Keynote
Poland and Russia are joined by centuries
of complex and brutal history. In this
compelling conversation, a historian and
a journalist focus on the knottiest points
of this relationship – what would the world
look like if certain events had gone
differently?

Selling Points
 An insightful and absorbing analysis
of 500 tempestuous years of Polish and
Russian history.
 The book takes the form of
conversations, which makes the content
easy, accessible, and natural to read.
 Though this book is highly erudite and
scrupulously academic, it is a pleasure to
read, as the authors avoid academic jargon.
 The perfect introduction to
understanding the history of Central and
Eastern Europe.
 A book full of fascinating speculations
and historical fantasy – when it comes
to the pivotal events, the authors boldly
craft visions of alternative histories of
the world.
 A new and revolutionary way of talking
about the past, in which it is not single
events or figures that play the main roles,
but deep, centuries-long processes.
 The perspective of alternate histories of
Poland and Russia provides fascinating

and unusual insight into the mechanisms
of history.
 The authors are outstanding figures,
household names in Polish scholarship and
social life.

Description
It would be hard to imagine two other
countries so helplessly entangled in one
another’s histories as Poland and Russia.
For 500 years, the two nations have been
endlessly grappling with one another
for dominance in Central and Eastern
Europe – and this conflict has meant ups
and downs for either side. Prominent
historian Andrzej Chwalba and leading
Polish journalist Wojciech Harpula discuss
the complicated travails of Poland and its
big neighbour to the East, with special
attention to the places which could
potentially have been turning points.
What if Polish King Władysław IV Vasa
had become tsar? What would the world
be like today if, in 1920, Piłsudski had not
managed to halt the Red Army’s march
west? If in postwar Europe, the Iron
Curtain were to have been carved out
differently? Poland-Russia: The History of
an Obsession, an Obsession with History
is not just a trove of knowledge about
the eastern part of our continent, it is
also a scintillating display of the historical
imagination. It is a real treat for lovers of
history, both traditional and alternative.

Target Market
Readers of historical biographies and
monographs.
Readers of history books and historical
novels, including those that offer an
alternative vision of history.
People interested in Polish history and
politics.