While the authors largely agree that the main motif of Polish history is the way in which leaders and communities pursued modernization and nationalization in the modern era, each writes about these topics in unique and fascinating ways. (Pol-int.org, 1 October 2015) Brian Porter-Szucs s new book Poland in the Modern World: Beyond Martyrdomis like a breath of fresh air ... In sum, this is a splendid book and an optimistic one. Porter-Szucs tries to find some good in everyone (well, maybe not in Stalin), for which he is to be commended. This reviewer believes that his book will become the standard general work on recent Polish history. (The Polish Review, 1 October 2014) Moving in a new direction, Porter-Szucs work adds an important and distinct voice to the fray. It is a genuine attempt to look at Poland s history through that new prism of a transnational spirit. It forces us to look at history in different ways from the outside in, from the bottom up and to rethink it in significant ways. Ultimately, at times, it challenges us to reconsider the existing master narrative. (Cosmopolitan Review, 1 October 2015) Poland in the Modern World is a valuable contribution to central and eastern European historiography and the study of Communist and post-Communist societies. In presenting sophisticated insights from a variety of disciplines and from a comparative perspective, the author characterizes Poland's history of the last two centuries as a history of neither winners nor losers. In doing so, he gets beyond stereotypes and cliches about the country, particularly the national martyrology that informs much of Polish historiography. (H-SAE, February 2015) Well researched, engagingly written, and full of striking anecdotes, Brian Porter-Szucs s Poland in the Modern World deserves a wide readership. (Slavic Review, 1 October 2014)
