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Bauman: A Biography 1st Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

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Global thinker, public intellectual and world-famous theorist of ‘liquid modernity’, Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017) was a scholar who, despite forced migration, built a very successful academic career and, after retirement, became a prolific and popular writer and an intellectual talisman for young people everywhere. He was one of those rare scholars who, grey-haired and in his eighties, had his finger on the pulse of the youth. 

This is the first comprehensive biography of Bauman’s life and work.  Izabela Wagner returns to Bauman’s native Poland and recounts his childhood in an assimilated Polish Jewish family and the school experiences shaped by anti-Semitism. Bauman’s life trajectory is typical of his generation and social group: the escape from Nazi occupation and Soviet secondary education, communist engagement, enrolment in the Polish Army as a political officer, participation in the WW II and the support for the new political regime in the post-war Poland. Wagner sheds new light on the post-war period and Bauman’s activity as a KBW political officer. His eviction in 1953 from the military ranks and his academic career reflect the dynamic context of Poland in 1950s and 1960s. His professional career in Poland was abruptly halted in 1968 by the anti-Semitic purges. Bauman became a refugee again - leaving Poland for Israel, and then settling down in Leeds in the UK in 1971. His work would flourish in Leeds, and after his retirement in 1991 he entered a period of enormous productivity which propelled him onto the international stage as one of the most widely read and influential social thinkers of our time.  

Wagner’s biography brings out the complex connections between Bauman’s life experiences and his work, showing how his trajectory as an ‘outsider’ forced into exile by the anti-Semitic purges in Poland has shaped his thinking over time.  Her careful and thorough account will be the standard biography of Bauman’s life and work for years to come.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Who was Zygmunt Bauman? The late sociologist, known throughout the world for his path-breaking work on liquid modernity, had a biography. He was a Polish Jew, a soldier, a refugee. He had a whole life before Leeds. Izabela Wagner's great achievement is to recover this other Bauman. This book will change the way we see Bauman, forever."
Peter Beilharz, La Trobe University

"This is a brilliant biography of an extraordinary intellectual. Izabela Wagner, a distinguished sociologist and intellectual historian, has found her subject. Zygmunt Bauman’s life embodies a paradigmatic 20th century East-European trajectory. Framed by Hitler’s and Stalin’s totalitarianisms, it is a story of an attempted assimilation by a bourgeois Jewish family, engagement with Communism by the children's generation, disillusionment and exile. In Bauman’s case, of course, this has been accompanied by a lifetime of influential reflection on the conditions and characteristics of modern society. A fascinating read."
Jan T. Gross, Princeton University

"Izabela Wagner’s biography of Bauman is impressively erudite, exquisitely researched, and brings its subject vividly to life… an indispensable book."
Australian Book Review

"The lives of sociologists, for the most part, tend not to be wildly eventful. But this was not the case with Bauman. […] Izabela Wagner's biography of Bauman is impressively erudite, exquisitely researched, and brings its subject vividly to life. […I]n it, you will find a painstakingly comprehensive account of Bauman's intellectual formation and his daring originality, a kind of voyage around the nature of his sociological enterprise, and a celebration of a truly global public intellectual."
Anthony Elliott, Australian Book Review

"excellent… It is rare that one says of an academic book that it is a page-turner, but this book is such a case. Partly, this is due to Bauman’s life, which, despite his protestations, was incredibly interesting, but it is also due to Wagner. She brings these events to life not just through her prose, but her skilful deployment of archival resources to enrich this story."
European Journal of Social Theory

"Wagner succeeds in vividly unfolding the multi-layered and conflict-ridden constellations that characterised Bauman's biography. Her book offers a sociological perspective on the history of a man and his family that provides deep insight into the life of a Polish Jew growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, into his political socialization in Poland and in the Soviet Union, and above all into the dynamic intellectual scene in Warsaw during the thaw. Anyone who has an interest in the social and historical characteristics of these periods will be richly rewarded by this biography."
H-Soz-Kult

"impressive"
Antisemitism Studies

"Deep, interesting and enjoyable to read. The author masterfully weaves documents, stories, interviews and photographs to piece together with many voices the life of a man far beyond the ordinary."
Rassegna Italiana di Sociologia

About the Author

Izabela Wagner is Professor of Sociology at the Collegium Civitas in Warsaw and the author of Bauman: A Biography.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polity; 1st edition (September 15, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 500 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509526862
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509526864
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.9 x 9.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 30 ratings

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4.7 out of 5 stars
30 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
    I find Bauman: a Life to be one of the most important intellectual biographies of our time. The author tastefully weaves together biography and history, presenting Bauman's life in historical context, and integrating into the story contemporaneous views on the man and his character from those who knew him well. It is a chronicle not only of an extraordinary life but of the beauty and tragedy of Polish Jewry in the 20th century and beyond. One finds golden nuggets in literally every sentence, not only in the text but in the wonderfully crafted endnotes, due to the author's extensive and exhaustive research and deeply empathic writing style.

