true love tested in war against all odds
Historical drama packed with action and suspense
Kaz fights in American Revolutionary War and Polish Bar Confederacy. His struggle clarifies current Russian war in Ukraine.
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General Kazimierz Pulaski forfeits his family's wealth and steadfast love to battle the Russian and British troops during the 18th-century wars. His courageous actions during the American Revolutionary war won him the distinction of Father of the American Cavalry and the eighth honorary US citizenship.
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Historically factual novel about a Polish-American hero
Kazimierz Pulaski (Kaz)
Nail-biting adventures of a Brigadier General of the American Continental Army and the Polish Bar Confederacy commander as he fights the Russian and British armies through the 18th-century wars.
"Have you seen any riders today?" "You mean the Russian soldiers, the little green men? Yes, they are snooping around." "Did they talk to you?" "No, they were talking to the chicken they stole."
Book Excerpt: Chapter 2, p.52
Two centuries of Polish American military fraternity
Kazimierz Pulaski joined his father and brothers in the Bar Confederacy, challenging the last king of Poland, who let Russian Tsarina Catherine II, wipe Poland from the world's political map. For impressive command as a Brigadier General of the American Continental Army, Kaz was named the father of the American Cavalry
"You have had enough courtesans. Take a few more if you need to, but stop treating Empress Catherine as your lover." 'This is outrageous!' exclaimed King Stan. "I never had sex with that woman Catherine."
Book Excerpt: Chapter 4, p.123
He is as pure a son of liberty as I have ever known, and of that liberty which is to go to all, and not to the few or the rich alone.
Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, February 21, 1798
Pułaski grabbed a pen and drew a map with the opposing fronts of the armies divided by the creek. He then drew a semicircle across the Brandywine River and into the right flank of Washington's troops. He took a dagger and nailed it to the map at the spot where Howe's troops would strike.
Book Excerpt: Chapter 7, p.231
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
American soldiers in Poland read about their brother-in-arms, Brigadier-General Kazimierz Pułaski.
Historical Drama
KAZ transports readers to another time and place with a perfect balance of historical facts and the author's creativity. A riveting narrative full of engaging twists of action presents actual historical figures in a unique story.
She caught herself that she called him "her Kaz." Yes, she felt that this was the man of her dreams. The knight in a shining blueberry-stained coat, her Blueberry Knight. Helena had never kissed a man before, but now she wanted Kaz to be the one.
Book Excerpt: Chapter 4, p.164
Book Review
PRESS RELEASE Published January 2022 by Readers' Favorite
Intelligent and Thought-Provoking Literature
Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal is a work of fiction in the historical, thriller, and action subgenres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience and was penned by Bogdan Kotnis. In this intellectually complex and far-reaching novel, we are introduced to a plethora of different influential figures during the eighteenth century. At the time Russia was at war, attacking Poland, the newly constituted United States was fighting the war with the British. In the middle of all this, General Kazimierz Pulaski takes the helm to do what he believes is right, forfeiting many advantages that flowed from his wealth, family, and identity to battle injustice.
Bogdan Kotnis has crafted a thrilling novel that always has one eye on the modern world. The storylines he has chosen to animate from the pages of history shed a great deal of light on how humanity continues to make excuses for its bad behavior in much the same way today as it did three hundred years ago. Kaz is a fascinating lead figure for the action to focus on, with his roots firmly in one belief system but his heart and sense of justice encamped in another. The conflict, whether psychological, political, social, or emotional, is always treated with layers of sensitivity and with viewpoints shared from different angles. It becomes the reader’s job to make sense of the world they’re thrown into, and that is a most unusual reading experience for a historical novel of this kind. I would certainly recommend Kaz to fans of intelligent and thought-provoking literature.
K.C. Finn
Book Review
PRESS RELEASE Published December 2022 by New York Weekly
Fast-Paced, Beautifully Told Story of Romance, Palace Infighting, and Global Intrigue
Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal is a book for all times. Retelling the past, Kaz sheds light on current events. This riveting historical adventure, full of engaging twists of action and suspense, helps us understand the current Russian War in Ukraine. General Kazimierz Pulaski (Kaz) forfeits his family’s wealth and steadfast love to battle the Russian and British troops during the 18th-century wars shaping the world as we know it today.
Dr. Bogdan Kotnis, with impressive academic credentials and the experience of 30 years of residency in Europe and 30 years in the United States, paints over one hundred characters on the canvas of the Russian assault on Poland and the American Revolutionary War against the British. Kaz binds these events into a love, commitment, and bravery story. Heroes of this caliber never die. Kotnis brings Kaz into the limelight, treating us to a literary feast of epic proportions.
