Inferno

Amazon.com

Inferno is also a masterpiece in strictly aesthetic terms. The power of Nachtwey's images transcends journalism. Bloody handprints on a living-room wall in Kosovo, the ghostly imprint of a Serb victim's vanished body on a floor, a Hutu with crazed eyes displaying the machete gashes he received for opposing the Tutsis' butchery, a howling orphan in a crib, one eye contracted in anger--these are compositions that depend, like Goya's, on the artist's skill as much as the subject's legitimate claim on our conscience.

Nachtwey's photographs make us capable of imagining that it could have happened to us. They are hard to forget, or forgive. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

Though he is probably the world's most honored recent war photographer, James Nachtwey calls himself an "antiwar photographer," as the preeminent critic Luc Sante notes in his excellent foreword to Inferno, a landmark collection of 382 war-crime photos. Nachtwey has taken shrapnel and had his hair literally parted by a bullet, but he's never lost his compassionate outrage. The stunning images in this huge-format book--brutally abused Romanian orphans, Rwandan genocide victims, a rat-hunter family of Indian Untouchables barbecuing dinner, skeletal dehydration victims in Sudan, the miserable in Bosnia, Chechnya, Zaire, Somalia, and Kosovo--are excruciating to look at, yet impossible to tear your eyes away from. Nachtwey's art is meant to force us to face unbearable facts. Faces are the key: you can't gaze into the eyes of a Romanian toddler tied to a bed, or wired to a primitive "electromagnetic therapy" device, and not grasp the horror more fully than you would by watching a TV news item or reading a newspaper piece. (The book's text explains each photo's context.)Inferno is also a masterpiece in strictly aesthetic terms. The power of Nachtwey's images transcends journalism. Bloody handprints on a living-room wall in Kosovo, the ghostly imprint of a Serb victim's vanished body on a floor, a Hutu with crazed eyes displaying the machete gashes he received for opposing the Tutsis' butchery, a howling orphan in a crib, one eye contracted in anger--these are compositions that depend, like Goya's, on the artist's skill as much as the subject's legitimate claim on our conscience. Nachtwey's photographs make us capable of imagining that it could have happened to us. They are hard to forget, or forgive. --Tim Appelo

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding vision of the sad reality of this world........2007-08-23

This book is not made to be placed in every hands. But everyone old enough to face the sad reality and the ugly side of the human kind should have a look at it.

Amazingly tragic and beautifully awful.......2007-08-19

I have owned this book for roughly four years now and somehow manage to revisit it at least twice a year. The images are hauntingly beautiful. Nachtwey has a real gift for photography, for capturing that perfect image, with the perfect contrast, stark, naked and vivid. I feel as if I have been not merely an onlooker of these devastatingly breathtaking images, but as though I have been there.

Inferno was the first exposure to Nachtwey I had had, and it certainly has not been the last. His work is amazing.

A look at the true horrors of this world!.......2007-08-03

Awesome, shocking, disturbing, eye opening, these just begin to describe the feelings and emotions of this book. The photographs of mans inhumanity to his fellow man go beyond those images we see on the nightly news. James Nachtwey shows us the world of war, famine and poverty. It is eye opening. For anyone who collects books of photography, this is a must, but, it is not a coffee table book. This is one that you keep in reserve for those days when you think your life if bad or tough. Take it down from the shelf, open it and realize just how hard it could be!.

Amazing!! Print Quality........2007-05-14

What can i say.
It's just wonderful print quality most of Photobook which i bouht.
and Large photo is good too.