    When I opened the first page of Bauman: a Life, I expected to be informed about the life of Zygmunt Bauman. Instead, I could not put the book down due to the writing style, warm, wise, deeply learned. Wagner's biography feels like a sanctuary for the literary and historical mind, a book that one reads slowly because one doesn't want it to end. As one turns the pages, it becomes clear that one will learn something important from literally every page. It is the kind of book where one immediately gets the sense that not a single word is extraneous but, instead, artfully chosen. The sources the author uncovered include a riveting diary of Bauman's well-known wife, Janina Bauman, that the Polish authorities cruelly seized when the couple emigrated in 1968, as well as a private letter Bauman wrote to his grandchildren in English shortly before he died. These are but a small window into the author's effort to leave no stones unturned, no relevant archival pages unread, that could deepen her understanding of Bauman the man and literary genius.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jess
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly researched and very well presented
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2023
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    An excellent biography that delves deep into the background and work of Zygmunt Bauman. Very well written and researched by the author, and structured cohesively enough to follow and take in all the points and information. Recommended to students of or those with an interest in sociology rather than the casual reader, as there are themes that may be a bit too heavy or involved. An excellent resource.
  • C.J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bauman: A Biography
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2021
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    This is not a lightweight book, neither physically nor in its subject matter.
    Izabela Wagners biography of Zygmunt Bauman is a serious book for serious minds.
    I am not a student nor an academic. I am interested in people, politics, history and the way our modern world has been shaped. Bergman, born in 1925, was about the same age as my parents.
    For me at least, this is not a book to read purely for entertainment, (some biographies are) and I found it necessary to tackle it one chapter at a time.
    In fact, if I didn't have an obligation to review it I think I would have given up and put it aside - not because its boring - its not - but because its the type of book that raises issues and questions that I feel I would like to discuss with other people who are also reading the book.
    Each chapter prompts me to dig deeper.
    In the absence of tutors or other students I find myself using the internet to expand, clarify and to try and answer the questions that arise in my mind - mostly questions that start with 'who, where, what, why, how'.
    In this way a book like this proves its worth by provoking deeper contemplation and discussion of ideas, and so I can see that it may become a valuable text for students of humanities.
    It's a major accomplishment by the author and a valuable addition to my bookshelf.
    A thought provoking read, chewed over and digested slowly, one chapter at a time.
    Initially I was going to give 4 stars, but when I asked myself why I was dropping a star, my answer was because, although the subject that interests me , I found it heavy going. But then when I thought about who the book was written for and why it was written I had no option but to give it 5 stars.
    In my opinion, this book was written to inform and educate, and from that perspective it fulfilled its brief.
    To lighten it would almost be disrespectful to it's subject.
    I didn't know his name before I ordered the book, now I wonder why Bauman is not more widely known outside of academia. A question I will no doubt ponder and come up with answers which may or may not be close to the truth of the matter, which is why discussion is so important.
    As I remind myself all the time - we are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts.
  • metacritic
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2023
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    Review for Bauman: A Biography Hardcover