Samantha Cornwell
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Book Review
PRESS RELEASE Published December 2022 by Readers' Favorite
December 2022
Engaging, Informative and Entertaining
Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal by Bogdan Kotnis is a fictional account built around the real-life heroics of Kazimierz Pulaski, an 18th-century Polish American legend. The book begins with an extensive history of the Pulaski family through a combination of narrative and dialogue, and a legacy of political might that transitioned from father to son in the Commonwealth of the day. This is the story of Kaz but is also a deep dive into the political and military powerhouses crafted into flesh and blood in this account, from the well-known Voltaire to the lesser-known Tuscarora Chief, Casper Peters. Kotnis covers a wide field from the battlegrounds of Eastern Europe and Kaz's ultimate migration to conversations with none other than General George Washington on what was to become sovereign US soil - an improbable feat were it not for the likes of Kaz.
I went into Kaz by Bogdan Kotnis with no knowledge of Pulaski or the pivotal role he played on two continents. The book blends factual people and events with fictional re-enactments that incorporate private lives, letters, and reimagined conversations against the documented trajectory of the militarily skilled Pulaski. The work as a whole is provided with a touch of realism through the incorporation of period photographs and pieces of historical evidence. The most interesting scenes to me were in his leaving the army he had built up himself and transplanting himself into an American conflict. His primary goal was to restore Poland to her former greatness and this remained the driving force behind every strategic step he took. The writing is clean and clear, and from a literary standpoint, Kotnis has crafted an engaging read that is as informative as it is entertaining. Recommended.
Asher Syed
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Book Review
PRESS RELEASE Published September 2022 in Polish American Journal’s New Books section
Kaz Substantiates an Honest Reflection on the Present
Dr. Bogdan Kotnis’ historical drama Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal is full of suspense and action. General Kazimierz Pulaski forfeits his family’s wealth and steadfast love to battle the Russian and British troops during the 18th-century wars. His courageous actions won him the distinction of Father of the American Cavalry, and the eighth honorary U.S. citizenship during the same period when the United States was founded, and Poland fell. In addition, his tale aids in our understanding of the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine.
In the era when the armed conflicts spanning two continents impacted the world’s future as we know it now, Kaz presents 100 historical characters from both sides of the Atlantic. Their behavior makes us think of notable people from today. For example, when accused of having a relationship with the Russian Tsarina Catherine the Great, the Polish King Stan responded, “I didn’t have sex with that woman, Catherine.” This scene is reminiscent of President Clinton’s response to the Monika Lewinsky scandal. Likewise, the “little green men” nickname given to the Russian soldiers who were murdering, raping, and robbing in Poland of eighteen hundreds is similar to the special operations forces President Putin of Russia employed to take Crimea from Ukraine.
Bogdan Kotnis, Pd.D. is a writer, journalist, educator, and film director with degrees in both the United States and Poland. His knowledge of English, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Danish helped describe the complex ties between several European nations with clarity.
A reading list for American students and the military should include Kaz. Anyone attempting to comprehend the geopolitical issues in our world should have it in their library. Anyone looking for exciting literature with suspense and dramatic climactic reversals will find it in this fast-paced historical thriller.
Mark Kohan
Book Review
Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal.
Amazon: 5.0 out of 5 stars
An exciting must read historical novel for all ages
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2022
Kaz is a must-read historical novel that is immensely insightful of the Polish character, Poland's ties to America, and Russia's long-standing lust to dominate Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic States and to bring Europe within its unique sphere of influence. This history lesson is immensely readable because of its fast-paced and beautifully told stories of romance, palace infighting, propaganda and kinetic warfare, geopolitics, and international intrigue.
Before reading Kaz, I knew little about Polish history or the significant contributions of Poles to the birth of our nation. The author, a native Pole (rather than a foreigner describing Poland) writes in an to attempt to popularize Polish and Polish-American history and render it accessible to the common man. He writes about the heroic contributions that Kazimierz Pulaski (Kaz) made to Poland and the emerging United States. He leads us through Poland’s tortuous history to establish the context for Kaz’s contributions in Poland, and then describes Kaz’ role in the newly established U.S. He describes Kaz’s contributions opposing the tyranny of foreigners in both Poland and the emerging U.S. Kotnis’ intent is to show the common ground of Poland and the U.S. and to highlight what is overlooked by American history textbooks and in American history courses. Few Americans know why almost a dozen U.S. towns and villages and several monuments and roadways are named “Pulaski.” Few know of Pulaski’s role in preventing the early defeat of George Washington at Brandywine Creek and in birthing he American calvary.
