New book about 1939 Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland

A new book that sets the record straight on the 1939 Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland has been launched in the UK.

The book by Roger Moorhouse was launched at the Polish embassy in London last year.

Image: Polish Embassy UK

Entitled First to Fight: The Polish War 1939, the book is the work of British historian Roger Moorhouse. It was launched at the Polish embassy in London on Thursday.

Moorhouse told those at the launch that his primary goal was to tell the story of the Polish defensive war of September 1939 in an open and faithful manner, free of the mythology of the aggressors, but bringing back the Polish voice to the historical narrative.

.@Roger_Moorhouse signs copies of his new book about the Nazi-Soviet invasion of 🇵🇱 during 🇬🇧 premiere @PolishEmbassyUK. Learn about the significance of "the forgotten story of #WW2" from today as the book is out now! #80WW2 #SeptemberCampaign #fightingandsuffering pic.twitter.com/jrUbsaS2z5

— Polish Embassy UK 🇵🇱 (@PolishEmbassyUK) September 5, 2019

A panel discussion at the Polish embassy was attended by History Today editor Paul Lay, historian Richard Overy, and the director of the Warsaw-based Pilecki Institute, Wojciech Kozłowski.

First to Fight: The Polish War 1939 is the first account in English of the Polish defensive war of 1939 in almost five decades.

In its review of the book, The Economist wrote that Moorhouse’s book “sets the wartime record straight about Poland’s forgotten heroism and suffering, which is strangely absent from standard histories.”

Excellent review in the current issue of @Economist: "Mr Moorhouse’s book [weaves] together archival material, first-hand accounts, perceptive analysis and heartbreaking descriptions of Poland’s betrayal, defeat and dismemberment." https://t.co/3ByawzHgNd via @TheEconomist

— Roger Moorhouse (@Roger_Moorhouse) September 6, 2019

Last month, the book was published in a Polish translation.

(mk/gs)