    A fascinating factual read about a time gone by, the struggles and exploring in good detail the life of the late Zygmunt Bauman, who I knew very little about before reading this. I must say I don't read many biography but must say I enjoyed this and am glad I took the time. Having finished this i lent this to a friend who equally enjoyed this.
  • Tambok
    5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly Book About A Fascinating Man
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2020
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    Zygmunt Bauman was a sociologist and philosopher who lived through some of the most turbulent times in Poland's history before being driven out,firstly to Israel in 1968 then on to Britain in 1971,where he studied and eventually became Professor of Sociology at Leeds University. Bauman was an often controversial figure ,not least his comparison of the Israeli West Bank barrier with the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto, and prolific author.
    Possibly Bauman's most famous work is Liquid Modernity in which he tells of how the old,rigid ,world structures are making way for constant change and flux, this was written in 2001 and was profoundly prophetic as our ever changing societies,politics and lifestyle prove.
    Aside from his academic credentials Bauman led a fascinating life and this meticulously researched book by Izabela Wagner is very obviously a labour of love.
    That being said it's more for the scholar than the casual reader. I enjoyed it but had to read it in chunks as it's like reading a text book. That's not intended as a criticism, more a reflection on the kind of reader who will get the most for it. Personally I found Bauman's story fascinating but the book itself very heavy going and I'd have loved something "lighter". For the more academically-minded this is massively detailed and just the job for research or for the hardcore Bauman fan,and I'm sure there are a lot of those.
    While I struggled a bit I've given the book 5 stars as it's an amazing piece of work and not the author's fault that I struggled where others might not.
    Customer image
    Tambok
    5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly Book About A Fascinating Man
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2020
    Zygmunt Bauman was a sociologist and philosopher who lived through some of the most turbulent times in Poland's history before being driven out,firstly to Israel in 1968 then on to Britain in 1971,where he studied and eventually became Professor of Sociology at Leeds University. Bauman was an often controversial figure ,not least his comparison of the Israeli West Bank barrier with the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto, and prolific author.
    Possibly Bauman's most famous work is Liquid Modernity in which he tells of how the old,rigid ,world structures are making way for constant change and flux, this was written in 2001 and was profoundly prophetic as our ever changing societies,politics and lifestyle prove.
    Aside from his academic credentials Bauman led a fascinating life and this meticulously researched book by Izabela Wagner is very obviously a labour of love.
    That being said it's more for the scholar than the casual reader. I enjoyed it but had to read it in chunks as it's like reading a text book. That's not intended as a criticism, more a reflection on the kind of reader who will get the most for it. Personally I found Bauman's story fascinating but the book itself very heavy going and I'd have loved something "lighter". For the more academically-minded this is massively detailed and just the job for research or for the hardcore Bauman fan,and I'm sure there are a lot of those.
    While I struggled a bit I've given the book 5 stars as it's an amazing piece of work and not the author's fault that I struggled where others might not.
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  • Cozooks of Brixham
    5.0 out of 5 stars A necessarily brief 'review' in a nutshell. Quite a big nutshell, granted
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2020
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    Author Izabella Wagner is a Polish sociologist herself and, taking an interest in sociologists around the globe, eventually interviewed fellow Pole, global thinker, Bauman.
    Jewish Zygmunt Bauman was born during the inter-World War years in 1925. He, and the few other Jews around him during his school years, were persecuted through their early years, becoming used to antagonism, accepting it as normal. Even throughout his adult life he became known more as a Jew than a Pole.
    From these humble beginnings and, during the war years, he managed to get an education and, amongst other things, realise his wish to fight alongside Poles within the Russian army, ending up as a member of the Polish Secret Service.
    Misfortune seemed to follow him, however, and time after time he lost favourable situations, forcing him to change direction. On one such occasion, significantly, he found himself as a Professor of Sociology at Leeds University in the UK at about 45 years of age.
    If you know of him at all, it may be as a so-called global thinker, having settled in England as a venerated Professor. He died aged 91. That’s it in a nutshell. Quite a big nutshell, granted. In fact, it was difficult to find a nutshell big enough for even this brief summary of a life as rich as Prof. Bauman’s.
    I have yet to finish reading this tome but I am well on the way and am thoroughly enjoying the style and presentation of Ms Wagner with frequent interjections from Bauman’s own pen to illustrate points along the way. I am happy to thoroughly recommend this book!
    Customer image
    Cozooks of Brixham
    5.0 out of 5 stars A necessarily brief 'review' in a nutshell. Quite a big nutshell, granted
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2020
    Author Izabella Wagner is a Polish sociologist herself and, taking an interest in sociologists around the globe, eventually interviewed fellow Pole, global thinker, Bauman.
    Jewish Zygmunt Bauman was born during the inter-World War years in 1925. He, and the few other Jews around him during his school years, were persecuted through their early years, becoming used to antagonism, accepting it as normal. Even throughout his adult life he became known more as a Jew than a Pole.
    From these humble beginnings and, during the war years, he managed to get an education and, amongst other things, realise his wish to fight alongside Poles within the Russian army, ending up as a member of the Polish Secret Service.
    Misfortune seemed to follow him, however, and time after time he lost favourable situations, forcing him to change direction. On one such occasion, significantly, he found himself as a Professor of Sociology at Leeds University in the UK at about 45 years of age.
    If you know of him at all, it may be as a so-called global thinker, having settled in England as a venerated Professor. He died aged 91. That’s it in a nutshell. Quite a big nutshell, granted. In fact, it was difficult to find a nutshell big enough for even this brief summary of a life as rich as Prof. Bauman’s.
    I have yet to finish reading this tome but I am well on the way and am thoroughly enjoying the style and presentation of Ms Wagner with frequent interjections from Bauman’s own pen to illustrate points along the way. I am happy to thoroughly recommend this book!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    Customer image