“A balanced, splendidly illustrated survey of Polish history and culture, Swan’s encyclopedia covers the gamut from numerals, the Mazur ethnic group, and the folk dance varsovienne to Auschwitz, pigeon breeding, and the national dog. Alphabetical entries summarize the history of Radio Free Europe, Jagiellonian kings, and Deeds of the Princes of the Poles. An insightful introduction is followed by a pronunciation guide to 12 vowels sounds and 9 consonants and a rather grim chronology of events from 840 to 2010, with good coverage of the disappearance of the state of Poland in 1795.A vigorous writing style introduces the Warsaw Nike monument, post-WWII resistance, and Sarmatism, which linked Polish nobility with Russian forebears. Stress on the arts reveals the short fiction of Boleslaw Prus, the Lajkonik hobbyhorse, actor Ida Kaminska, the folk-art industry, and the primitivist painting of Nikifor. Concluding time lines of historic events, literati, monarchs, and uprisings promote the impression of perpetual conflict and struggle. A bilingual, 45-page index ensures reader connection to a variety of festivals, industries, and currency. This reasonably priced introduction of national and ethnic uniqueness belongs in most libraries, especially in areas heavily settled by Polish immigrants.”
—ALA Booklist
“Kaleidoscope of Poland is a book that will give you a basic yet very authentic knowledge of Poland, without being in any way dry. It will also impress you with its detailed information on the contemporary culture of the country, so you’ll quickly discover who’s who in Poland and even familiarize yourself with the country’s celebrities. Its many entries on Poland’s rich history and the Poles’ passionate drive for freedom through often turbulent times make it a must-read for anyone wanting to learn about Poland.”
—Mariusz Siara, PROLOG Polish Language School, Kraków
“This book is full of insights into the Polish state of mind. As such, it is an absolute must for anyone meaning to visit the country, do business there or gain some idea of what has been going on in that part of the world for centuries—in an accessible and pleasurable way. But its usefulness is by no means confined to novices. Even after decades of living with and struggling to understand what ‘Poland’ really is, I will be quietly dipping into it to find out things I never got round to enquiring about.”
—Adam Zamoyski, from the foreword