Heart of Europe: The Past in Poland's Present by Norman Davies  (3)  £8.39

Europe at War 1939-1945: No Simple Victory by Norman Davies  (11)  £6.99

Europe East and West by Norman Davies  (1)  £10.49

White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War, 1919-20 by Norman Davies  (2)  £10.49

Rising '44: The Battle for Warsaw by Norman Davies  (17)  £6.99

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Before the popular success of his two general histories, Europe: A History, and The Isles, Norman Davies was best known as a specialist on the history of Poland. His 1981 two-volume God's Playground remains the best and most searching study in English of the fluctuating fortunes of that country. Microcosm, written in collaboration with his researcher Roger Moorhouse, is an in-depth account of a city now in Poland and presently called Wroclaw. The city has only been Polish since the Second World War. Before that it was the very German city of Breslau. And before that it was, at various times, part of the kingdom of Bohemia, the Hapsburg Empire and the Prussia of Frederick the Great. In different centuries it has been known as Wrotizla, as Wretslaw, as Presslaw and as Bresslau. Its Polish, German and Jewish communities intermingled to produce both a unique city and one that reflected and embodied all the different currents that have flowed together over a millennium to create the story of Central Europe.

Davies and Moorhouse intend their account of what is today Wroclaw to illustrate the history of one particular city but also to illuminate the general history of Central Europe through this one microcosm. They don't always succeed in their aim. At times the task of yoking together the minutiae of the city's life with its place in a broader history seems an impossible one. It is likely that the general reader will not be as interested in, say, lists of great alumni of Breslau's 19th-century university, as he or she will be in the narrative of Breslau in World War II. The book works best for the general reader when it most justifies its title; it works much less well when it seems most like some kind of official city history.--Nick Rennison

Book Description
Description The story of Central Europe is anything but simple: as a result of invasions and resettlements, the people of Central Europe have witnessed a profusion of languages, cultures, religions and nationalities. The two most important waves of settlement came from the Germans and the Slavs, but Central Europe also became the great haven for Jews. In the centuries when Jewish people were persecuted, they naturally congregated in the middle, and the Jewishness of Central Europe has been one of its defining features. But most significantly in its recent history, Central Europe has been subjected to 50 years of Fascism and Communism in succession. In order to present a portrait of Central Europe, from AD 1000 to the present, Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse study the history of one of its main cities – Breslau. Breslau, the traditional capital of Silesia, was one of the great commercial cities of medieval Europe. It later became the second city of the kingdom of Bohemia, a major city of the Hapsburg lands, and a Residenzstadt of the kingdom of Prussia. The third largest German city of the mid-nineteenth century, Breslau’s population reached one million in 1945. But in May 1945 the city of Breslau was annihilated by the Soviet Red Army. Much of it was destroyed, thousands of its inhabitants were killed. Breslau surrendered four days after Berlin and was thus the last Fortress of the Reich to fall, and, indeed, one of the very last areas in Germany to surrender. Transferred to Poland after the war, the city has risen from the ruins of the war and is once again a thriving economic and cultural centre of the region. The history of Silesia’s main city embodies all the experiences which have made Central Europe what it is – the rich mixture of nationalities and cultures; the German settlement and the reflux of the Slavs; a Jewish presence of exceptional distinction; a turbulent succession of Imperial rulers; and the shattering exposure to both Nazis and Stalinists. In short, it is a Central European microcosm.

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Heart of Europe: The Past in Poland's Present by Norman Davies  (3)  £8.39

Europe East and West by Norman Davies  (1)  £10.49

Europe: A History by Norman Davies  (17)  £13.29

God's Playground: A History of Poland: 1795 to the Present Vol 2 by Norman Davies  (2)  £20.90

God's Playground: A History of Poland: Origins to 1795 Vol 1 by Norman Davies  (1)  £20.90

