Polish Greats

by Arnold Madison

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679208763
• ISBN13: 9780679208761
• Release Date: June 1980
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Length: 114 Pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent Short Biographies of Polish Achievers

This is a small book of biographies written for young adults. Each chapter is a concise version of the lives of these famous people. The author, Arnold Madison not only told of the best known achievements of each person, but gave enlightening information about how their personalties and interests were formed.The variety of talent and the hard work that went into their pursuits is amazing. Many of these people could have become famous for other endeavors.Nicholas Copernicus who is considered the father of astronomy was not only a mathematician, but also a Catholic priest and a medical doctor who trained in Italy. He is also known as an economist and a statesman.Tedeusz Kosciuszko, a military engineer, and a Polish patriot was an aide to General George Washington and directed the construction of the fortifications at West Point. He achieved the rank of brigadier general, and was granted U. S. citizenship. He was also gifted with American land, but sold it. A great believer in freedom, he used the land profits to buy black slaves in order to set them free. His efforts to help Poland stay free were never realized. He died in Switzerland, but his body was returned to Poland and was placed in the Cracow cathedral. Count Casimir Pulaski had no formal military training, but at the age of 20 led a force of 6 thousand men in guerrilla attacks against invading Russians. The attacks were successful, but the odds were insurmountable. Pulaski became a Polish folk hero and was exiled. He met Benjamin Franklin in Paris, and offered to serve in the American Revolution. With the support of Congress, he raised an independent cavalry army and was comissioned with the strange title of Brigadier General Count Pulaski. He was wounded in battle, and died on the American warship the Wasp. He was 31 years old. Ignace Jan Paderewski, the famous composer pianist was also a Polish statesman who worked hard to help free his native country.He was the Chairman of the Polish National Committee, and headed the Polish government which was exiled in Paris.Josef Konrad Korzeniowski, who became the author Joseph Conrad spend many years of his life as a seaman. When he finally became recognized for his writing, he was acclaimed as one of the greatest English novelists of the 20th Century. Marie Sklodowska Curie the winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for chemistry died a victim of her own discovery, radium.The book also contains biographies of seven other great people, including, Pope John Paul II and Frederick Chopin. Thanks to my friend Jan for gifting me with this book. Many great stories of real lives!