Second World War
It is no exaggeration to say the world we live in is still greatly influenced by the Second World War. However, as a social and cultural historian, I find myself less interested in the geo-political or 'Top Down' considerations, important as they are. I am more intrigued by the thoughts, hopes and goals of the individual and how they tie-in to the overall experience of being at war. I hope readers will find the stories of the Poles in the Second World War of particular interest. The Polish war record, while ably recorded in their mother tongue, was often been overlooked by many English-speaking historians in the post-war era. This has been corrected over the past few decades, with valuable reappraisals now available that are essential reading for anyone interested in the Second World War. In a small way, I hope my work offers readers a little bit more insight as well.
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Masters of Monte Cassino
After enduring a grim odyssey through the USSR, the men and women of the Polish II Corps are asked to seize the monestery of Monte Cassino. Fierce fighting awaited.
First Steps to Freedom
Albiet very briefly, Narvik was the first major town to be liberated by the Allies in late may 1940. The Poles were there and won a small slice of vengeance for their homeland.
Eagles on the Rhine
The fighting at Arnhem in September 1944 has almost become the stuff of legend. Overlooked, however, was the Polish contribution and the unfair treatment they experienced in its aftermath.
Kowalski's War
Zbigniew Kowalski's unit surrendered during the fall of France. His daring escape took him from the French border with Switzerland took him all the way into Portugal.
The Polish Pilot
Few people realise Poland fielded bomber squadrons that came under Bomber Command's auspices. Mieczyslaw Stachiewicz and his crewmates flew repeatedly into the heart of enemy airspace and made it out alive.
The Art of Survival
Millions of German POWs were taken in the closing months of the war. For some, especially in Soviet hands, it would mean an early grave. For others, it was an opportunity for a new life.
Who Killed Yamamoto?
It was one of the Second World War's most daring missions: the interdiction and destruction of a transport aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Who made the kill?
Volleyed and Thundered
In spring 1940, and on paper, Britain's 1st Armoured Division was a force to be reckoned with. In practise, it was ill-prepared and poorly equipped. It was then asked to perform the impossible during the fall of France.