To Poles, Kaz's character invokes the spirit of the great Polish Commander, Jan Sobieski, who defeated the Ottoman invasion of Europe at the Battle of Vienna in 1683 and was elected King the following year, prompting the then Pope to declare him as the savior of European Christendom. Kotnis demonstrates the critical and influential role that Kaz played in America’s independence -- as critical as the role played by U.S. Generals of the era and by the better-known Pole, but still obscure to most, Colonel Tadeusz Kościusko. Kaz's character foreshadows Poland's and the U.S’ modern-day leadership in opposing Russia's unprovoked and illegal aggression against Ukraine.
Kotnis's succinct Polish history reveals Russia's past and continuing military and political interference in the internal affairs of Poland and Eastern Europe and the historical kinship between Poland and the U.S.: from hunting Buffalo to Poland's adoption of Europe's first constitutional government (albeit a monarchy) and a constitution modeled, in part, on our own; to the participation of great Polish warriors in the American Revolution, to modern day Polish and American leadership opposing Russia’s illegal invasion of the Ukraine. Indeed, Kaz was the first American General to fight against Russians!
In 1763, when Kaz's story began, Poland was beginning a descent from its height as the largest and most progressive European nation -- the Polish-Lithuanian Empire -- the largest, most multicultural, and religiously tolerant European country. Kaz chronicles the internal Polish politics and foreign intrigues around the 1764 election of King Stan, when Poland’s decline accelerated. Just as America’s star was rising. Poland was declining because of the excesses and hubris of certain wealthy nobility that laid Poland open to exploitation by jealous foreign neighbors. Prussia, Austria, and, most notably, Muscovites (who became Russia) sought to divide Poland among themselves. Before the 1764 election, Prussia and Russia executed a secret agreement and conspired to elect Stan, Catherine the Great’s choice. Stan, who believed himself to be Catherine the Great's great lover, was merely her pawn. (Anything sound familiar in our own recent past?)
Kaz and the Bar Confederacy opposed Catherine's (Russia’s) intrusion into Stan's election and rule. They represented a staunch Polish opposition to foreign intervention in general, and specifically to the excessive Prussian taxation on Polish commerce and the Muscovites’ (Russians) rapacious military incursions and intimidation in the uniquely Polish innovation of electing its Kings. The fictional and cruel Captain Valery Riazin epitomizes the Russians.
Eventually, Prussia, Austria and Russia succeeded in partitioning Poland in three steps from 1791-1795 when Poland ceased to exist on the map. (Note the similarity of the 1763 agreement between Prussia and Russia to the 1939 Russia-German Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its Secret Protocol dividing Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia into spheres of Russian and Prussian influence. Note the description of Riazin’s adventures in Poland to the current unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine and its attendant war crimes, which are the modern equivalents of Russia’s European russification policy, dating to Catherine the Great.)
Quoting from Kaz: “In the 1764 election, Catherine did not fairly compete with other candidates in the election of the future King through open challenge or debate but handled them using innuendo and a set of well-orchestrated lies, maskirovka, a camouflaged deception. The Commonwealth (of Poland-Lithuania) drowned in these lies like in a stinky swamp. The lies were so effective that the Great Crown Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki explained 'How can we call it a free and legitimate election? … Rather than having 50,000 -100,000 out of over one million eligible voters here today, we have a little over 5,000.'" (Does not this quote describe a past and continuing propaganda war?)
Kaz and the Bar Confederacy sought to restore Polish sovereignty. In a misguided belief that King Stan, and not his Russian master, was the enemy, some members of the Bar Confederacy devised an ill-fated plan to kidnap or kill King Stan, despite Kaz's objections that regicide was unacceptable in the long history of Poland. When King Stan survived a November 1771 kidnapping, he accused the Bar confederacy of attempting to kill him. Catherine quickly began an international propaganda campaign to destroy other nations' sympathy for the Bar Confederacy. Catherine employed Francoise Marie Arouet – penname "Voltaire "– who was not a fan of Poland-- to create pamphlets and propagandize against Poland and the Bar Confederacy.
