In the original dust cover. Black cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

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The story of the Warsaw Rising from the author of The Isles and Europe: A History who is also the leading British authority on the history of Poland. Rising ’44 is a brilliant narrative account of one of the most dramatic episodes in 20th century history, drawing on Davies’ unique understanding of the issues and characters involved. In August 1944 Warsaw offered the Wehrmacht the last line of defence against the Red Army’s march from Moscow to Berlin. When the Red Army reached the river Vistula, the people of Warsaw believed that liberation had come. The Resistance took to the streets in celebration, but the Soviets remained where they were, allowing the Wehrmacht time to regroup and Hitler to order that the city of Warsaw be razed to the ground. For 63 days the Resistance fought on in the cellars and the sewers. Defenseless citizens were slaughtered in their tens of thousands. One by one the City’s monuments were reduced to rubble, watched by Soviet troops on the other bank of the river. The Allies expressed regret but decided that there was nothing to be done, Poland would not be allowed to be governed by Poles. The Polish sacrifice was in vain. 

Reviews:

• • ‘Davies is at his best when he focuses on issues such as everyday life during the uprising’ — Anne Applebaum, Evening Standard, 27 October 2003

  • ‘Passionate and impressive’ — John Crossland, Sunday Times, 2 November 2003
• This is a splendid book, long overdue and a worthy memorial to its noble subject. — Daniel Johnson in Daily Telegraph, November 2003

About the Author:Norman Davies is the bestselling author of Europe: A History; The Isles: A History, Rising ’44 and Europe at War. He is also the author of the definitive history of Poland, God’s Playground, and several books on European history. Born in Bolton, Lancashire in 1939, Davies is a graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford and the University of Sussex. He is a Supernumerary Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford and is a Fellow of the British Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and Professor Emeritus of London University. He lives in Oxford and Krakow, Poland.