Drapieżny ród Piastów

Sławomir Leśniewski

The Piasts, the first Polish dynasty, reigning until the fourteenth century, is a collection of characters lost in the mists of time. The great historian and bestselling author Sławomir Leśniewski restores some unique and colorful figures. His book is not just a compendium of knowledge on Medieval Polish history – above all, it is the absorbing tale of complex and bloody palace intrigues, full of passion and treachery, honor and cruelty, heroism and infamy. The Medieval beginnings of the Polish state were a time of palace affairs, in which the women often played key roles – they were sly, resourceful, and capable of getting what they wanted. The author shows how crafty and devious the Piasts could be, in what situations and for what reasons they allowed chilling crimes to be committed, sometimes even taking a grim satisfaction. Leśniewski also describes the epoch’s greatest conflicts, like the one between Prince Bolesław and Bishop Stanisław, whose quartered body is said to have miraculously merged back together, the massacre in Gąsawa, and the revolt of Mayor Albert in the times of Władysław I the Elbow-High, as well as more “gossipy” tales, like the amorous conquests of Kazimir the Great and their consequences. In a word, this is required reading for any history lover, as well as for fans of nailbiting political thrillers. 

Release date: 2018
Pages: 456
ISBN: 978-83-08-06508-2


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The Predatory Piasts

Sławomir Leśniewski

The Piasts, the first Polish dynasty, reigning until the fourteenth century, is a collection of characters lost in the mists of time. The great historian and bestselling author Sławomir Leśniewski restores some unique and colorful figures. His book is not just a compendium of knowledge on Medieval Polish history – above all, it is the absorbing tale of complex and bloody palace intrigues, full of passion and treachery, honor and cruelty, heroism and infamy. The Medieval beginnings of the Polish state were a time of palace affairs, in which the women often played key roles – they were sly, resourceful, and capable of getting what they wanted. The author shows how crafty and devious the Piasts could be, in what situations and for what reasons they allowed chilling crimes to be committed, sometimes even taking a grim satisfaction. Leśniewski also describes the epoch’s greatest conflicts, like the one between Prince Bolesław and Bishop Stanisław, whose quartered body is said to have miraculously merged back together, the massacre in Gąsawa, and the revolt of Mayor Albert in the times of Władysław I the Elbow-High, as well as more “gossipy” tales, like the amorous conquests of Kazimir the Great and their consequences. In a word, this is required reading for any history lover, as well as for fans of nailbiting political thrillers. 

Release date: 2018
Pages: 456
ISBN: 978-83-08-06508-2