As the Bar Confederacy was nearing defeat, Kaz left Poland as a fugitive from the false claim of attempted regicide, to find foreign allies. He tried to enlist Turkey based on Turkish antipathy for Russia, to which Turkey had recently lost Crimea. By 1774, Kaz realized he could not succeed in Turkey without converting to Islam, so he traveled to France.
Benjamin Franklin was then the fledgling U.S.'s ambassador to France. In 1777, upon the recommendation of Lafayette, who described Kaz's extensive wartime experience in commanding cavalry, Franklin recommended Kaz to General George Washington. Kaz sailed for America, believing the Continental's defeat of Britain would indirectly benefit the Poles' ability to oppose Russian interference in Poland.
Kaz chronicles the American adventures of Kaz, better known in the U.S. as Pulaski, between 1777 and his death in 1779. Shortly after his arrival, Kaz reunited with General Lafayette, who introduced him to George Washington. Washington was familiar with another of Poland's better-known American heroes, Colonel Tadeusz Kościusko, and was favorably disposed toward Pulaski. However, Pulaski required a congressional appointment to serve officially in the U.S. Army. Nevertheless, within days of his introduction to Washington, Kaz overcame his language barrier and resistance from Washington’s inner circle to gain access to the General to describe his personal observation of Hessian troops (German soldiers hired by the British) setting a trap for General Washington at Brandywine Creek. Despite contradictory information provided by Washington’s own scouts and before the Congress could commission Kaz, General Washington lent his horses to Pulaski and charged him to intercept the Hessians. Pulaski successfully interrupted an ambush that would have devastated Washington’s Army, perhaps defeating the American revolution, and gave Washington time to divert his troops to safety. Thereafter, Congress commissioned Pulaski as a Brigadier General and subsequently funded his formation of the Pulaski Legion, a calvary unit reporting directly to General Washington.
Pulaski, despite his lack of English, acquired and trained horses, recruited both European immigrants and U.S. citizens, overcame language barriers between his multinational and U.S. recruits and their English-trained mounts, trained them in the science of calvary warfare, and wrote the U.S. Army’s first manual on calvary warfare! He removed horses from their role as ceremonial vehicles and promoted them to the trained steeds of deadly, multi-cultural, front-line warriors.
Pulaski recognized error in the Army's reluctance to enlist native Americans as allies against the British. Relying on the Polish experience of seeking common ground that enabled Poland and Lithuania to unite into a Commonwealth, he arranged to meet the Haudenosaunee Nation leaders to enlist their support against the British. Through Pulaski’s courageous endeavor, Kotnis introduces us to the organization and civilization of the Haudenosaunee Territories and tribes and displays Pulaski's ability to interact with people of different language, cultural, and historical backgrounds. Despite his successful scouting and developed fondness for the Haudenosaunee, Pulaski was unsuccessful in dissuading Washington from sending General Sullivan on a campaign to subdue these tribes.
Subsequently, Washington sent Pulaski to Savannah to repel a British attempt to establish a Southern foothold. Pulaski succeeded in driving the British south. However, betrayed by an American officer who informed the British of the battle plan, Kaz perished from shrapnel wound during his final charge.
This book is a fast-paced adventure story, with danger lurking in each chapter. This story resurrects Poland from its obscurity in American history and reveals similarities in the U.S. and Polish characters. It tells an exciting story of Kaz’s military and romantic adventures in Poland. bares the stresses and the adversity weathered by so many during the Revolutionary War, and lays bare the dangers lurking for Poland and the U.S. from foreign nation’s propaganda and territorial lust.
It is a book for all times. It retells past, and sheds light on current, events. The reader is left thirsting for more information about Polish Americans and the similarities and shared values of U.S. and Polish citizens. The book should be required reading in schools across the U.S. and Poland and by U.S. government officials who so often learn about Poland from individuals who are neither Polish nor versed in indigenous Polish history and culture.
Robert Terzian
Book Review
Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal.
In this well-researched historical novel, Bogdan Kotnis chronicles the young life of Pulaski, who offered his services to George Washington and emerged as a brave soldier, demanding commander, and brilliant leader. These qualities earned him the title of "The Father of the American Cavalry" and a congressional appointment as Brigadier General and commander of his cavalry regiment.
Readers will see that Kaz made America's Congress and military leadership understand the critical importance of cavalry units and the need for establishing the first actual legion of warriors on horseback to act independently of the immediate needs of the infantry. Few foreign figures in early American events are as widely decorated in civilian society as is this Polish cavalry officer who was wrongly driven into exile from Poland's fight for independence. Kaz believed that the American need to resist and fight against Britain was an inseparable principle from his native Poland's lengthy struggle against Russian domination. As a result, he became one of the Revolutionary War's most influential figures.