Um relato dantesco e honesto da nossa época.......2007-05-11

Uma obra obrigatória para quem acompanha o melhor do fotojornalismo nos últimos 50 anos. Um relato duro, profundo e honesto dos horrores criados pelo homem: Romênia, Somália, Índia, Sudão, Bósnia, Ruanda, Zaire, Chechênia e Kosovo.
Ressalte-se a força extrema das composições de James Nachtwey, valorizadas pela encadernação primorosa em capa dura e pelas grandes ampliações em PB.
Um livro forte, mas profundamente necessário para quem quer reconhecer o lado menos poético do nosso tempo.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chinese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Japanese | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Doctors & Medicine | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Lawyers & Criminals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Love, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Assyria, Babylonia & Sumer | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Historiography | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

French | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Victorian | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Epic | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

German | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Russian | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | Classics | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

War on Drugs | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Science | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

Online Research | Genealogy | Reference | Subjects | Books

Native American | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Magic & Wizards | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Sailor Moon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Romance Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite: The Rise and Fall of the Ceausescus

Average customer rating:

Persecuted by Fate
Fine history of a dismal 20th Century Romania
Excels at recounting the Ceausescus' last days
About Ignorance and Leadership
A history of two evil buffoons who became leaders

Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite: The Rise and Fall of the Ceausescus
Edward Behr
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0679401288
Release Date: 1991-05-21

Customer Reviews:

Persecuted by Fate.......2006-09-03

This is probably the definitive look at the strange horrors of Communist-era Romania, culminating in the 1989 overthrow and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu. Edward Behr's treatment is both an investigative report into key events, and a historical analysis into the long-term social forces that culminated in Romania's terrible hardships. A history of imperial subjugation and frustrated ambitions steered Romania down the road to dictatorship, in the form of the dim-witted and histrionic Nicolae, and his manipulative and vindictive wife Elena. Behr usefully analyzes the state terror and recrimination fomented by the Ceausescus, to perpetuate their incompetent cult of personality and thoughtless oppression of the people. Also, the Romanian communists were as prone to bitter factionalism and denunciations as their Soviet overlords, while Behr finds that yet another party conspiracy manipulated the popular unrest of late 1989, to force a tragic continuation of the people's suffering under a new regime. This book is a generally excellent political and historical analysis, though there are some problems with Behr's narrative that keep it from being a consistent winner. The travails of the common people are merely alluded to in passing, with almost no examination of the horrifying disease, starvation, and child abandonment that were all over the world news at the time. And more fundamentally, this book was written almost immediately after the 1989 revolution, probably to cash in before public interest in the subject waned. This is a problem because Behr frequently vows to analyze how the Ceausescu dictatorship would leave a sorry legacy in Romania for decades to come, but not enough time had passed for him to make more than thin speculations on those everlasting horrors. [~doomsdayer520~]

Fine history of a dismal 20th Century Romania.......2006-04-28

The 20th Century will forever be remembered as one of supreme cruelty, and few nations can speak to this better than those who fell beneath the Iron Curtain. Romania, a proud Eastern European nation with a mix of Italians, Bulgarians and Hungarians among the native peoples, was a centerpiece to this. At the close of WWII, Communist forces rose up in Romania and neighboring nations, installing a home-brewed oppression under the guidance and repression of the Soviet Union. Romania's Communist experience was punctuated by distinct periods, the worst of which was the Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu rule of the 1970s and '80s.

With this background, Edward Behr does a fabulous job guiding the reader through a social and political history of Romania from its invasions of pre-1000 A.D., to the power-sharing rule under the Turks in later years, to the imported German royal family in the Industrialization of the latter 1800s. The nation was pulled in different directions by various interests - Hungarians, Transylvanians and Bessarabians (Moldovans) looking for dominion. Into this cauldron, Nicolae Ceausescu was born. Behr takes us through his childhood and upbringing, where the uneducated and unintelligent child was little more than a street thug who discovered, and followed without question, the Marxist-Leninist doctrine. He served powerful men within the Romanian Communist Party during the 'dark' years as a forbidden political party, was jailed for several years, and emerged at the end of WWII in the shadow of Romania's Communist rulers. His loyalty gained him titles, priviledge and eventually, the position of First Secretary. As Behr describes it, what began with hopes and indications of a break with Soviet doctrine, dissolved into Ceausescu's fascination with the cult of personality, his fear of betrayal, and Elena's pressures to keep them living at the peak while most Romanians suffered horrendously.

