Shortlisted for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History 2020, this is the first history of the Polish war for almost half a century. The war began on 1 September 1939, when German tanks, trucks and infantry crossed the Polish border, and the Luftwaffe began bombing Poland’s towns and cities. The Polish army fought bravely but could not withstand the concentrated attack. When the Red Army invaded from the east, the country’s fate was sealed.

Drawing on letters, memoirs and diaries from all sides, Roger Moorhouse’s dramatic account of the military events is entwined with a human story of courage and suffering, and a dark tale of diplomatic betrayal.

“This deeply researched, very well-written and penetrating book will be the standard work on the subject for many years to come.” Andrew Roberts, author of ‘Churchill: Walking with Destiny’.

“I wanted to tell the story as well as possible and – especially for a non-Polish audience – to restore the Poles to the narrative from which they have shamefully excluded”

Roger Moorhouse is a fluent German speaker and a specialist in modern German history. He has written for the The Times, The Independent on Sunday, and the Financial Times. He is also a regular contributor to both the BBC History magazine and History Today.

Since 2016 He has been a visiting professor at the College of Europe in Natolin near Warsaw. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Roger will be In Conversation with journalist and author Antonia Senior.