Liberty's Folly: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Eighteenth Century 1697-1795 [Hardcover]

Jerzy Lukowski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0415032288 | ISBN-13: 978-0415032285 | Edition: 1

In the closing years of the 18th century, the old Polish state paid the price of over 100 years of ungovernability in political extinction. Between 1772 and 1795 an area of Eastern Europe larger than France was divided among Russia, Prussia and Austria. At the very time that monarchial absolutism seemed to be collapsing in Western Europe, the dismemberment of the Polish "noble democracy" affirmed absolutism's triumph in the East. Bringing together Polish scholarship previously inaccessible to English-speaking readers, the author examines the economy, the society and the institutional structure of early modern Poland and analyzes her loss of national sovereignty in the light of Poland's lack of political centralization and dynastic strength. Not only does this book illuminate a much neglected area of European history, and assist those trying to make sense of Poland's heritage, it also provides much comparative material for students of early modern history in general. Furthermore no reader could fail to be struck by the parallels in the problematic relationship between Poland and Russia in the 18th century and today.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (February 20, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415032288
• ISBN-13: 978-0415032285
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Work Available on 18th Century Poland, December 23, 1999

By 

Glenn Dynner (Boston, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Liberty's Folly: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Eighteenth Century 1697-1795 (Hardcover)

While Lukowski's work is not easy to get through, being rather dense, Liberty's Folly is the richest and most exhaustive analysis of 18th century Polish society available in English. Lukowski has drawn upon a large range of sources to produce a description of 18th century Polish society at every level- from the nobility through the townspeople to the peasantry. The second part of the book constitues a handy summary of Polish chronological history in the 18th century. The patient reader is rewarded with a social historical explanation for a (once) great nation's demise: the tragic combination of the domination of Poland by the nobility, a weak urban class, and an enserfed peasantry.

0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars bad book, July 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Liberty's Folly: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Eighteenth Century 1697-1795 (Hardcover)

This book gave the reader no information abot the cluture and History. I would not recomend this book to any one!!!