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A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II Hardcover – Deckle Edge, September 23, 2003

by Lynne Olson (Author), Stanley Cloud (Author)

148 customer reviews

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A Question of Honor is the gripping, little-known, and brilliantly told story of the scores of Polish fighter pilots who helped save England during the Battle of Britain and of their stunning betrayal by the United States and England at the end of World War II.

Centering on five pilots of the renowned Kosciuszko Squadron, the authors show how the fliers, driven by their passionate desire to liberate their homeland, came to be counted among the most heroic and successful fighter pilots of World War II. Drawing on the Kosciuszko Squadron’s unofficial diary–filled with the fliers’ personal experiences in combat–and on letters, interviews, memoirs, histories, and photographs, the authors bring the men and battles of the squadron vividly to life. We follow the principal characters from their training before the war, through their hair-raising escape from Poland to France and then, after the fall of France, to Britain. We see how, first treated with disdain by the RAF, the Polish pilots played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain, where their daredevil skill in engaging German Messerschmitts in close and deadly combat while protecting the planes in their own groups soon made them legendary. And we learn what happened to them after the war, when their country was abandoned and handed over to the Soviet Union.

A Question of Honor also gives us a revelatory history of Poland during World War II and of the many thousands in the Polish armed forces who fought with the Allies. It tells of the country’s unending struggle against both Hitler and Stalin, its long battle for independence, and the tragic collapse of that dream in the “peace” that followed. Powerful, moving, deeply involving, A Question of Honor is an important addition to the literature of World War II.

A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II [Deckle Edge]

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Following up the acclaimed The Murrow Boys: Pioneers on the Frontlines of Broadcast Journalism, the authors offer a solid addition to WWII aviation history. The first all-Polish squadron in the Royal Air Force, the Kosciuszko Squadron was formed from experienced Polish Air Force pilots who had fled their fallen country by way of Romania and France to England. Its members, according to the authors, needed little instruction in combat flying but some in the English language. When they took to the air, the squadron's pilots, along with Poles serving elsewhere in Fighter Command, made a large (possibly indispensable) contribution to victory in the Battle of Britain. That battle is the dramatic high point of the book, which from 1941 on shifts its focus to the sorry fate meted out to Poland as a nation and Poles in particular, especially in the infamous Katyn Massacre and the Warsaw Uprising. The authors document how this mistreatment took place with the acquiescence of the Western Allies, grossly misjudging Stalin's ambitions in Eastern Europe. Despite the same extraordinarily fluent writing and thorough research found in The Murrow Boys, readers might still be left wanting to know more about the fate of some of the Polish aviators after the Battle of Britain. Even so, the political balance they bring to telling the political story is noteworthy.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Poland's lot at the hands of Hitler and Stalin has been exhaustively examined by historians. But Olson and Cloud's book shows that the topic merits further consideration. Their sure lure is the Battle of Britain and the crucial role played by Polish fighter pilots. Without bogging down in aviation minutiae, the authors dramatize the seemingly reckless romantic dash of five Polish pilots, which transformed them into temporary celebrities and captivating figures. After tracking the fate of the pilots for the rest of the war, Olson and Cloud then ascend to a different plane, Big Three diplomacy, from which issued a Sovietized Poland. These sections are necessarily a synthesis, but a skillfully composed one for the warplane-oriented reader whom the authors have hooked with their opening cast. Libraries may expect the average interest exhibited in new WW II titles to double for the authors' good work. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product details

Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Knopf; 1St Edition edition (September 16, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375411976
ISBN-13: 978-0375411977
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
Average Customer Review: 148 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #496 in Books > History > Military > Aviation
- #1552 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain
- #2433 in Books > History > Military > World War II

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Top customer reviews

... reading this book I find it to be an excellent read but sad in regards to Poland's fate

Byann mon September 23, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

In the process of reading this book I find it to be an excellent read but sad in regards to Poland's fate. I would recommend it for anyone interested in WWII

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

history repeat it's self

ByMarek Kaczkieloon July 27, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I am Polish I was born in Poland and grew up in communist schools and I learn the official history of Poland in WWII till I was 17 years old then I moved to U.S. but the unofficial history I learn from my parents and grandparents.
I was in U.S Army and yes I had the same questions and I had to fight the same stereotypes as the author was writing about Polish pilots in England.
My grandfather was a soldier in Polish army in 1939 and he was capture by Russians, he escape from a train heading for Siberia and it took him two months to walk home. When I ask him why he continue to fight from Prussian border to get captured by Russians the answer was " I swore to defend Poland and not to let go of my rifle, it was my honor "
My grandmother was on train to Germany to work in factory, after she escape she had to hide for two years from Germans. As I was reading this book about how Polish pilots ware treated when not needed, the propaganda machine turn on them I could noticed how similar it was before U.S. invaded Iraq and thought to times when I grew up in Poland with censorship and the my thought was who needs censorship if all news agency just report what the government wants.
After I read this book as a Polish I am even more proud o my grandfather and my heritage this book is excellent and should be taken as warning to future generations not to take anything for granted that live is too precious.

0Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Five Stars

ByDavid Dekkeron November 6, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

An excellent book of the courage of the Polish people. Another great book by these two authors.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Never Forget Living History

BySee Moreon May 14, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Kosciuszko is a hard name to spell no wonder people dont know more about him and what he did with his short life. That is the man who I decided to read about and stumbled across this volume ....However this book is not about the revolutionary war hero but instead about the choices and experiences of free men who accepted the same kind of responsibilty Kosciuszko was about to protect and defend men from being murdered, mistreated, chattel or serfs. It is amazing that the men of this squadron ever volunteered and some made it out of hell. History of WWI and II to me is very interesting.

I am seeking knowledge about what the second world war was really about. I believe men seek power not money that comes later so what would motivate men to join a fight especially the Americans they were safe in the states right? So who were they? The answers are found here and I learned a lot. YOu get a lot of reading material the information is an easy read meaning it held my attention, However the scenarios presented at times are difficult to read about but because the writing is so good one can place themselves in the middle of this horrific time that did try mens souls.
Imagine the government against you murdering and useing people because of their ethnicity and you are surrounded this is not a hollywood quick fix or recipe thriller its very real. I admire the courage of these fighters and I found out quite a bit that isnt in the public school history books. Am not a spoiler.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

As Churchill said "Never has so much owed to so few". He didn't just mean the dead heroes.

ByCarol T. Kenneyon December 10, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The best book I've ever read on how fabulous the Polish people are. Kosciuszko is the 5th statue on the Quad at West Point in NY. He was a genius and saved us during the Revolutionary War. The Kosciuszko Squadron lived up to its name and saved London during WWII through determination to save Poland from Communism.
Unfortunately: They were not acknowledged for their bravery and accomplishments until the late 1950's by Queen Elizabeth.
I have given this book to many people, especially those who repeat those stupid Polish jokes. We would all be speaking German or Russian now in the USA and other countries if it weren't for the egotistical Hitler and the brave Poles.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Fantastic unknown facts

ByAmazon Customeron June 5, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I learned so much about Polish history and the huge part they played in winning WWII. Their pilots were exceptional men and were not recognized as pivotal until 1957 or so by Queen Elizabeth. I read this a couple of years ago and continue to buy it as gifts for anyone interested in history. It is one of my top 10 books read. I never understood why Kosciuszko is one of the 5 statues on the Quad at West Point. I now understand why these pilots were living up to their name "The Kosciuszko Squadron". The Poles have a very interesting history and deserve more credit than we could ever give them.
Carol

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*Forgotten?

ByE. Szolison March 12, 2008

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I found this book to be a highly entertaining and informative read. The exploits of the 303,in particular, are thrilling. I do feel that some of the momentum is lost when dealing with the political machinations of Churchill and Roosevelt, however less exciting, it is very important that these be revealed. The authors did an outstanding job of this. I've seen reviews that say this is done "out of context". I don't see a problem here. This is the account of intentionally overlooked heroes who fought for all and received nothing, from a world that seemed would rather that they just go away! I take this to heart as I am of Polish descent. My grandfather was born near Zamosc. The family, with the exception of his brother and himself were taken by the Russians to a Siberian gulag during the second partition, likely as suspected insurgents. My grandfather made his way to Amsterdam over a period of a few years and made his way to America by ship around the turn of the century. I've been to Poland, to Warsaw, the old town and could picture the devastation as I walked the streets. I've seen the monument to the uprising and the murdered. All this makes me wonder if this could be allowed today, In our "information age"? What if T.V. and video cameras were everywhere then as they are today? Could Churchill and Roosevelt get away with what they did? Would people remain indifferent as Warsaw was flattened and her allies watched? It's difficult to believe that such a thing could happen in a world that vilified a president for having sex but I do have faith in mankind's ability to forget,just change the channel, or with TIVO, not even watch what it does not wish to see. This is why we need books like this! I hope some one make it into a movie!

* I don't think forgotten is strong enough of a word.