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Warsaw 1944

Warsaw 1944
Poland’s bid for freedom

Campaign 205
Written by Robert Forczyk
Illustrated by Peter Dennis
Osprey Publishing 2009, 96 pages
ISBN: 978-1-84603-352-0

Warsaw 1944 at Osprey...

I have always been interested in irregular warfare, so when Warsaw 1944 came across my desk, I was compelled to read it. It is a very engaging read with detailed orders of battle and good historical text to back up the many photos and excellent illustrations scattered throughout the book. It also covers exceptionally well the political, social and military ramifications of the uprising, which is important because it reminds the reader why Nazi Germany needed to be defeated absolutely. 

The book covers the political situation prior to the uprising, including the precarious diplomatic position of the insurgents with the Soviet Union. It talks about the various leaders on both sides, their forces and their plans during the uprising as well as the fight itself within the city. Finally it discusses the fallout of the bid for freedom and how the battlefield looks today.  

Of particular interest to me is the order of battle and the maps. Robert Forczyk provides a good deal of information, down to the battalion strength of the various units in the Warsaw Uprising as well as telling the reader where each unit fought in the city. A detailed map marking where the units fought in relation to each other accompanies the order of battle. As the fight progresses in the book, Forczyk uses more maps to help the reader follow the movements of the Polish and German forces. As a very visual person, I found the order of battle and the maps most helpful as the story navigated me through the streets of Warsaw.

For further reading Robert Forczyk includes his bibliography along with some important websites to visit. My one criticism would be his narrow focus on of his primary source material. The author relies exclusively upon German documents and Bór-Komorowski’s memoirs, and I would have liked to see some more reference to other memoirs first-hand accounts. However, his secondary source material largely helps to compensate for this shortcoming.

The book offers a great starting point for anyone interested in the Warsaw Uprising. It has a great set of maps, impressive photos and engaging text. I would happily add this book to my library and would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in underground movements or the Polish war effort in WWII.

Mike


Last Updated On Wednesday, April 8, 2009 by Wayne at Battlefront