"Applying communism to Poland is like trying to saddle a cow." - Josef Stalin The Kick of Stalin's Cow relates the author's relationship with Poland over two decades - as a resident, a teacher and a travel writer who's made multiple visits to the Central European nation. Over the years, Richards has seen the post-communist nation change enormously as it integrates itself back into the "European family" (as one of his Polish friends put it). In the process, he's admired the Poles' pride in their achievements, their dark humour and their resilience in times of crisis. The Kick of Stalin's Cow is a travelogue with an engaging and thoughtful tone, following a trip around Poland with emphasis on three angles: The communist past, including visits to significant communist-era relics and interviews with Poles who lived through the period; contemporary Poland; and the life and work of a travel writer. The resulting book is an insight into contemporary Poland, via a slow-growing love affair with the complex but fascinating Polish past.