Product Description

Located between the former Soviet Union and eastern Germany, Poland has the potential to become a political and economic bridge between the East and West. It is crucial to European security and stabilization; yet the list of reference books on recent Polish history is very short. This book fills that gap, providing information on Polish political, economic, and cultural history since 1945.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8377836 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 392 pages

From Library Journal
In this sequel to Jerzy J. Lerski and Richard J. Kozidki's Historical Dictionary of Poland, 966-1945 (Greenwood, 1996), University of Toronto professor Wr?bel helps fill a void in reference publishing by providing another substantive work on Poland. Here Wr?bel details the people, places, events, and beliefs of the Poles since World War II. The alphabetically arranged entries range in length from a few lines to several pages, each referenced with English-language sources to facilitate further research. However, since English sources are rare for this subject, the secondary literature is often in Polish. Although Wr?bel ranges widely to cover all facets of Polish history and culture, he tends to pay more attention to political and historical figures than to cultural ones. What makes this book highly useful, though, is not only the vast numbers of people, institutions, and events documented but also the explanation of Polish attitudes toward such things as abortion and the Roman Catholic Church. Wr?bel intends this book to be a companion to its predecessor, as some movements or individuals that existed after 1945 but were more influential before are featured in that work. Yet some entries appear in both volumes. An extensive chronology and a selected bibliography are also included. Essential for libraries that already own the first volume and highly recommended for public and academic libraries with Central/Eastern European collections.AJill Jaracz, Chicago
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'As a reliable guide to Poland's history over the 50 years since the end of the Second World War, this Dictionary undoubtedly fills a gap in Eastern European studies.' Reference Reviews 'Highly recommended for public and academic libraries with Central/Eastern European collections.' Library Journal

Review
“Highly recommended for all reference collections.”–Choice

“...helps fill a void in reference publishing by providing another substantive work on Poland....Essential for libraries that already own the first volume and highly recommended for public and academic libraries with Central/Eastern European collections.”–Library Journal

“Presented in a straighforward manner this book provides entries on the most important events and personalities in the past 51 years....It is an excellent reference book.”–Books in Brief

“Wrobel has compiled an extremely useful volume that will serve as a handy desk reference for anyone studying contemporary Polish politics, economics, and current affairs in general.”–American Reference Books Annual