This book badly needed an editor. It meandered and did not seem to have any idea of where it was going. Too bad, since there are very few history books about Poland that aren't dry textbooks.

I missed the keyword here, and that is all on me. The History of Poland is a 'Concise Outline,' but I mistakenly anticipated a timeline, so I found myself disappointed. The confusion is entirely my own and not at the author's fault or NetGalley---but I am clarifying this because there will be more like me out there.

The History of Poland is a definitive outline with a lot of great topic points if you need a resource, although I would hesitate to use it by itself.

The author prefaces his outline by saying he lifted his information from Wikipedia and compiled his Google images. Nothing is credited. There is no citation or notation outside of linking images with references. If I were looking for research material for I'd look for something more reliable.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.

Oh my god, this "book" is terrible. It reads like a chopped up Wikipedia entry with pictures of varying quality from a Google image search...because it is! When the "author" stated in the preface that his only source was Wikipedia (if there is another source, it is nowhere mentioned and the book includes no footnotes or citations) an alarm went off in my head that this is not going to be of the quality of even a general history book. But, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt. I could certainly still find interesting information that could lead me to more in depth works, it is only marketed as a concise history. I was mistaken.

There is no narrative structure to this work, it's just bullet points. These are loosely tied together to cover a general history of Poland. There is no real context to suplement these bullet points, nor does the work go into any detail about the events that are mentioned. Kings are born, baptised, fight against someone for no specified reason, and die. It was a struggle to plough through.

As far as the pictures...they are what you'd expect from a Google search. Some are nice and clear, while others are unfocused or grainy.

Overall, this is a hard pass. If you want the information, you can get it for free on Wikipedia in a more coherent format, as well as some hopefully helpful sources that can lead you to more comprehensive texts. I have read concise history books before, and this is certainly not one of them. I question even calling this a book, let alone that someone paraphrasing from Wikipedia is making $10 a pop on this text. Thankfully, I obtained a copy of this from netgalley and didn't have to pay this "author" a dime for their "efforts."

Exactly what it says it is – a concise outline. It lists the main events, dates and people in a bullet-point format and is a very useful reference book to have handy when reading or researching anything about Poland or Polish literature. But that’s all it is and it needs to be judged on the fact that it delivers what it promises. There’s no interpretation or explanations, just the facts, accompanied by many excellent illustrations. How reliable it is I leave to the experts, as much, if not all of it, has apparently simply been taken from Google and Wikipedia. I’m not sure if that makes it more or less valid. But as a quick and easy way to find basic information I have already found it pretty useful. Just don’t expect anything detailed or deeply researched.

I'll be honest, I managed about 50 pages before I gave up, this "History of Poland" has the feel of being copy and pasted from a range of brief internet histories and included in this book without thought or editing. I sincerely hope copyright of any such material has been appropriately handled. Perhaps this is down to the translation or is an intended part of the layout for this book, but it is not for me.
Wikipedia and Google as sources? how serious can it be taken as a history book, even a concise one?

Quick read with bullet points, but the author states that the text was lifted from Wikipedia and the images found on Google -- readers can easily find the same (and perhaps better sourced) information for themselves. The book also presents Polish history mainly through key figures (mostly kings and generals), leading to a very upper-class male context.

A very good entry level exploration of a very complicated topic. It would be a great first step in exploring the varied avenues of Polish History. You will need a follow up after this to paint a full picture.

Convenient collection of historical data about Poland in one place - but it is just that, a collection of data from Wikipedia. Perhaps this book would serve to help someone review for an exam, but otherwise I would choose a book with a bit more depth.

Excellent overview of Polish history that concentrates on just the facts. The book is in outline form and has numerous illustrations.

It's a good overview for those wanting to review this subject as well as a good introduction to the topic.

I admit, it is completely my fault for expecting this to be something that it is not. The emphasis is on the word "concise". This is not a novel, I would call it a guide. It definitely is concise, since it took me only 20 minutes to go from start to finish. I would recommend this to history high-school students since the amount of information presented here cannot be used for any serious approach to historical research.
The other thing that was bothering me was a piece of information, staring at me from the first couple of pages. Apparently, the data has been collected with the help of Wikipedia and Google. You don't even need to be a history teacher to know that this is not, in any way, precise or reliable.

This guide has several bulletin points for all important historical figures. Birth, important event, marriage, death. Events are more detailed, but still nothing more than numbers.

History of Poland is so complicated and, I believe, one of the most interesting histories of all European countries. Even creating a short introductory guide, which I think this is, requires serious approach and Wikipedia and short paragraphs are not the way.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, but purely down to my personal tastes - I should have paid more attention to the book's subtitle, "A Concise Outline". This book does exactly what it offers, and would suit someone who was purely interested in learning the facts, in a quick concise manner. Having recently returned from a trip to Krakow, I was hoping for something with a little more depth, and to provide a richer understanding of what I had seen out there. As I say though, this is not the books fault, and it would certainly fit a lot of peoples' needs and expectations.

I do not believe anyone can take seriously a history book that cites Wikipedia as it's primary source. The author has done nothing besides organize events in Polish history in chronological, bullet point format. This reads like a high school student's world history notes. There is no narrative and no context. Perhaps someone cramming for a test filled with rote memorization would appreciate this book, but I would advise caustion because this was not written by any sort of expert on the subject as far as I can gather. Two stars simply because I can appreciate the time it took to organize information in this fashion.

Even though I didn't expect what I received, the experience emphasized the importance of reading a book's subtitle before making a snap purchase. Still, I did not regret buying this book.

Author Jacek Jerzy (Jack J.) Kanski delivered on his promise to present a concise outline in bullet point form. Even though it was not laid out like a normal history book, I enjoyed the information I received and did learn much that I didn't know.

The book begins with Duke Mieszko I, who became the first historical ruler of Poland in 960 CE. For Duke Mieszko and every successive ruler, highlights of his (or her) life were provided. The author informs us that Wikipedia was the basis for the text and Google was used for the images. While this means anyone could research and find the information, it is definitely an advantage to be able to peruse the condensed version the book presents.

The Contents section begins with the successive dynasties through the elected kings and on through the different governments until it reaches the current time. The last section covers important historical personalities in Poland's history.

Readers searching for a conventional history book will probably be happier with another author. Those looking for key information laid out in an easy to find manner will find this book helpful. Four stars

I've studied quite a bit of history over my years both in and out of school, but rarely have I come across much Polish history. When I saw this title, I knew that it was one that I would love to pick up as an introduction to Polish history. I had no idea how complicated Polish history was, but this book made it so understandable and truly enjoyable to read. I love the bullet-point format and overall functionality of this book. I will absolutely be re-reading this one and using it as a guide for any topic that I might want to go more in-depth about. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for granting me access to this fantastic book!