Full Circle - by Radek Sikorski (Paperback)

About the Book

The dream of restoring a country house is part of the larger drama of rebuilding a nation in this memoir by a Polish exile who returned home after the fall of communism. With a novelist's eye for detail, Sikorski draws a revealing portrait of Polish history, of Lech Walesa, and of Poland's struggle for reform. 10 photos.

Book Synopsis

The dream of restoring a country house is part of the larger drama of rebuilding a nation in this memoir by a Polish exile who returned home after the fall of communism. With a novelist's eye for detail, Radek Sikorski draws a revealing portrait of Polish history, of Lech Walesa, and of Poland's struggle for reform.

From the Back Cover

Full Circle is a moving personal and political account of a country and its people emerging from under the rubble of Communism. For Sikorski, rebuilding a dworek (manor house) known as Chobielin was not just a real-estate investment - it was a literal and symbolic contribution to the task of rebuilding his country. With a novelist's eye for revealing detail and a politician's instinct for the deeper currents running through society, Sikorski tells the dramatic story of his family - his childhood under Communism, his parents resistance to authoritarianism, his relatives on all sides of the political spectrum (including a great-uncle who survived Buchenwald and Dachau). At the same time, literally unearthing Polish history on the grounds of his home - one of his discoveries was a silver half grosz piece dating from the sixteenth century - Sikorski also brings to life for American readers the dramatic history of Poland, where national identity has always been problematic. Occupied by Warsaw Pact troops under Communism, carved up by the German and Soviet Armies during World War II, invaded by Prussians, Russians, and Teutons throughout the centuries, Poland has constantly struggled under the burden of foreign conquerors. An engrossing personal memoir, Full Circle is also a fascinating insider's account of the political transformation of a country that has come full circle many times over the years in its quest for a national identity.

About the Author

Radek Sikorski is a Polish politician and journalist. He is a member of European Parliament and has authored several books including Moscow's Afghan War and Dust of the Saints. He has worked as a journalist for The Observer and The Spectator, ad graduated from Pembroke College, Oxford.