--- product_id: 12512824 title: "God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2: 1795 to the Present" price: "$103.91" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 12 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/12512824-gods-playground-a-history-of-poland-vol-2-1795-to store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2: 1795 to the Present **Price:** $103.91 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2: 1795 to the Present - **How much does it cost?** $103.91 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/12512824-gods-playground-a-history-of-poland-vol-2-1795-to) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The most comprehensive survey of Polish history available in English, God's Playground demonstrates Poland's importance in European history from medieval times to the present. Abandoning the traditional nationalist approach to Polish history, Norman Davies instead stresses the country's rich multinational heritage and places the development of the Jewish German, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian communities firmly within the Polish context. Davies emphasizes the cultural history of Poland through a presentation of extensive poetical, literary, and documentary texts in English translation. In each volume, chronological chapters of political narrative are interspersed with essays on religious, social, economic, constitutional, philosophical, and diplomatic themes. This new edition has been revised and fully updated with two new chapters to bring the story to the end of the twentieth century. Review: Norman Davies is the English speaking authority on Polish history - Norman Davies is the most authoritative English speaking author on Polish history in the world. Davies, more than any other author, has earned the right to tell the Polish story to the entire world. He corrects many myths and mis-truths introduced to the English speaking world by Polands 3 powerful political opponents: the Germans, Jews, and Russians. Other interesting facts: The Polish deciphered the Enigma Code and listened to secret German communications even before the initial 1939 invasion (the popular movie Imitation Game is the sequel, so to speak, to this history). Early Polish history is absolutely fascinating. Freedom of speech and religion in the 1500's. Two houses of congress and an elected "King". Never would have guessed! The most common version of the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 shows the Polish Cavalry getting decimated by German tanks in a humiliating defeat. How about pointing out that the Germans suffered 16,000 casualties and 75,000 wounded in the opening campaign of the war? I didn't know that the Germans took such a licking when they went into Poland, until reading Davies book. Review: Well Written and Well Researched Book on Polish History - Norman Davies is a great author who researches thoroughly and writes effectively. This book, God's Playground, gives the reader a great overview of Poland from 1795. I was particularly interested in Poland's 20 years of independence following the Polish-Soviet War and Poland during the World War II era. I recommend this book to historians and others who are interested in Polish history. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #199,726 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,287 in European History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 70 Reviews | ## Images ![God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 2: 1795 to the Present - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61yw-6Rj1YL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Norman Davies is the English speaking authority on Polish history *by R***K on January 3, 2015* Norman Davies is the most authoritative English speaking author on Polish history in the world. Davies, more than any other author, has earned the right to tell the Polish story to the entire world. He corrects many myths and mis-truths introduced to the English speaking world by Polands 3 powerful political opponents: the Germans, Jews, and Russians. Other interesting facts: The Polish deciphered the Enigma Code and listened to secret German communications even before the initial 1939 invasion (the popular movie Imitation Game is the sequel, so to speak, to this history). Early Polish history is absolutely fascinating. Freedom of speech and religion in the 1500's. Two houses of congress and an elected "King". Never would have guessed! The most common version of the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 shows the Polish Cavalry getting decimated by German tanks in a humiliating defeat. How about pointing out that the Germans suffered 16,000 casualties and 75,000 wounded in the opening campaign of the war? I didn't know that the Germans took such a licking when they went into Poland, until reading Davies book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well Written and Well Researched Book on Polish History *by D***N on May 13, 2018* Norman Davies is a great author who researches thoroughly and writes effectively. This book, God's Playground, gives the reader a great overview of Poland from 1795. I was particularly interested in Poland's 20 years of independence following the Polish-Soviet War and Poland during the World War II era. I recommend this book to historians and others who are interested in Polish history. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Paid by the "P" *by H***U on July 4, 2021* Sentence in 1st chapter of Volume II: "The proliferating profusion of possible political permutations among the pullulating peoples and parties of the Polish provinces in this period palpably prevented the propagation of permanent pacts between potential partners." Sentence in last chapter: "What really mattered was that no one questioned the march to full democracy and a market economy and that two Presidents with very different connections held the pullulating panoply of parties together." Vol II is less well-edited than Vol I. Typos and writerly constructions like this made it through. There are numerous references to "(see pp 000)." Unusually, the last chapter is relatively error-free, although Davies references this book in the 3rd person at least 2 or 3 times. On the positive side, readers will learn a great deal. In Chapter One, there is a thorough discussion on nationalism; much more than the kneejerk dismissals of Western liberals or "my side's better than your side" of xenophobic right-wingers. This is one of the few books dealing with Russia and Poland that actually discusses the Pale of Settlement in detail as well as placing the Tsarist Russia in context to contemporary governments and the atrocity which replaced it. I like the way Vol 2 is organized. Vol 1 was strictly chronological; but Vol 2 is ordered in a kind of subject-chronological manner which I find more readable. There are chapters on the people, church, nobles, Jews, minorities, each of the partitions, emigrant life, and so on. The last chapter seems to have been added after the initial publication by a more mature and polished author. As a British author he can't be expected to know every aspect but he missed an interesting anecdote. Davies mentions the large immigration to southern Texas and northern Mexico in the 1800s, but doesn't follow through. Those in northern Mexico and the SW US are familiar with the oompa loompa music blaring from beat-up truck stereos - Tejano. What many don't know, unless you listen closely, is that it is heavily influenced by Polka music. Once you hear it, you'll never not hear the connection again with the accordions and the brass. The bass, beats, and backing music are often straight Polka while the top layers are Spanish-influenced. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/12512824-gods-playground-a-history-of-poland-vol-2-1795-to](https://www.desertcart.us/products/12512824-gods-playground-a-history-of-poland-vol-2-1795-to) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-07-11*