The Book
(in progress!)

The true story of a Polish airman’s journey of survival

Meet Sgt MichaΕ‚ Zalewski

In September 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union invaded his homeland, Poland. With his life in danger and limited options left, MichaΕ‚ set off on a dangerous journey over land and sea – evading Nazi fire and capture, escaping internment and braving the harsh conditions of an Eastern European winter.

Many months and close calls later, MichaΕ‚ reached Britain and was selected for rear gunner training – the most perilous role in Bomber Command.

However, before his training was complete, he was called up for a mission unlike any that had been flown before. For MichaΕ‚, it was not only a night that would be written into history but one that would change his life forever.

About the book

At its centre, the book follows Michał’s remarkable journey from occupied Poland to join the regrouped Polish armed forces in France and his experience as a rear gunner in the RAF’s Bomber Command. Using extracts from Michał’s personal account, original WW2 documents and secondary research sources, it weaves the untold story of one brave man into the historical context of thousands.

Underappreciated and misrepresented, Poland’ s contribution in the Second World War is often ignored in mainstream accounts of the conflict. This book seeks to help add some balance to the Western-centric narratives we are so familiar with and shares a side to the story you may not have heard before.

 

Can you help?

Currently in its research and first draft phase, this book is still very much under development. I’m quickly learning that a project like this takes a village, and so I’m looking to connect with WW2/Polish history enthusiasts/researchers and anyone with insights into this pocket of history who would be happy to help me fill in some of the gaps. I’d particularly love to hear from people who have family members who left Poland and travelled to France in 1939/1940 and/or who served in the Polish arm of the RAF’s Bomber Command. If you’re happy to share your loved one’s stories and what you know of their experiences, please do get in touch: jessica@jessicakatebrown.com.

Follow for updates!

