ISBN 83-86268-31-X
xxiv + 228 pages

Introduction; List of Maps; maps; photos; Topographical symbols; Tactical symbols; Abbreviations for topographical terms; Military abbreviations; Bibliography; Index of Persons; Geographical Index; Index of Military Units

   At the beginning of 2003 we reviewed the Zweite Weltkrieg im Kartenbild series of map volumes by Klaus-Jurgen Thies. In September 2004 we reviewed the French map volume Atlas des Situations Quotidiennes des Armees Alliees, Campagne 1939-1940, comparing it in particular to the Westfeldzug volume of Der Zweite Weltkrieg im Kartenbild. Yet another map volume worth mentioning, Wojna Obronna Polski 1939 comes from Poland, covers the Polish campaign ("Poland's Defensive War") of 1939, and bears comparison with the Polenfeldzug volume of Der Zweite Weltkrieg im Kartenbild.
   Naturally enough, the text of the map volumes from Germany is exclusively in German, the text of the map volume from France is strictly in French, and the text of this volume from Poland is written in Polish. Unlike the other atlases, however, the Polish volume includes a considerable amount of text translated into English. That's a big benefit, but the nature of all the map volumes is such that the cartographic information is mostly accessible regardless of any language barriers.
   The Polish book opens with a seven-page Introduction which is also presented in English. Likewise, the list of maps is given first in Polish and then in English. Most important of all, the key to map symbols and the lengthy list of military abbreviations used on the maps are both shown in dual Polish-English text. Armed with that information, even readers unfamiliar with the Polish language should be able to take maximum advantage of the maps.
   Physically, the height and width of this volume are, at 9.5 inches by 13.5 inches, smaller than the German atlases and considerably smaller than the gargantuan French book. Many of the Polish pages, however—like the French—fold out to as much as double those dimensions. Most of the pages, folding or otherwise, accommodate a single map, but some sheets contain multiple smaller maps; that's especially true of blow-ups used to show a particular sector of the front in greater detail. The cartography of all the maps in this volume ranks as first class. Positions of Polish units are shown in red, German in blue, and Soviet in green. The background varies from map to map, but generally shows borders, railroads, roads, cities, and rivers. Depending on the situation and scale, some maps also show features such as river crossings, swimming pools, breweries, power stations, sugar factories, hospitals, castles, apiaries, and more.
   The maps begin with "Political system of Europe on August 31, 1939" and "Probable deployment of defense forces of states neighboring Poland." Another eight or ten preliminary sheets provide further information about mobilization, location of industries, etc. Beginning with 1 September 1939, the book charts the progress of the military campaign with practically day-by-day coverage. Scale varies considerably from around 1:5,000,000 to about 1:75,000. (In the German atlas of the Polish campaign, all the maps are scaled at 1:3,000,000.) In total there are more than sixty maps, and each shows very precisely the location and identity of Polish, German, and Soviet units. Although the symbols and abbreviations might be unfamiliar, English translations at the back of the book make it easy to get the hang of everything. Visually, all the maps are very attractive as well as clear and informative.
   Most of the maps are relatively straightforward and recognizable representations of ground combat with much more detail, especially in the underlying topography, than the French and German volumes. Among the more unusual maps, several chart the air campaign in a partly cartographic, partly diagrammatic fashion. For example, "Air Defense of the Region of Warszawa" folds out to 17.5 inches by 13.5 inches and shows the timing and intensity of air attacks and air combat over Warsaw during the first few days of the war.
   On the verso facing each map can be found a full page of text, usually illustrated with one or more photographs, describing the action depicted by the accompanying cartography. This descriptive text proves much more substantial than the shorter, sketchier paragraphs accompanying maps in the German and French volumes. In addition, unlike the other atlases, the Polish text for each page is abridged and translated into a single English paragraph.
   The fold-out maps, by the way, make for interesting and slightly confusing pagination. When a map folds out, it seems to count as two extra pages. For example, if the accompanying text is on page 62, the front of the folding map encompasses page 63 and 64, the blank half of the back of the map makes page 65, and the other half of the back of the map—with the text accompanying the next map—counts as page 66.
   So how does Wojna Obronna Polski compare to Der Polenfeldzug? Most importantly, the German book, other than on the first day of the campaign, fails to show any Polish units; they're not just unidentified, they simply don't appear at all. Similarly, data for Soviet units is relatively limited. In addition, the background terrain as shown on the German maps remains comparatively devoid of features. The others in the German atlas series are far, far stronger than the Polenfeldzug volume, and that book doesn't measure up to Wojna Obronna Polski either.
   The bottom line? Difficult to locate and expensive though it is, Wojna Obronna Polski also easily qualifies as the premier atlas of the 1939 Polish campaign. By comparison, the German atlas makes the campaign look like a boring game of solitaire. The Polish book displays in a clean, attractive visual style just about everything that anyone could want to know about the movement and location of all the units of all the combatants. Indispensable for anyone studying the war in Poland.