“This book by one of Poland’s leading anthropologists is a unique portrait of the transformation of Polish society following the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe. Kuligowski’s ethnographic focus is on the cultural realm. He takes us to the world of music, festivals, parades, weddings, carnivals and local community life to capture the fascinating tensions between cultural continuity and change in the geopolitical space exposed to sweeping modernization processes.”

Hana Cervinkova, National University of Ireland at Maynooth

“This book is interesting from a cultural studies, theoretical, historical and political perspective. It analyses how Poland's idea of "modernisation via the motorway" is an argument in support of Eisenstadt’s thesis that there is no one and only one “authentic” way of modernity and modernization. The analysis draws on extensive ethnographic research on Polish culture. It takes into account the deep knowledge of anthropological research on modernization and transformation. This book highlights the processes of "traditionalization" and “retraditionalization”. It goes beyond a studies of localities in Poland and offers a fascinating panorama of modernizing Europe."

Vida Savoniakaite, Lithuanian Institute of History

Reading this well-written book proves to be an exciting and instructive road trip through post-war Poland, guided by the eyes and ears of a passionate ethnographer and thorough expert of the country’s (sub)culture. Committed to the paradigm of “anthropology at home”, Waldemar Kuligowski takes us to music festivals, punk rock, Saint Martin’s parades, processions of masqueraders, bachelorette parties, peasanthood in contemporary public debate, and to a region dealing with its newly built prestigious motorway. All case studies benefit from the author’s ability to bring together dense field research material and historical sources with theoretical concepts from different disciplines, which are introduced and interwoven in an easily approachable manner. Taken together, the unfolded polyphony of actors and situations provides a deep insight into the far-reaching cultural, economic and political transformation processes in the Polish (post-)socialist and (post-)Cold War period. Highly recommended, not only for cultural anthropologists!

Sonja Windmüller, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel