In the 1947 foreword, Wańkowicz writes: "Most of this book was written in 1939, to give testimony to our fighting. At that time, everything that the world knew about September, came from our enemies, who spread lies about the campaign that lasted only for eighteen days. The world wondered why small Finland defended itself for so long. That is why I wrote the book in a hurry, without sources, with one target - to show Polish fighting spirit. So, my book is not a report about the war itself, but rather about Polish spirit in September 1939 (...) Loose pages wandered with me across the world, and when in 1943 I finally had the chance to publish the stories, several were missing (...) Currently, when so many people from oflags, gulags and Poland joined us, the need for re-publishing the book for Poles in England has arisen. I am adding "Westerplatte", the story of General Tadeusz Kutrzeba's airforce, and the story of Major Hubal."