Book release: 1st August 2026

What to Expect:

On 1 August 1944, the Polish Home Army launched the Warsaw Uprising, the largest act of armed resistance by any European resistance movement during the Second World War. For sixty-three days, soldiers and civilians fought a desperate battle to free their city from Nazi occupation. They stood alone.

The consequences were catastrophic. Up to 170,000 civilians were killed and, after the uprising was crushed, Warsaw was systematically destroyed in an act of calculated vengeance.

Razing Warsaw tells this extraordinary story through the voices of those who lived it. Drawn from the archives of the KARTA Foundation, these first-hand testimonies, official reports, letters and diary entries unfold in chronological order, allowing readers to experience the uprising as it happened.

English Translation: Marek Sobierlarski

Appearing in English for the first time in Marek Sobieralski’s translation, this remarkable collection captures the courage, sacrifice and resilience of a city under siege. It is an unforgettable account of one of the Second World War’s greatest tragedies, and an enduring tribute to the people who fought, suffered and died for the hope of a free Poland.

Norman Davies – Historian, writer, and academic:

This concise collection of testimonies from the Warsaw Rising of 1944, in English translation, provides a very valuable addition to existing sources and will be warmly welcomed outside Poland. The rich variety of voices – from army commanders and government ministers in London to young nurses and fighters, German officers and fugitives hiding in the ruins – conveys both the complexity of the story and the magnitude of the tragedy. 

Jonathan Walker – Military history author and lecturer:

This is an explicit and powerful account of the 1944 Warsaw Rising as told through the voices of those who participated. And these Polish testimonies are carefully and fluently translated for a new English language edition by Marek Sobieralski. The leaders of the Polish Home Army open this tragic story and their statements leave us in no doubt that the decision to revolt against the German occupiers and the timing of that event, were hotly debated. Then as the rising erupts on 1 August 1944, we hear riveting accounts from both residents and AK fighters. This extraordinary book ends with accounts of how the Germans drove the survivors out of the ruins, the houses were looted for any remaining valuables and then all buildings were systematically blown up. Hitler’s vengeance had removed the physical remains of the city, though as these remarkable testimonies show, he could never erase the memory of the courageous but doomed resistance.

Roger Moorhouse – Historian and author specializing in modern German and Central European history:

This is a vitally important collection of first-hand accounts from the Warsaw Rising of 1944, when the Polish capital rose against the German occupiers in a heroic act of defiance that would last for 63 days. It outlines the heroism and the optimism, the suffering and the horror, and finally the desperation of defeat. More importantly, it makes these accounts available to an English-speaking audience in an accessible form, thereby ensuring that the story of the Warsaw Rising can no more be side-lined and overlooked. Highly recommended. 

Pre-order your copy here: https://chiselbury.co.uk/product/razing-warsaw/