Books About Torun

The following books are recommended which give further information about Polish history and the local area.

A Brief History of Polish History by Władysław Konopczyński. Published in 1919, this is an interesting overview of Polish history, written at a time where there was a confidence in the formation of the new Polish nation.

For You the War Is Over by Sam Kydd. This auto-biography was written by Kydd, an actor from Northern Ireland, and includes the story of his time at Stalag XX-A, the prisoner of war camp at Toruń. The book is now out of print, but second hand copies can sometimes be found, although they are not always at cheap prices. The book’s ISBN is 978-0860070436.

Poland: A History by Adam Zamoyski. This lengthy book is an excellent and comprehensive guide to the history of Poland, a difficult challenge given how the country’s borders have evolved over the centuries. The book’s ISBN is 978-0007322732. The author has written numerous other books about the country’s history, including 1812 – Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow.

No Citation by James Allen is the description of his journey across Europe to the prison camp in Toruń, including when he was forced to swim up the River Bug. Not only is there a link to Toruń in the book, but the description about the Soviet police state is intriguing. The book is now out of print and so can be difficult to find.

Stephen Turnbull has written a number of books about the Teutonic Knights, including a two-volume set of titles about the Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights, with the first volume concentrating on Prussian defences (ISBN 978-1780962177) and the second volume concentrating on Latvia and Estonia (ISBN 978-1780962184). He also wrote an interesting and accessible book entitled Tannenburg 1410 : Disaster for the Teutonic Knights which is the story of the Battle of Grunwald and the implications which it had for Toruń and other cities controlled by the Knights. The ISBN for this book is 978-1472800091.