'In this theoretically sophisticated and intellectually exciting book, Harald Wydra challenges the widespread notion that 1989 constituted a fundamental break or watershed in Polish history. Having rejected simple dyadic constructs, such as communism and post-communism, Wydra demonstrates that the Round Table discussions constituted just another example of antagonists coming together in a way that has happened many times in Polish ... Read morehistory, for instance in 1980-1. This approach is consistent with his broader notion of permanent transition theories. While many will disagree with at least aspects of Wydra's thesis, it is an argument that must be addressed seriously by any scholar of Poland, post-communism, or transition theories.' - Leslie Holmes, Professor, Contemporary European Research Centre 'The problem of contingency and continuity, innovation and perpetuation, in postcommunist Eastern Europe is at the centre of any analysis of the so-called transition. Wydra has provided us with an original and brilliant analysis of the issue, based on an examination of the Polish case but with a far wider resonance. This subtle and rich analysis of the various layers of reality and subjectivity in societies in transition provides an analytical framework that allows postcommunist studies to make an important contribution to comparative politics and political sociology.' - Arpad Szakolczai Show Less