Only hope kept them alive:that they would return to their country and fight for freedom in Poland. They survived the captivity of the Gulag, traversed half of Asia and Africa, and took part in battles in Italy with the utmost dedication, including the most important - Monte Cassino.
Although they realized that the chances of regaining their homeland were getting smaller, they did not give up. The bravery and courage of Anders' soldiers shifted the tide of victory to the Allies many times.
"The Accursed Army" is literature of the highest quality. It combines the lightness of a pen and a captivating narrative with a holistic approach to the monumental history of Anders' army. Its history is also the fate of civilians and families of soldiers who, together with the Polish Armed Forces forming in the USSR, left the hell of Kolyma.
A moving story of courage and sacrifice in the book by Kacper Śledziński entitled “Wyklęta army. The Odyssey of Anders' Soldiers ”(Znak Horyzont 2017).
Kacper Śledziński - author of the best-selling Cichociemni and Tankers - deals with another legend of the participation of Poles in World War II. It presents the bitterly glorious history of Anders' army with its own delicacy and attention to detail.
- "Do you think - General Keightley Rudnicki asked - that seventy Poles will be able to cope with a detachment of 250 Alpine Riflemen?"
There was silence ...
In the warm headquarters of the 78th Infantry Division, Colonel Klemens Rudnicki thought briefly about the answer:
- "General is afraid that there are not enough of them? I think there are as many as needed. ”
book excerpt