This story is featured in Episode 58
Neal Ascherson is a renowned author and journalist, with books and articles on a wide range of topics: including the Congo, the Spanish Civil War, archaeology, Scotland and more.
Poland has always been a focus of his interests ever since he first visited Poland in the heady days following the October 1956 revolt, which had brought an end to Stalinism there.
Since then he has been an engaged chronicler of Poland’s dramas, authoring numerous articles and books including: “The Polish August” about the birth of Solidarity which he witnessed first-hand in the Gdansk Shipyard, and the book of the TV documentary series, “The Struggles for Poland”, for which he wrote the commentary.
Last year Neal Ascherson published his first novel “The Death of the Fronsac”, a second world war drama, with a Polish serviceman as the main character.
The main action takes place in Scotland, set in Greenock, a port just east of Glasgow, where Neal spent his early boyhood.
This part of the interview was not included in Episode 58:
Neal Ascherson: war echoed through me for ages
Neal Ascherson: ‘It doesn’t matter that there was a reason for ending their lives – I did it’
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Wanda Kościa on POLcast:
Poles – treasure hunters, as shown by a BBC film in Episode 30
