The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution
by Alex Storozynski
Thomas Dunne Books, New York 2009, 384 p.
Reviewed by Nina Jankowicz
On a recent trip to Boston, ambling around the city with a friend, I happened upon a statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko in the public garden. My friend, a Texan named Adam who had never heard of pierogi let alone Polish patriots of the Revolutionary War era prior to meeting me, furrowed his brow at the long, difficult name inscribed on the monument and asked for an explanation of my excitement.
I began with a deep breath and launched into a brief but thorough account of Kosciuszko’s contributions to the rebel fight for freedom during the Revolutionary War. Adam, like most Americans, was surprised to learn a Pole had aided in the fight against the British and, as I was satisfied that I had enlightened him with my knowledge of the war hero, we continued on our way.
It was not until reading Alex Storozynski’s recently published Kosciuszko biography, The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution, that I truly expanded my knowledge of Kosciuszko beyond the fact that he was a Pole fighting for American independence to realizing that he was a true champion of freedom and equality for all. Storozynski accomplishes this goal entirely. Readers learn in depth the extent of Kosciuszko’s military engineering at West Point and during the Revolutionary War, as well as about his leadership during what became known as the Kosciuszko uprising, in which the citizens of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth rose against their Muscovite occupiers. Battle scenes and engineering plans are described with lucidity and are surprisingly engaging, and considering that war descriptions are reading I often have to force my way through, I devoured Storozynski’s depictions with surprising ease.
However, Storozynski also takes special care to emphasize the fact that Kosciuszko was not simply a military man, which is what gives this biography further merit. Highlighting Kosciuszko’s liberal education, several ill-fated love affairs with women considered above his social standing, and his surprise at the treatment of African American slaves in the United States allows the readers to get to know Kosciuszko on a personal level, and gives them a great appreciation of his love of and unconditional belief in true liberty. What I found most compelling about Storozynski’s depiction of Kosciuszko’s commitment to freedom and basic human rights was the care Storozynski put into developing Kosciuszko’s close relationships where these beliefs were reflected. For instance, Kosciuszko always treated his African American aide-de-camp, Agrippa Hull, as an equal, forged relationships with Jews around the globe and later allowed and encouraged Jews to fight for Poland during the uprising against the Russians and, when not attempting to abolish serfdom altogether, treated his own serfs with dignity and justice. Kosciuszko also went so far as to chastise Founding Father and President Thomas Jefferson for his ownership of slaves, and challenged the injustices of powerful rulers such as Catherine the Great and Napoleon.
Overall, Storozynski’s Peasant Prince provides a readable, in-depth biography of Kosciuszko, from boyhood to death, and is recommended to anyone with a love for history and a penchant for freedom. CR
Nina Jankowicz, a 2008 PitR participant, completed her sophomore year at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she is a Political Science and Russian Language double major. Her future goals include pursuing graduate work in the field of Central and Eastern European Politics, in hopes of one day becoming involved in the diplomatic relations of this hotbed of political intrigue. Aside from academics, Nina performs with Greasepaint Productions, the student-run musical theater performance troupe at Bryn Mawr, and runs the college's most popular a cappella group, The Extreme Keys. In whatever free time remains, Nina pursues an independent music career.
