SŁOŃ A KWESTIA REWOLUCYJNA, CZYLI FAKTY I MITY W NOWEJ KSIĄŻCE MARCINA ZAREMBY
THE ELEPHANT AND THE ISSUE OF REVOLUTION, OR THE FACTS AND MYTHS IN THE NEW BOOK OF MARCIN ZAREMBA

Summary/Abstract: The monograph of Marcin Zaremba is an extremely successful synthesis showing the intricacies of Edward Gierek's policies in 1970s and the contemporary social changes. However, I also have reservations, which can be divided into several groups. Firstly, I am not sure if the author did not oversimplify the causal link between "Solidarity" and the insurgent legacy along with the cultural code of the still 19th century origin. Secondly, Zaremba attributes the social outbreak at the end of Edward Gierek's reign to the inability to satisfy the consumer needs of the society, which were kindled in the years of his rule, and overlooks the issue of the general shortcomings in the legitimacy of the communist regime. Thirdly, at times it is not clear to what extent the book is supposed to describe the genesis of the "revolutionary" sentiments, and to what extent the 1970s per se. Fourthly, the work's frequent comparisons with the history of other countries are often incorrect. Moreover, the author selectively refers to the issue of the memory of the Gierek's decade; he tries to deconstruct some of the myths about it and removes the other ones from the scope of analysis.

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