Review by Choice Review
The transformation of Poland in the 1980s from a communist regime to a pluralistic democratic polity has been the subject of much discussion and research. The focus of this work is a firsthand account of the key individuals who were central to this process. Hayden was fortunate to be in Poland during the Gdansk Shipyard strike in 1980, and has since traveled extensively in Poland interviewing communists, dissidents, church officials, and, most importantly, Solidarity leaders. The principal interviews include Lech Walesa, Cardinal Josef Glemp, and General Wojciech Jaruzelski. This work provides valuable insight into the breakup of Solidarity and the difficulties and controversy surrounding Lech Walesa as president of post-communist Poland. The author's narrative links personal accounts to the major events and issues in Poland. She is an established Irish journalist who was formerly a legal affairs correspondent with Century News. The book contains several illustrations one of which is a photograph of Hayden with Lech Walesa at Solidarity's headquarters in Gdansk in April 1981. A useful chronology is included of major events in Poland from 1939 through October 1993 as a backdrop to the interviews. Also included is a list of abbreviations and a brief bibliography. General. V. McHale; Case Western Reserve University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