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3 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   26 of 26 people found the following review helpful: Wroclaw - a haunting and haunted city, 30 April 2002 By  gtowen@studium.freeserve.co.uk (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews Reviewers should declare their interests first. Mine is my predilection for this wonderful and haunting city, Wroclaw, in which I lived, worked and explored for four years. Its fascination for me lies in the myriad layers of its rich historical past reflected in its architectural monuments and, less visibly, the numerous bookshops where with luck and patience you can buy ancient maps of the city, obscure 19th century German monographs, pre-first world war railway timetables and other products of Habsburg and Prussian origin. The great merit of Davies' and Moorhouse's history of Wroclaw, "Microcosm", is that it clearly delineates the "archaeology" of the city, those layers of dynastic occupation which over a thousand years have left their trace on the modern face of this now thoroughly polonised city. Other reviewers of this book have complained about the overload of detail which the authors have provided about the city, its residents and institutions but such reviewers of course do not know Wroclaw. For those who have succumbed to its fascination, no detail is without interest and this reader, at least, was left asking for more. For instance, one of the constant themes of discussion with some of my Polish colleagues was the mysterious nature of the catacombs which are said to lie under central Wroclaw and which were used extensively during World War 2 by both Nazi and Soviet authorities for nefarious purposes. Fact or fiction? This book has no opinion. Davies tells us that he was asked to undertake this history by the current mayor because he, Davies, was neither a "Pole nor a German", thus implying a more balanced perspective. In comparison with other histories of Wroclaw, I think he has succeeded. Teresa Kulak's beautifully illustrated "Wroclaw" (1998) in the splendid series "A to Polska wlasnie" (and incidentally not mentioned by the authors) is told very much from a Polish point of view. There is also some intemperate writing in chapter 8 which perhaps indicates Davies' sympathy for Polish feelings towards their mighty eastern neighbour but there is also a generous assessment of the German contribution to Breslau's cultural life. I thoroughly approve of their practice of quoting literary extracts both in German and Polish. However, the lack of a proper bibliography is a drawback. The city is full of magical corners. My favourite is the turning at the top of Szewska towards the university. Behind you is the Ossolineum, (previously the monastery of the Knights of the Red Star), to your right the Church of Jesus (1700), to your left Dom Steffensa (early 18th century) and ahead of you the university building (1740). The sight is a pure vision of the city's past uncluttered by any modern accretions. It is the image I shall always carry around with me. "Microcosm" should win new friends for Wroclaw but such friends need patience; Wroclaw is a place which grows on you - slowly.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   21 of 24 people found the following review helpful: At last the story of Breslau/Wroclaw in English!, 22 April 2002 By A Customer I am the son of a refugee/expellee from Breslau, Silesia. There must be several tens of thousands of us living now in England who are the issue of British serviceman in post-war occupied Germany returning home with German brides, uprooted from their homes and family in the lost eastern provinces and looking to start a new life. For people like us, this book is a MUST, as it unravels much of the mystery and trauma surrounding our origins. Hitherto, I have had to master German and make extensive use of Amazon.de to obtain any kind of illuminating information. The appearance of this book a few years earlier could have saved me a lot of this effort! The premise of the title that a very significant part of European history in the last 1000 years has taken place in and around Breslau seems entirely justified to me. The story demands to be read! I'm sure the Polish version of this book will be very popular in Wroclaw as the people there must be equally keen to clear up some of the mystery surrounding the former German city of Breslau in which they now live. Occasionally there are logical lapses in the book, such as when the description of a siege of Breslau during Fredericks Silesion campaign apparently culminates in the relief of Schweidnitz! I also wish there had been a detailed map of Silesia provided to accompany the text. Overall, I think this book fills a huge gap in European history. I find it has helped me to understand the work of Gunter Grass and his Danzig experience better. I hope it leads to an increased interest in things Silesian. Perhaps, then, English translations of Horst Bienek's Gleiwitz Tetralogy, concerning life in Upper Silesia 1939 - 1945 may yet appear!.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   3 of 6 people found the following review helpful: Captures the atmosphere and turmoil, 1 Jun 2002 By A Customer Marginally overlong at 500 pages, this book captures the atmosphere and turmoil of this Central European city, in an area that is still largely unknown to most Westerners. This is useful and interesting reading, particularly relevant as the borders of "united" Europe are now moving eastwards.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 3 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews