Pilsudski was the leading proponent of armed Polish resistance to Tsarist Russian rule in the early years of the twentieth century. During the Russo-Japanese War he went to Japan to seek armed and funds for a Polish uprising. In WW1 he skilfully walked a perilous line. He raised the Polish Legion to fight alongside the Central Powers against the Russians. In the war's closing stages he distanced himself from the Central Powers and secured independence for Poland. Having attained his great goal of a free Poland, he fought a series of wars. These little-known conflicts (with Ukraine and Lithuania) are illuminated by Evan McGilvray. When it became clear that Bolshevik Russia was preparing to invade Poland, Pilsudski launched a pre-emptive attack in 1920. Despite early successes, the Russians were able to gain the upper hand and were almost at the gates of Warsaw before Pilsudski's masterful counterattack brought about 'the miracle of the Vistula' and turned the tide. This is a fascinating and long overdue study of a key figure in modern European history. AUTHOR: Evan McGilvray was born in Winchester, Hampshire in 1961. He writes mainly about 20th century warfare. McGilvray is a graduate of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL. McGilvray's books already published by Pen & Sword include topics as diverse as Anders' Army, The First Polish Armoured Division, Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, General Sir Ian Hamilton and the relationship between Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. Evan McGilvray is able to work in Polish, Czech, French and Russian. Latterly he has been making a study of the Latvian language. He now lives in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, writing and helping to look after his grandchildren. In addition to writing military history, McGilvray also writes plays and loves to walk in the nearby countryside. His website: evanclivemcgilvray.com 16 b/w illustrations
