Warsaw 1920 - Adam Zamoyski

[Emir of Askaristan]

I've not long finished reading Adam Zamoyski's excellent little book "Warsaw 1920" about the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1920.

I can't recommend this one enough. It's very well written and is a great little read. I keep saying little becuase it's such a good read I wanted more -  it's too short! It's a great introduction to this campaign -almost made me want to race off and collect some gallant Poles!

[whisperin_al]

A friend recommended this one to me as a good introduction to the period and I would entirely agree with you - I really enjoyed it.  No idea how it compares with other books about the period though (since I haven't read any others yet!)

[carlos marighela]

Sorry I have to dissent. I found this a great disappointment, not a patch on Norman Davies' White Eagle Red Star, which is 20 years older. I was disappointed because Zamoyski is a Polish speaker and since the Davies' book came out there has been quite a bit published in Polish about the war .Also  a lot of the Soviet archival material has become available in the intervening years. Zamoyski adds very little if anything to the canon with this tome, he even lifts the same source material and quotes as Davies' earlier work. It comes across as a quick and dirty 'let's make some cash on the back of the success of my 1812 book. Pity really, as Zamoyski's own earlier title on the same subject, 'Battle for the Marchlands', is pretty well regarded.

[whisperin_al]

As I mentioned, I haven't read anything else on the period yet but was lucky enough to get Norman Davies' book for my birthday and am looking forward to reading that now!

[Schogun]

"White Eagle Red Star" was a thoroughly good read.

[cowboy]

Amazon UK today

Warsaw 1920: Lenin's Failed Conquest of Europe [Hardcover] Adam Zamoyski
RRP: £14.99   Price: £9.89 today
White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-20 [Paperback] Norman Davies
RRP: £16.99 Price: £12.69 today
Price For Both: £22.58 Free Delivery

[Ignatieff]

"White Eagle Red Star" was a thoroughly good read.

I agree.  The only one I've read so far mind you

[David]

I have read both and gained different information from both books, so well worth having.
For this war there is very little writen in English ? Shame
there is another book
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=23023.45
The year 1920. The War between Poland and Bolshevik Russia(Polish/English)
which you can order from poland,It can for example be bought through the Polish internet-bookshop Bookmaster.pl
plus Poznańczycy w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej 1919-1921(In polish, but many great pictures)
Both great books, I wish this book was in english it would be a great material for that campaine.
There is a new book out soon The Eastern Front 1914 - 1920 (History of World War I) [Hardcover] March 2012
David
I am still waiting for the new polish figures to come out by ts

[koz10]

"White Eagle Red Star" was a thoroughly good read.

But unfortuantely, dated. There are several doctoral theses available through interlibrary loans that are better than Davies' book. One is actually a little older than Davies book, but in my opinion, a better presentation of the period before and during the war. Another, later paper on the Konarmia, better describes the actions on the Southwestern front, esp as it relates to the breakdown in communiation. I'll see if I can find the titles that are saved at home.

[Anatoli]

It is a really interesting topic and gives you insight into later events during WW2 and the Soviet mentality towards the Polish. Basically one big payback for the failure of 1919-1921.

I know Norman Davies also mentions the war in I think both "God's Playground" and "Warsaw Uprising" which I can also recommend. I would recommend getting Gods playground on audiobook as it is very long and there are a few segments that are very tedious (like when Davies loses himself in production statistics of the 15th century  ).

Siberia Miniatures were sculpting some interwar/1919-21 Poles but when I last emailed Michael he said he basically put the project on the shelf 
I tried to encourage him to finish the sculpts and sell them to some company for production though.

[ts]

Poles are being sculpted, this is "second edition", as the first batch were a little thin.
Comments are welcome.

[carlos marighela]

It would be nice to see them a little closer up. I'm looking forward to these.

First frame third row down. The chap with what appears to be a grenade in each hand looks like a circus juggler, if that was sold as part of a pack I could see people being rather annoyed if they had to buy multiples.

[ts]

I have experienced, it is very difficult to judge the sculpts from photos.
The poses are a little stiff, but the sculptor has his own style, as every sculptor, and the first batch was rather nice with almost too fine details.
But just come with your comments, and I will forward them to the sculptor.

[carlos marighela]

They are somewhat stiff in terms of posing and the Old Glory style puttees are really unappealing. To be perfectly honest I much preferred the earlier iterations you showed on LAF back in September, they looked quite promising.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=32622.0

[ts]

Yes, but the first sculpts were not able to mix with Copplestone et al, much too thin, too small heads and so on.
Anatomical correct, yes, but looking strange with other figures.
28mm figures are in no way anatomical correct, except perhaps the Minden Miniatures..
Instead of proportions 1:7 he had to use 1:6 (like Copplestone, which is the benchmark here) and also I asked him to make more calm figures.
When I judged the first figures only from photos, I had many doubts on the details, but when I got the sculpts in my hand, the details were extremely fine, almost impossible to paint.