"This important book, to which many of the leading scholars of the subject have contributed, provides a clear and accessible account of the evolution of Polish democratic thought and of the aspirations of the Polish people for a democratic political system from the 1863 January Uprising to the present day. It fills a long-felt need in the scholarship on this topic." "(The Origins of Modern Polish Democracy) offers a valuable and informative overview of the history of Polish democratic ideas and can serve as supplementary reading for introductory undergraduate classes on Poland and eastern Europe." (Slavic Review) "The presentation of Polish democratic traditions and aspirations in this valuable study helps us understand not only the past but also the present. Following an insightful introduction, nine outstanding Polish, Canadian, and American historians concentrate on developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Their views, occasionally controversial, make for rewarding and stimulating reading. A most welcome addition to the field."