Author Description

The celebrated pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski was the rave of Paris, London, and New York audiences in the early twentieth century, with annual concert tours across the continents. But during World War I, Paderewski set music aside and turned to politics, becoming an eloquent spokesman for the country of his birth, Poland, then occupied by the empires of Russia, Germany, and Austria. Through his fame as a musician, Paderewski gained access to the top political leadership of France, Britain, and the United States. His devoted wife and collaborator, Helena, facilitated and accompanied virtually his every move. She is one of the key sources on the historical events in which she participated or her husband told her about.