Book description
Surprisingly little known, the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-20 was to
change the course of twentieth-century history.
In White Eagle, Red Star, Norman Davies gives a full account
of the War, with its dramatic climax in August 1920 when the Red Army
- sure of victory and pledged to carry the Revolution across Europe to
'water our horses on the Rhine' - was crushed by a devastating Polish
attack. Since known as the 'miracle on the Vistula', it remains one of
the most decisive battles of the Western world.
Drawing on both Polish and Russian sources, Norman Davies
illustrates the narrative with documentary material which hitherto has
not been readily available and shows how the War was far more an
'episode' in East European affairs, but largely determined the course
of European history for the next twenty years or more.
Norman Davies C. M. G., F. B. A. is a Professor Emeritus of the
University of London, a Supernumerary Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford,
and the author of several books on Polish and European history,
including
God's Playground, Europe
and
The Isles
.
