Additional information
by Ksawery Pruszyński (Author), Wiesiek Powaga (Translator)
Written in 1933 by a Polish reporter travelling across Mandate Palestine, this book is an eye-witness account of the early stages in formation of the state and nation of Israel, as well as a collection of founding myths. It extends the historical perspective beyond the immediate context of the current debates in and outside Israel.
Author Biography
Ksawery Pruszyński (1907-1950) was a Polish journalist, writer, and diplomat. He was born in Volhynia (now Ukraine) into a landowning family who settled in Krak?w after the Russian Revolution. After graduating with a law degree, he started working as a journalist reporting from Gdańsk, Mandate Palestine, and the Spanish Civil War. During World War II, he fought as a soldier (Narvik and Falaise) and worked as a diplomat in London and Moscow. After the war, he joined Poland's diplomatic corps, first at the UN and later as ambassador to the Netherlands, while still writing and publishing. He died in a car accident in Germany. He is now recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Polish school of reportage.
Wiesiek Powaga was born in Poland. He settled in London after the imposition of martial law of 1981. After graduating with a degree in philosophy at King's College, London, he worked as a carpenter, translator, correspondent for a music magazine, and as senior editor for a UK publisher. He has translated fiction, poetry, and drama, occasionally script-writing for radio and tv.