It went something like that πŸ‘†πŸΌ I still feel very much at the beginning of an extremely overwhelming journey, and questioning myself daily! Any tips for aspiring author wobbles? #historybook #aspiringauthor #authorcommunity
It went something like that πŸ‘†πŸΌ I still feel very much at the beginning of an extremely overwhelming journey, and questioning myself daily! Any tips for aspiring author wobbles? #historybook #aspiringauthor #authorcommunity
I know I’m not the only one outraged by these statistics. Outraged but not surprised. Women have been written out of the history books for far too long, and yes, things are starting to change (I was delighted to see a healthy mix of male and
I know I’m not the only one outraged by these statistics. Outraged but not surprised. Women have been written out of the history books for far too long, and yes, things are starting to change (I was delighted to see a healthy mix of male and female authors on PRH’s top WW2 reads!) but as with all things equality, there’s a hell of a way to go. Publishers put their money where demand is, so for Women’s History Month, and in fact every month, I’m buying or borrowing a history book about a woman or written by a woman or, in this month’s case, both! What do I need to add to my tbr list? #womenshistory #womeninbooks #femalehistory
Link in bio! And yes, I do have way too many tabs open! #aspiringauthor #historymatters #writingabook
It’s been a while… Time for an intro update!
It’s been a while… Time for an intro update!
Little and often is literally my only strategy at the moment. And recently it’s been more of the little without the often! My feed seems to be full of authors going on rural writing retreats or holing up in coffee shops for entire days, which sounds absolutely glorious but so far out of reach right now. Being a mummy is the greatest privilege but it’s times like this I can’t help feeling maybe I’m insane for attempting to write a book in this season of my life. I can offer no advice, just solidarity to the other writer mums holding it together and trying their best!
We all have our reasons. Here are some of mine. πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ πŸ“• First and foremost, I have been gifted a story to share and, honestly, I think if I don’t do it, no one will. The book is a legacy for my children and my humble attempt to save
We all have our reasons. Here are some of mine. πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ πŸ“• First and foremost, I have been gifted a story to share and, honestly, I think if I don’t do it, no one will. The book is a legacy for my children and my humble attempt to save a story before it is lost to history. πŸ“• Misinformation and misrepresentation get my goat. This book is my way of helping to bring balance to mistold narratives and tell a side to a well-known story you might not have heard before. πŸ“•It’s just a bit cool, isn’t it? Anyone who writes a book, especially if they’re a full-time working mother, is a legend in my eyes. Public recognition has always made me feel super awkward but the feeling of achievement must be next level, and that’s something exciting to strive for. Follow along to see if I make it! #authorcommunity #writinginspiration
Oh blimey, there is nothing like a bit of public accountability to instil the fear of God, I mean motivation! πŸ˜‰ But seriously, thank you for the words of support for my book project. It means the world - I just hope I do a good enough job! One rec
Oh blimey, there is nothing like a bit of public accountability to instil the fear of God, I mean motivation! πŸ˜‰ But seriously, thank you for the words of support for my book project. It means the world - I just hope I do a good enough job! One recurring theme I noticed was people congratulating me on almost hitting 10,000 words. I had never really thought of this as a significant milestone in writing. But it made me think that maybe I should start acknowledging these smaller steps on the road to destination publication! And actually why the heck not! I’m all for celebrating the little wins and actively finding little pockets of joy in these, quite frankly, terrifying times. So this was me about to enjoy my Bounty straight from the fridge. (It is the only way to have them and I won’t hear otherwise!) Serious question of the day: What’s your treat of choice? #mondaymotivation #authorgram #bookjourney #aspiringauthor #amwriting
In honour of World Book Day, here is a selection of some of my all-time favourites. Let’s share recommendations! πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ #worldbookday #bookrecommendations #bookstagram
In honour of World Book Day, here is a selection of some of my all-time favourites. Let’s share recommendations! πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ #worldbookday #bookrecommendations #bookstagram
Writing a book is so much more than, well, just writing – who knew! I could have written about 10 things here; maybe I’ll do a part two, but these three things are helping me stay motivated and move the dial forward on my work in progres
Writing a book is so much more than, well, just writing – who knew! I could have written about 10 things here; maybe I’ll do a part two, but these three things are helping me stay motivated and move the dial forward on my work in progress! #authorjourney #writingtips #authorcommunity #bookstagram
If you’ve emailed me recently about working together, you’ll know I’m not currently taking on new editing jobs, because … I’m writing a book! πŸ“– After two failed attempts at trying to start anything meaningful last y
If you’ve emailed me recently about working together, you’ll know I’m not currently taking on new editing jobs, because … I’m writing a book! πŸ“– After two failed attempts at trying to start anything meaningful last year, I decided to clear my calendar for the next 12 months to focus on completing my passion project. (When I say ‘clear my calendar’, I still have my 8–5 day job – if only I could be a lady of leisure and dedicate all my days to filling my creative cup! Alas, a girl has to eat etc. etc.) So here we are, one month in. And the scores on the board are: ⭐️ Draft: first ⭐️ Word count: 9,921 ⭐️ Coffee: oodles! Stick with me as I navigate a whole new book writing world and share updates on writing, research and (deep breath)… publication! #aspiringauthor #publishing #writingabook #authorcommunity authorsofinstagram
It went something like that πŸ‘†πŸΌ I still feel very much at the beginning of an extremely overwhelming journey, and questioning myself daily! Any tips for aspiring author wobbles? #historybook #aspiringauthor #authorcommunity I know I’m not the only one outraged by these statistics. Outraged but not surprised. Women have been written out of the history books for far too long, and yes, things are starting to change (I was delighted to see a healthy mix of male and
Link in bio! And yes, I do have way too many tabs open! #aspiringauthor #historymatters #writingabook
It’s been a while… Time for an intro update!
Little and often is literally my only strategy at the moment. And recently it’s been more of the little without the often! My feed seems to be full of authors going on rural writing retreats or holing up in coffee shops for entire days, which
We all have our reasons. Here are some of mine. πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ πŸ“• First and foremost, I have been gifted a story to share and, honestly, I think if I don’t do it, no one will. The book is a legacy for my children and my humble attempt to save Oh blimey, there is nothing like a bit of public accountability to instil the fear of God, I mean motivation! πŸ˜‰ But seriously, thank you for the words of support for my book project. It means the world - I just hope I do a good enough job! One rec In honour of World Book Day, here is a selection of some of my all-time favourites. Let’s share recommendations! πŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌπŸ‘‡πŸΌ #worldbookday #bookrecommendations #bookstagram Writing a book is so much more than, well, just writing – who knew! I could have written about 10 things here; maybe I’ll do a part two, but these three things are helping me stay motivated and move the dial forward on my work in progres If you’ve emailed me recently about working together, you’ll know I’m not currently taking on new editing jobs, because … I’m writing a book! πŸ“– After two failed attempts at trying to start anything meaningful last y