Katyn book recommendation

[Scott Banaszynski]

Greetings, Would the members be so kind to make an English language book recommendation about Katyn. Amazon has a large selection but I would like to know your favorites before purchasing one. Thank you.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello Scott,

These are my recommendations as absolute must reads for you. After reading these you will have a solid grounding from various perspectives. All are riveting reads, with the Swianiewicz and Paul books in particular. I couldn’t put then down. Attached below is a link that provides some commentary on a couple of these books along with listing other books worthy of your consideration:

The Crime of Katyn: Facts and Documents
Lt. General W. Anders
POLISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION, London, 1965

In the Shadow of Katyn: Stalin's Terror
Stanislaw Swianiewicz
Borealis Pub, Pender Island BC Canada, 2002

Katyn: Stalin's Massacre and the Seeds of Polish Resurrection
Allen Paul
US Naval Institute Press, 1997

The Inhuman Land
Joseph Czapski
Sheed & Ward Inc, New York, 1952

http://www.katyn.org.au/books.html

Regards,
Tony

[Scott Banaszynski]

Thank you for the recommendations.
Scott

[Scott Banaszynski]

The Paul book arrived today. Thanks again

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello again Scott, and you're most welcome. Please let us know your thoughts once finished reading the book.

Cheers,
Tony

[Scott Banaszynski]

After finishing the book, which was a very interesting read, I was struck by a couple of things. First is the tragic human dimension of war and captivity, what these officers and their families back in Poland endured. The fact that they remained disciplined and in good order throughout their captivity is a testament to their steadfastness and military professionalism. The courage of ordinary Poles who risked their lives in order to resist occupation and to preserve evidence of what had occurred at Katyn. A complicit press in the U.S. and Great Britain that continued to give the Soviet version of events more credence than the German version and that the evidence proved. The need for allied unity trumped the truth of what had occurred even though it became clear that the Soviets were the perpetrators. The brutality of the communist regime and especially of the NKVD. And that among the brutality and the hardships and the exploitation of the captured Poles by the Russians, there were many acts of kindness and human decency extended to the Poles by ordinary Russian people. And finally the legacy of resentment and mistrust that exist today between Poland and Russia because of Katyn.
All in all, a great read and thanks again Tony for the recommendation.
Regards, Scott

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello Scott, thanks for your comments, and the feedback that you enjoyed the book. Don't stop there. Next recommendation for you:

In the Shadow of Katyn: Stalin's Terror
Stanislaw Swianiewicz
Borealis Pub., Pender Island BC Canada, 2002

A synopsis from the web:

Scholar and Soldier- as an officer in the Polish Army he was captured by the Soviets in September 1939. Before the war Stanislaw was researching the economies of totalitarian countries and his expert knowledge of German economy caught the interest of his Soviet captors. In April 1940 he was brought to the vicinity of the Katyn Forest where the execution of Polish officers was taking place. He was recalled from the Katyn Forest to Moscow where he was interrogated and sentenced to forced labour in the GULAG. His survival of death from starvation and exhaustion and subsequent escape from the claws of the NKVD makes for fascinating reading. After having regained his freedom in August 1942, he joined the Polish army under British command in the Middle East. After the war he returned to his scholarly work and taught at the universities in Enland, Indonesia, Canada and the USA.


Regards,
Tony