History
Ernest Hemingway, Extraordinary Writings By An Extraordinary Man.
In my travels through the world of literature, last year we decided to revisit Hemingway, and flew down to Key West. I was familiar with some of his writings before, but the best time to re-read them was while visiting the place he for eight years called home. His written
The Roundup, First Book of the Trilogy in Historical Fiction
The Murano family saga is my primary theme. Pals Forever is published. So is The Resurrections. The third on The Eighteenth Camel is coming out any day. But the life of a cardiac surgeon and his family is not the only story I am interested in. I am expanding beyond
Country at the Crossroads in Europe
The end of the first millennium saw the developing of conditions for future wars in Europe. Christianity slowly kept expanding, and Poland, still a pagan country, didn’t want to accept the new order from the Holy Roman Empire, our powerful Western neighbor. Instead, we asked to be baptized directly by
Why?
Czesława Kwoka was 14 years old. On the arrival, they tattooed number 26947 on her left forearm. Then they took her picture. Not before the guard beat her up with a club. The Germans had sent the girl and her mother to Auschwitz to be exterminated. Both came from the
How the Poles Got Screwed Again by Our Allies
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu Imagine the invisible war. The countries fight for their lives without weapons, soldiers, casualties, and without the property damage. At least not in the conventional meaning. The borders are imaginary.The fighters sit behind giant supercomputers and never
Best Dish in the Polish Kitchen
After WWII, countries in Europe were deluged with art inspired by the monstrosities of the conflict. Despite a relatively small population, Poland was presented with one of the highest casualty lists, the highest as a percentage of the total population of the nations. No wonder that the resulting impression on
How to Measure Success in the Life of a Surgeon
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. Albert Schweitzer But how to get there? It was the second half of the 19th century. In Albany, New York, a middle age woman developed sharp,
Joseph Conrad and Being a Bilingual Writer
The life and writings of Joseph Conrad fascinate me. He was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in the area of Poland annexed by Russia after the partitioning of my country at the end of the 18th century. His father was a highly educated person. Writer, translator and would-be-revolutionary member of
Courage and the Price of Integrity
It was 1942, three years after the German invasion of Poland. In the village of Rekowka, 90 miles south of Warsaw, German troops appeared in a house occupied by two families, Skoczylas and Kosiorow. Apparently acting on a tip, they were looking for Jews. Indeed, there were six Jewish people
The Greatest Massacre in the European History
During the process of learning how to write a novel, one is urged to study how to begin the story. The opening of the novel is said to have the ability not so much to break it, as is seen as a chance to raise it to the memorable level.
How Do We Look at a Genius with Flaws
The year was 1881 and a young woman was dying from the postpartum hemorrhage. The young, 29 years old surgeon was contacted and after deliberations he drew blood from his own vein and transfused it to the patient. The patient recovered. German scientist Landsteiner discovered and described ABO blood group
To Be Free, You Have to Be Able to Defend Yourself.
In two weeks it will be 70 years. Two, may be three generations ago. How many people still remember it? How many of them, who saw it with their own eyes, are still alive? And there were only a few not afflicted by these events. The Biblical scene of
What’s new in Poland
Sovereignty is not given, it is taken. Kamal Ataturk Once again, Poland was stood up by her allies. Before WWll we had military agreements with the governments of Great Britain and France regarding common defense in case of military aggression on either country. We also had a nonaggression agreement with Russia.
Polish Had the First European Modern Constitution in 1791
Those who don’t know the history are destined to repeat it. Edmund Burke History doesn’t repeat itself, but does rhyme. Mark Twain Nescire autem quid antequam natus sis acciderit, id est semper esse puerum. To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.
The Fine Art of Improving History
The much despised political leaders of North Korea are in the news again. No.2 Jang Song Thaek was recently stripped of power by No.1 Kim Jong-un. Jang was Kim’s uncle and widely regarded as the younger leader’s mentor. The political move was dramatic and happened in a full view of
Three Heroes Who Overthrew the Communism in Europe
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Ronald Reagan (1987) This is how most people in this country see the fall of communism in Europe and the person who made it happened. Let me tell you another side of this story. In 1945, after victory over Hitler’s Germany and with the
Abraham Lincoln and Tsar Alexander ; Twin Brothers of Different Mothers
All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come Victor Hugo While reading “Anna Karenina” I came across a very interesting subject being discussed: the problem of serfdom. Konstantin Levin, 32 years old landowner, wants to increase productivity on his farmland. Sees
