An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps (Allied Forces Series) [Hardcover]

Wladyslaw Anders (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0898390435 | ISBN-13: 978-0898390438 | Publication Date: May 30, 2004

An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps
by Lt. General W. Anders, C.B.

Originally published in 1949 and first reprint by Battery Press in 1981, this book describes the political conflicts which marked the birth of the unit in Russian POW camps in 1942, its training in Iraq under British supervision, and the heavy combat operations in Italy from the battle of Monte Cassino to victory at the River PO. Also covered is the monumental task of the Polish government in exile to find new homes for its men after the Russian occupation of their homeland.

Publishing House: The Battery Press Inc, Nashville 2004
HardCover book measuring 6" x 9"
335 pages, 16 photos/drawings, 7 maps
English Language Version

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 319 pages
• Publisher: Battery Press (May 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898390435
• ISBN-13: 978-0898390438
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #683,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Betrayed by WWII Allies, Polish soldiers fought on, December 14, 2000

By 

John Wolodzko (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps (Allied Forces Series) (Hardcover)

This book is a true tale of the exploits and victories of the Polish 2nd Corps of the British Army during World War II, as recounted by their Commander-in-Chief, General Wladyslaw Anders. My father served in the Carpathian Brigade of the Corps and experienced many of the events this book chronicles. It follows the history of the Poles and their commander from the earliest days of the German and Russian invasion of Poland in 1939, through imprisonment in Russia, the formation of the Corps from freed and escaped Poles, through their campaigns across Africa and up the Italian peninsula to their glorious but costly victory at Monte Cassino. The account is delivered vividly but with much restraint by General Anders, and includes the events leading up to the decision of the Poles to keep on fighting after learning their homeland had been consigned to Stalin. The brave and honorable Polish troops made this decision because they knew there were no replacements to support their British and American comrades in the field. This is a marvelous first-hand account of the war from a perspective a little different from the usual view of events provided by our history books. It will appeal to those who appreciate true tales of adventure and human drama as well as the armchair historian. Moreover, it tells a story of hope, of bravery, and of betrayal, which should be known and never forgotten. Are you listening, Mr Spielberg? (I also recommend another eye-witness account of the Polish situation during and immediately after WWII: Defeat in Victory, written by a member of the Polish government-in-exile at the time, Jan Cziechanowski).

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the Allies didn't tell their public., October 2, 2003

By 

R. Ambros (the author of The Brief Sun) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps (Allied Forces Series) (Hardcover)

This important work is the story the Allies did not tell their public after WWII. I believe this book will be reprinted in the future due to demand. Wladyslaw Anders not only was a brilliant general that helped the Allies cause but also saved the lives of thousands of refugees escaping Siberia during WWII. It was very smart of him to write this book immediately after the war to document what had happened as the incredible story of his II Polish Corps (also known as Anders' Army) was successfully suppressed by the Allies during the cold war. The general public only now discovers the account of how his army was betrayed by the Allies at the Yalta Conference.

The book itself is well written. There is an interesting foreword by then future British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. In the Introduction, Harold Macmillan comments that no Englishman or American can read this book without feeling a sense of shame. General Anders describes in detail how his army was formed from Polish political prisoners in Siberia and their trek from Asia to Europe. Included are many letters, orders, and speeches by him as well as conversations with leaders such as Winston Churchill. The conferences in Teheran and Yalta are described in detail as well as the Warsaw Uprising. The immediate post-war situation of his army is also discussed.

It is fascinating to read how he had continued to warn the Western leaders not to trust the Soviets but they did not listen. The rest is history: the blockade of Berlin, the Eastern Block, missiles in Cuba, and wars in Korea and Vietnam. General Anders was clearly stunned by the betrayal of his army but he had no way of knowing that the Roosevelt Administration was saturated by Soviet spies and Communist sympathizers.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poles FAR from Passive Spectators During the War, June 14, 2006

By 

Jan Peczkis "Scholar and Thinker" (Chicago IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: An Army in Exile: The Story of the Second Polish Corps (Allied Forces Series) (Hardcover)

General Wladyslaw Anders has written a book which rebuffs the incorrect portrayal of Poles as "passive spectators" during World War II. Poles fought at every front from Day One of the war. Even after being betrayed by the Allies, Anders commanded the Polish forces to continue fighting. He touches on aspects of history which encompassed my parents. Both sides of our family were deported to Siberia, and later released. My biological father fought at Monte Cassino. Anders (p. 182) cites General Oliver Leese, Commander of the Eighth Army: "I am glad to see you hear today. I want to tell you that the capture of Monte Cassino was entirely an achievement of the Poles." Of course, Poland was later betrayed, and my parents could not return to Poland. Neither could General Anders.