The tools essential for a journey into the past.
Astrolabes, quadrants, and compasses filled Nicolaus Copernicus’s workshop in Frombork. He was not afraid to stray from the well-trodden paths of his predecessors. He chose curiosity and brought about a revolution – not by discovery, but by challenging prevailing dogmas.
We can name and imagine the instruments used to observe the heavens – but what tools does a historian use? How does he think about the past, and where does he find inspiration? Norman Davies opens wide the doors to his workshop, revealing the threads from which he weaves his historical narratives.
He emphasizes that reflection on time requires considering the roles of space and chance. He raises the issue of heritage and, through the example of the Warsaw Uprising and other episodes from Polish history, shows how memory shapes identity.

“[…] at every step there is something new we can learn. There is always something to improve or explain. Doubts and puzzles constantly appear. We are surprised that solving one problem inevitably leads to new questions. Such is the nature of The Games of History that surround the historian.” [from the Introduction]