Book "The Day Before. What We Lived in December 12, 1981" - Igor Rakowski-Kłos

What he was doing on December 13, 1981, almost every Pole alive at the time can tell.

And the day before?

The next day a lot changed, but then it was just Saturday. The frost was crackling, snow lay on the streets. Over vegetable salad, herring in vinegar and frozen vodka, Alexander, Adelaide and Konrad were receiving wishes.

Someone was going on a first date, someone was taking a driving test, someone saw someone's death. Students were ending strikes, soldiers were freezing in barracks, nurses were keeping vigil on night duty. Ordinary and extraordinary things were happening - on this last day of the Solidarity carnival.

Historical journalist Igor Rakowski-Kłos, with the flair of a detective, reconstructs hour by hour what happened on December 12, 1981. He reaches out to sources (including those so far unknown), but above all gives voice to people for whom that day was special for some reason.

So we learn the behind-the-scenes of what went on in television, in the navy and in the political command center. We learn what the cinema manager, the model posing for "Przekroj", Danuta Walesa and the band Perfect lived. What were the readers of "The World of Youth" complaining about? Who were the militiamen looking for in Walbrzych? What did Aleksander Kwasniewski buy at the Baltona kiosk? And who did Jaroslaw Kaczynski's cat sleep with?

From a polyphony worthy of the best documentaries emerges not only a poignant portrait of society moments before the tragedy, but also a colorful and at times surprising picture of ordinary life in the People's Republic of Poland.

The book in Polish language version.

Technical data
Author: Igor Rakowski-Kłos
Year of publication: 2021
Binding: hardback
Format: 13 x 21 cm
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Znak Literanova Publishing House