Oscar E. Swan is professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh. The author of over fifteen books, Swan was the first American selected for the Thesaurus Poloniae Award from the Center of International Culture, Kraków. He is also the recipient of the Polonicum Award from the University of Warsaw for the outstanding promulgation of Polish language, literature, and culture outside of Poland, among other honors.
Kaleidoscope of Poland is a highly readable volume containing short articles on major personalities, places, events, and accomplishments from the thousand-year record of Polish history and culture. Featuring hundreds of entries and illustrations, it provides a handy reference at home, a perfect supplement to guide books when traveling, an aid to language study, or it can be browsed with enjoyment by anyone with an interest in Poland.
Whether it is bagels or the Bug River, Chopin or Madame Curie, the book offers colorful and often witty snapshots of significant individuals, customs, folklore, historic events, phrases, places, geography, and much, much more. Beginning with the emergence of the Polish state in 966 under Mieszko I, to the resurrection of present-day Poland within the European Union, it’s also a sweeping account of the tumult and triumphs the nation has witnessed through much of its history.