A new annotated translation in elegant English prose of this masterpiece of European Romantic literature. Pan Tadeusz is a classic tale of mystery, war and patriotism set in the turbulent Napoleonic era. First published in 1834 in Paris, it has been called "the last epos" in world literature. The old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lies dismembered, erased from the political map of Europe by the great powers of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. A brief ray of hope rekindles national hopes in 1807 when Napoleon establishes the Duchy of Warsaw by the terms of the Treaty of Tilsit and prepares to invade Russia. The oft-overshadowed counterpoint to War and Peace and the 1812 Overture. Sponsored by the Polish Book Institute's book in translation program