The preface to Pula's Polish American Encyclopedia states: “as the U.S. continues to mature as a pluralistic society, and to become more sensitive to the cultural past of its people and their contributions to the development of American life, an understanding of long-neglected groups becomes all the more important” (1). Having identified Poles as a significant yet unrecognized group, Pula, editor of the journal Polish American Studies, has attempted to correct the omission by compiling “the first comprehensive reference work and research tool published on the Polish experience in the United States and its influence on the development of American history and culture” (1) and he has succeeded. While there are works about specific aspects of Polish Americans and their history such as Pula's Polish Americans: An Ethnic Community (Twayne, 1995), John J. Bukowczyk's edited volume, Polish Americans and Their History: Community, Culture and Politics (Univ. of Pittsburgh Pr., 1996) and 400 Years of Polish Immigrants in America 1608–2008, edited by Mariusz M. Brymora (Ex Libris, 2008), none are as comprehensive or thorough as this reference work. The Encyclopedia covers places, events, organizations, culture and individuals pertaining to Polish American history and life. It contains three types of entries: thematic, typically a chronological perspective on an aspect of American Polonia; topical, which identifies specific places, organizations or cultural elements; and biographical, including significant contributors either to the history and culture of the United States or to the development of American Polonia. Biographical entries, which outnumber the other types of entries, consist of Polish Americans or those who had a substantial impact on the organization of Poles in America, and who have been previously recognized as a prominent individual in at least two other sources. Those who migrated from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are included as are those of Polish ancestry who were born in an area which, at the time, was part of Russia or Ukraine.

All entries are signed and contain sources for additional information. While the Encyclopedia has many features that make it easily navigable such as subheadings within long entries, bolded terms for cross referencing between entries, a thorough index and “see references” for entries known by alternative terms, browsing would be much easier with one simple addition, a listing of the entries by category: theme, topical and biography. Further, the very small typeface, reminiscent of print encyclopedias of the past, may cause difficulty for some readers. One other minor distraction is a lack of consistency between the “see references” and the actual headings: “Resurrections” versus “Resurrection,” for example.

Overall, however, this is a valuable and well-researched resource on a topic not covered elsewhere. It is a must for all Polish American, ethnic and cross-cultural studies collections, and highly recommended for academic research library collections and public libraries in areas with substantial Polish American populations.