Andrzej Brzeziecki | "Major Żychoń’s Big Game: An Intelligence Ace Versus the Third Reich" - Instytut Pileckiego

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Andrzej Brzeziecki | "Major Żychoń’s Big Game: An Intelligence Ace Versus the Third Reich"

The book "Wielka gra majora Żychonia. As wywiadu kontra Rzesza" [Major Żychoń’s Big Game: An Intelligence Ace Versus the Third Reich] won the Witold Pilecki International Book Award for the best historical reportage of 2022.

As a young boy, Jan Henryk Żychoń ran away from home to join the Polish Legions and ended up fighting for the borders of a reborn Poland. He went on to co-create its military intelligence and successfully carried out many daring operations against the Germans both before and during the Second World War. He was falsely accused of collaborating with the Abwehr and volunteered to fight on the front lines. He died at Monte Cassino. Andrzej Brzeziecki probes the heroic major’s colorful story. At the same time, he presents the reader with the history and achievements of the Polish intelligence.

The book was noted for respect given to the source material, good composition and narrative credibility. Andrzej Brzeziecki collected the prize from Prof. Marek Kornat (who presented the author’s accomplishments in his laudation) and Krzysztof Kosior, the grandson of Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki.

Andrzej Brzeziecki at the awards ceremony of the Witold Pilecki International Book Award

Andrzej Brzeziecki is a historian, journalist and publicist. He was editor-in-chief of ”Nowa Europa Wschodnia” for more than a decade and has written numerous reportage books on the history of Poland in the 20th century and eastern issues.

  • Andrzej Brzeziecki, Wielka gra majora Żychonia. As wywiadu kontra Rzesza, (Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków 2021)

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