A Question of Honor: The Kosciuszko Squadron: Forgotten Heroes of World War II | 
 enlarge | Authors: Lynne Olson, Stanley Cloud
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 58135
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 512
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 8 x 4.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 037572625X
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.54
EAN: 9780375726255
ASIN: 037572625X
Publication Date: October 12, 2004
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Product Description
A Question of Honor is the gripping, little-known story of the refugee Polish pilots who joined the RAF and played an essential role in saving Britain from the Nazis, only to be betrayed by the Allies after the war.
After Poland fell to the Nazis, thousands of Polish pilots, soldiers, and sailors escaped to England. Devoted to liberating their homeland, some would form the RAF’s 303 squadron, known as the Kosciuszko Squadron, after the elite unit in which many had flown back home. Their thrilling exploits and fearless flying made them celebrities in Britain, where they were “adopted” by socialites and seduced by countless women, even as they yearned for news from home. During the Battle of Britain, they downed more German aircraft than any other squadron, but in a stunning twist at the war’s end, the Allies rewarded their valor by abandoning Poland to Joseph Stalin. This moving, fascinating book uncovers a crucial forgotten chapter in World War II–and Polish–history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
A Question of Honor August 26, 2008
I originally was given this book as a gift. After reading it, I bought several copies as gifts to some relatives.
This is a history narrative that should be read by all. It gives information about WWII that is not covered in the "Anglo-centric" history that is taught to our students or disseminated to the American public. It covers how Roosevelt and Churchill allowed themselves to be bullied by Jozef Stalin. They gave away Eastern Europe in order to keep Russia from signing a separate peace with Hitler. It shows how the fourth largest Allied Military force (The Poles), did not have a free country to return to, after the war. The Polish Military was not even welcome in the countries that they defended or helped liberate. By this act of capitulation, Roosevelt and Churchill were in fact quislings. But then, who remembers Vidkun Quisling.
The book reads very easily, and is extensively footnoted to support all data and statistics.
"He who does not study history, will be forced to re-live it."
How Britain and America Treat Their Allies August 20, 2008
I was ashamed to learn how, as a proud American, we abandoned the Polish people during and after World War II. They were thrown to the "bear" as both Churchill and FDR sold them out.
If you love aviation, that is the focus of this book. It paints the illustrious exploits of the fine Polish pilots who sacrificed their lives during the Battle of Britain - defending an ally that did not come to the aide of the Poles as the country was overrun by Germany at the outset of WWII.
This also provides a brief overview of the attrocities the Russians allowed the Germans to commit while occupying Warsaw. If you've never heard about the Warsaw uprising, this gives you some insight.
A fairly light read as a history book goes but a thoroughly enjoyable story. You'll have new respect for the courage and commitment of these Polish aviators and perhaps of the Polish people.
KINDLE: On the Kindle edition, the images are a bit harsh but you probably already know about that as a general Kindle issue.
Masterpiece June 10, 2008
I don't use the word lightly -- but in this case "masterpiece" fits. This is in part the story of a group of extraordinary young men, Polish exiles who contributed mightily to the allied cause as fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain and beyond. The prowess and heroism of those men alone could have carried the book -- or a film, for that matter. But "A Question of Honor" is much, much more -- an epic, really, that covers the bravery of the Poles and the despicable manner in which they and their nation were treated, in 1939 and then in the latter period of the war. As the son of a Pole who was nineteen when the war began, I am very familiar with the story; but I had never seen it laid out so well. Olson and Cloud have produced a book that is both gripping drama and a brilliantly-prepared indictment of the powers that doomed Poland, by their aggression (Germany), their failure to keep their word (Britain, France), their lack of interest (the U.S. -- Roosevelt in particular), and -- in the worst case -- it is about the criminal neglect and barbarism of the Soviet Union, as Stalin prepared to take control over postwar Poland. More than anything, the authors show how realpolitik overran every promise, all good faith, and so many impulses to do the right thing. A brilliant, important book.
*Forgotten? March 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this book to be a highly entertaining and informative read. The exploits of the 303,in particular, are thrilling. I do feel that some of the momentum is lost when dealing with the political machinations of Churchill and Roosevelt, however less exciting, it is very important that these be revealed. The authors did an outstanding job of this. I've seen reviews that say this is done "out of context". I don't see a problem here. This is the account of intentionally overlooked heroes who fought for all and received nothing, from a world that seemed would rather that they just go away! I take this to heart as I am of Polish descent. My grandfather was born near Zamosc. The family, with the exception of his brother and himself were taken by the Russians to a Siberian gulag during the second partition, likely as suspected insurgents. My grandfather made his way to Amsterdam over a period of a few years and made his way to America by ship around the turn of the century. I've been to Poland, to Warsaw, the old town and could picture the devastation as I walked the streets. I've seen the monument to the uprising and the murdered. All this makes me wonder if this could be allowed today, In our "information age"? What if T.V. and video cameras were everywhere then as they are today? Could Churchill and Roosevelt get away with what they did? Would people remain indifferent as Warsaw was flattened and her allies watched? It's difficult to believe that such a thing could happen in a world that vilified a president for having sex but I do have faith in mankind's ability to forget,just change the channel, or with TIVO, not even watch what it does not wish to see. This is why we need books like this! I hope some one make it into a movie!
* I don't think forgotten is strong enough of a word.
Excellant March 11, 2008
This is a great book. It outlines Poland's plight in WW 2 wonderfully. It focuses on the Polish Air Force, but covers politics quite well. The other Polish forces are also described (Home Army, Ander's Army (Italy), Aitborn, and I believe Western/Eastern Fronts). I think it is great coverage of the only nation to fight the German's, in force, on all fronts, from the beginning to the end in 1990's when Poland finally became free again.
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