'A clear picture of the recent political evolution of this important East-Central European state' P.W. Knoll, CHOICE 'A lively and compelling chronicle of Polish political history from the partitions of the late eighteenth century through to Poland's recent accession to NATO and the European Union' Matthew Kelly, English Historical Review 'Anita Prazmowska is among the most distinguished historians of Poland in the English-speaking world - This volume - will be useful not only for general readers, but also as an aid in stimulating undergraduates and supporting professors as they explore Poland's development' John Stanley, Canadian Slavonic Papers