His description of the lives and careers of the two protagonists, Charles XII and Tsar Peter, add to the overall quality of the book. The maps are clear and enlightening, as is usually the case in other books of this series.

I strongly recommend this book to others who are interested in the subject. I feel that it reads as easily as a good novel and that it tends to inspire one to seek out further books on the subject.