Synopses & Reviews
The forgotten protagonist of this true account aspired to be a cubist painter in his native Kyand#239;v. In a Europe remade by the First World War, his talents led him to different rolesand#151;intelligence operative, powerful statesman, underground activist, lifelong conspirator. Henryk Jand#243;zewski directed Polish intelligence in Ukraine, governed the borderland region of Volhynia in the interwar years, worked in the anti-Nazi and anti-Soviet underground during the Second World War, and conspired against Polandand#8217;s Stalinists until his arrest in 1953. His personal story, important in its own right, sheds new light on the foundations of Soviet power and on the ideals of those who resisted it. By following the arc of Jand#243;zewskiand#8217;s life, this book demonstrates that his tolerant policies toward Ukrainians in Volhynia were part of Polandand#8217;s plans to roll back the communist threat.The book mines archival materials, many available only since the fall of communism, to rescue Jand#243;zewski, his Polish milieu, and his Ukrainian dream from oblivion. An epilogue connects his legacy to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the democratic revolution in Ukraine in 2004.
Review
and#8220;Strikingly new, original, and readable. This book will no doubt force everyone in the field to rethink Ukrainian, Polish, and Soviet history during the interwar period.and#8221;and#8212;Hiroaki Kuromiya, Indiana University
Review
"Another thrilling and erudite book on the intricate history of East European borderlands by Timothy Snyder, a master of the genre."and#8212;Jan Gross, Princeton University
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Review
"Timothy Snyder draws on his immense knowledge of Europe's borderlands to describe in fascinating detail the shifting alliances and antagonismsand#8212;nationalist, ethnic, religious, cultural, ideologicaland#8212;among their 20th century peoples, as reflected in the extraordinary career of Henryk Jozewski, Polish artist, spy, military and political leader in promoting
cooperation between Poles and Ukrainians."and#8212;Samuel P. Huntington, Harvard Universityandnbsp;andnbsp;
Review
"Timothy Snyder's Sketches from a Secret War is a remarkable combination of a real life spy story, an outstanding piece of historical detective work in previously unavailable archives, and a set of profound reflections on East European historyand#8212;with many notable echoes inandnbsp;East European politics today."and#8212;Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies, University of Oxford
Review
"[A] compact, well-told history."and#8212;Robert Legvold,
Foreign AffairsReview
and#8220;[A] compelling book. . . . It is hard not to see this eminently 20th-century story as a biography for a new century. . . . Jand#243;zewkisand#8217;s . . . views are described and analyzed by Snyder with a deft and persuasive blend of empathy and historical detachment.and#8221;and#8212;Mark Mazower,
Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian HistoryReview
"Sheds new light on the foundations of Soviet power and on the ideals of those who resisted it."—
Reference & Research Book News Mark Mazower - Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History
About the Author
Timothy Snyder is professor of history at Yale University.