The history of Poland is a fascinating study of a people struggling to achieve nationhood in the face of internal and external enemies. Poland became a unified Christian state in AD 966 and by the 12th century a knightly class had emerged - a force that was integral to the defense of Poland against increasingly frequent foreign invasions. Intent on crushing rival Christian states, the Templars, Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights all mounted attacks but were beaten back by the Poles, as were invading Mongols and Turks. This book reveals the organization, equipment and battle histories of the medieval Polish armies as they developed and modernized to emerge as one of the dominant powers of Eastern Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 1.0 / 5.0
IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT POLAND, THAN DO NOT! WRITE ABOUT POLAND!:
Poland's medieval history is nothing short of "fascinating and interesting!" You won't get that in this book. Look elsewhere. I would start with, perhaps, a Polish author, or someone who understands Polish history and Culture. A few for starters: Adam Zamoyski, Norman Davies ,Marek Jan Chodakiewicz,Piotrowski,Sienkiewicz,Richard Lukas, Ryszard Kapuscinski, Radek Sikorski - the list is plentiful. These are just a few of the most credible writers on Polish History today.
Ignorant author:
Rather weak publication, but it gives some idea on the matter of Polish medieval armies. The author D. Nicolle tries to cash in by kidnapping yet another area not earlier covered in the Osprey catalogue, though his real expertise lies in Asiatic and Arabic subjects.
Well, Poland is neither... It is plain that Nicolle in a rather half-heartedly and indiscriminate way has just compiled a batch of non-Polish information on Polish medieval matters without having the proper knowledge or feel for... more info
