The legendary commander and our fellow countryman Tadeusz Kościuszko has recently become quite popular with researchers and men of letters. “Finally!” one might say. The Belarusian writer Yegor Konev had his novel about Kościuszko published not long ago. And now we have a well-illustrated scientific and popular edition from Brest.
The book has plenty of sections. The first ones are dedicated to Kościuszko’s life and have marvelous illustrations. There is a separate section for Kościuszko’s beloved ones. Another chapter is dedicated to his artistic, musical and engineering efforts. A special section that covers the places he had been to, from Belarus’ Kosovo to Switzerland’s Solothurn, and persons he met and knew, from Stanislaw August Poniatowski to Alexander I. Museums, monuments, cities, bridges and mounts named after Tadeusz Kościuszko. Finally, a considerable literature reference and life chronicle.
The book is a real encyclopedia of the epoch, but despite the scientific (rather than popular) style, it is very easy to read, a usual thing if the author is genuinely interested in the character. Tadeusz Kościuszko is not a guy from posters: he may be brave and invincible on the battlefield, but feeble and vulnerable in love affairs, lucky commander and unfortunate career person, close friend and sworn enemy of kings… Prisons and palaces, presidents and rajas, exquisite promenades and simple bivouacs. It is worth while being introduced to Kościuszko.
Ludmila Rublevskaya
Military leaders and poets, jungles and museums
Leonid Nesterchuk. Tadeusz Bonaventura Kościuszko. Return to Motherland