The 106 characters are a broad array of diverse individuals from both sides of the Atlantic, making this historical novel a colorful and genuinely exciting narrative. Listing the years associated with the title of each chapter is extremely useful for the reader. The characters are well developed and historically accurate, which brings a better understanding of the history of both Poland and our fledgling republic at the time. Although historical fiction is a blend of fact and fantasy, Kotnis presents a perfect balance of the two and artfully weaves them together into a fascinating account. Kaz takes a little patience to read but is well worth it. When the reader is finished, they will have a much more realistic and accurate view of Poland's continuous fight against Russian aggression.
The number of pages in Kaz seems to be a lot to read; however, the typical American reader will learn and retain essential facts about Polish history and culture that are absent in the curricula of our public schools. As with any historical novel, illustrations help the reader connect with each chapter's subject matter, which was done well, particularly in Section 1. As a result, the typical American reader will find the new and foreign historical and cultural aspects of the Polish szlachta, i.e., nobility, quite fascinating.
The average American will likely find the intermixing of royal families less exciting, but it provides necessary factual context, which empowers the reader with an overall understanding of the subject. However, the reader will undoubtedly find the political intrigue and deception carried out by royal actors, particularly Empress Catherine, fascinating. There is also Voltaire, the French Enlightenment writer and philosopher who is employed to write a defamatory fabrication about Kaz in which he is accused as the ringleader of a group intent on assassinating King Poniatowski, known as Stan to readers. Stan's pathetic weakness is also fully exposed, explaining why Kaz was a vital member of the oppositional Bar Confederation. The reader needs to know that the Bar Confederation was established to defend the liberties of the Polish szlachta and the independence of Poland from Russian encroachment. We further learn of the secret pact for the first partition of Poland, which will soon be followed by two more partitions and the disappearance of Poland from Europe's map for the next 123 years.
Part II presents new facts about Kaz and his essential role in the Revolutionary War. In Chapter 9, we learn that Kaz saved George Washington's life at Brandywine. We are also introduced to fellow countryman Tadeusz Kościuszko, who was key to the victory at Saratoga, and his adjutant Agrippa Hull, an African free man. It should be remembered that the victory at Saratoga convinced the hesitant French to join the Americans in fighting the British, which enabled us to achieve our independence. Despite several obstacles, Kaz is able to establish his Pulaski Legion, which is an important point and is why Kaz is called the Father of the American Cavalry. Chapter 10, Winter at Valley Forge, is an inspiring account of the harsh living conditions that everyone endured but were nevertheless able to continue training and become an effective cavalry force.
The reader will find Chapter 11, Haudenosaunee Territories, exciting. He will learn a lot about the six Iroquois tribes and why Kaz knew it was important to ally with them against the British. The reader also will learn about the Sullivan expedition and its appalling destruction of the Onaquaga Indian town. Chapter 14 is an exciting conclusion to Kotnis' historical drama. The reader again learns that despite a failed charge against General Prevost at Charleston, Kaz most likely saved Washington's life.
The book's ending point is notably powerful. At Savannah, Sergeant Major James Curry betrays Kaz and the American cause by informing the British about the main points of the attack and its timing. The reader will learn and surely remember that Kaz was a courageous Pole who boldly fought for the American cause but died because of an American's betrayal. Kaz is a vital addition to a reading list for American students and the military. Polish Americans should feature Kaz: War, Love, and Betrayal in their home libraries.
Eugene Sokolowski
Colonel Eugene Sokolowski, Ph.D. immigrated to the U.S. as a four-year-old with his father, who survived four German concentration camps. He is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. Gene earned undergraduate degrees in Mathematics from North Park University and German from the University of Maryland, an M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, an M.A. in Science, Technology and Public Policy from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy.
As a career Air Force officer, he held various command and staff positions in Joint, NATO, and national assignments throughout the United States, Pacific, and Europe. Gene worked as a Systems Analyst at Northop Grumman developing global combat search & rescue communications systems, assessing vulnerabilities of military and commercial satellite communications systems, operational testing, and evaluating unmanned aerial vehicles. As a Telecommunications Specialist for the Federal Government, he led the Emerging Technologies Office that developed the acquisition program for optimizing data centers of federal, state, and local governments.
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