This book is well-written, very readable and an excellent overview of the troubles Romania has faced. While there are several interview snippets with members of the Ceausescu regime, and indications that Behr was given access to files of the Securitate (the Romanian secret police), there is nothing in the way of documentation. However, I have no reason to doubt that Behr traveled repeatedly and extensively in researching his book. Here's hoping that future authors follow this up by providing details on the Romanian Communist central planning function, and its fundamental break with the economic reality of the country.

Excels at recounting the Ceausescus' last days.......2005-10-28

Released in 1991 by Villard, now out of print.

There've been several books released on the Ceausescus so the reader may wonder how to distinguish them?

KISS THE HAND YOU CANNOT BITE has much information on Ceausescu's early years (how he became what he was), and the best accounting I've yet read of his last days and hours before his capture and execution. Also interesting are all the former government officials who now condemn Ceausescu. One wonders, if so many opposed him, why did Ceausescu remain in power for so long? I think many of these officials are rewriting their own personal histories.

By contrast, DOWNFALL: THE CEAUSESCUS AND THE ROMANIAN REVOLUTION by George Galloway and Bob Wylie, excels at recounting the events of '89 Revolution and the six months immeadiately following the revolution (e.g., the miner's revolt of June 1990, etc.). Excellent journalism, with a great many participants interviewed.

RED HORIZONS by Pacepa is a "slice of life" of the Ceausescus that covers several months in 1978, when Ceausescu was at the peak of his world prestige. Very lurid details.

About Ignorance and Leadership.......2005-04-04

I found the book interesting, rigorous and well-documented. Even though it echoes some American cliches about Europeans (like the Romanians' inherent anti-semitism) it outlines the cultural and historical context of Ceausescu's rise to power quite accurately.
I've read books on Ceausescu's lives before, such as Pacepa's "Red Horizons" but I needed a foreigner's take on this subject, a more objective one. Like most other historians, Behr makes a connection between Ceausescus' lack of education and megalomania, which is why I don't understand why he tries to extend this feature to all other rulers, especially the Hohenzollern kings, who were at least literate, if nothing else. Behr exposes Nicolae's personal issues (short stature, stuttering, bad temper, ignorance) as root causes for his vanity and erratic behavior as a leader, as well as Romanians' complacency and historical tendency to compromise, without romanticizing these features like Romanian writers do, most of whom consider them survival tools. He makes a point that I totally agree with: not only was Ceausescu made possible by the culture in which he lived, but he was encouraged to be that way by his peers (especially his wife). A ruling class made up of the most marginal elements of society was brought to power by the Russian tanks (ironically they eventually became fiercely anti-sovietic), which made the most backward features of the Balkan nation, like nepotism, corruption, lack of scrupules, bad taste, etc. the very leadership principles of Romania for 60 years. Ceausescu is bound to happen when the system of values is totally reversed, and Behr makes this clear with detachment and professionalism, without minimizing the responsability of the rest of Romanians.

A history of two evil buffoons who became leaders.......2003-12-29

While there were many indications of severe economic and social problems in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the last five years of the 1980's, the sudden collapse of Communism caught nearly everyone by surprise. However, the most amazing thing was the incredible lack of blood that was shed during the transition from the "proletarian dictatorships" to some form of representative government. The only significant deaths occurred in Rumania, where the change was a coup within the leadership class rather than a popular revolt. Since it was a coup, Rumania was the only country where the former leader had to be killed, and Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were executed very early in the coup.
While this is a history of the Ceausescu regime, it is more so a history of Rumania in the twentieth century. It is an extensive probing of the national psyche, one that allowed a man to control more than was controlled in other east block countries while employing less terror. Although he was applauded in the west for his maverick stance regarding the Soviet line in Eastern Europe, Ceausescu was more of a buffoon than a leader, which is one of the primary reasons why the Soviet leadership allowed him so much leash. Despite enormous natural resources, Rumania is capable of feeding itself and has substantial oil reserves, by the 1980's it was the second poorest country in Europe, ahead of only Albania. Behr comes close to, but does not quite say that had Ceausescu been a capable leader, his challenging of the Soviet line would not have been tolerated and they would have engineered his removal. It is amazing to say that Rumania and the world would have been better off if the Soviets had simply had him assassinated. Furthermore, it most likely would have been applauded inside the country.
In reading through the book, you cannot help but wonder how the Ceausescus were able to control the country for so long. Some form of opposition to the Communist leadership existed in the other Eastern block countries, but was almost totally absent in Rumania. The relentless and ridiculous praise heaped on the Ceausescus by everyone was a façade that everyone except the Ceausescus seemed to be aware of. Behr spends a great deal of time probing for the reasons for this, making some progress, but still not arriving at a satisfactory answer.
Ceausescu has quite accurately been called a Communist Dracula, which is somewhat of an understatement. Dracula merely sucked the blood from his individual victims, while Ceausescu sucked the life essence from an entire nation. In this book, you learn what he did and at least some of the reasons why he was able to do it.

The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania

Average customer rating:

A great bio of one of the last great queens

The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania
Hannah Pakula
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0671463640

Customer Reviews:

A great bio of one of the last great queens.......2006-06-23

I recently re-read Hannah Pakula's spectacular bio of the British princess Marie who became the iconic queen of Roumania and I enjoyed it even more than I did twenty years ago when I first read it. Queen Marie exemplified what was best about royalty, a woman who through her training at the hands of her mother (who was daughter of the Tsar) learned to put the needs of her people before her own happiness. Marie overcame the sorrows of a difficult marriage, the scandals of her own indiscretions, and the loneliness of being a foreign princess in an exotic land, to be the inspiration and advocate the Roumanian people needed in the dark days of WWI and its aftermath. One is thrilled to become acquainted with a woman who was intelligent, cultured, sophisticated, an international beauty, a writer, full of passion and integrity. I highly recommend this book as one that is worth having in any private collection of royal biographies.

Romania & Moldova (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)

Average customer rating:

Real Experience
This book saved my #$%!
When I was off to Romania . . .
The best available tourist guide for Moldova
What a nice book!

Romania & Moldova (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Steve Kokker , and Cathryn Kemp
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Romania & Moldova | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 174104149X

Book Description

Enjoy picturesque castles in Dracula's homeland, breathtaking vistas in the Carpathian mountains, dynamic nightlife in stylish Bucharest and sun-drenched coastal resorts on the Black Sea. Get under the skin of Romania and Moldova with our compelling guide, the only one to cover both countries.

• HIT THE SLOPES, take to the air or head underground with our dedicated Activities chapter • EXPLORE Eastern Europe's "final frontier" of unspoiled countryside and pristine landscapes with the help of enticing highlights and itineraries • EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY - advice on where to find the best bars and bistros to tast Mamaliga and sample Tuica • TALK THE TALK with our practical, comprehensive language chapter • FIND YOUR WAY with over 60 detailed maps covering Transylvania to Transdniestr

Customer Reviews:

Real Experience.......2007-08-23

I've always like Lonely Planet guides. The format of putting the country into reigions so that you can see what is near were you are going is very helpful. This particular guide is becoming dated as Romania has joined the European Union and the country is on the quick path to change. Many of the quaint traditions are giving way to western traditions. I stayed in country for 2 weeks and this was an excellent reference. My Romanian friends were using it to find out about other parts of the country as we traveld there. I also bought the frommers guide and this one is much better in my opinion

This book saved my #$%!.......2006-09-21

This book is great.

Last summer I took my first overseas trip in my life. Being a lazy American, I did no real research and I landed in Bucharest Romania with nothing to fall back on but the 3rd Edition of Lonely Planet's "Romania & Moldova."

I was supposed to meet a friend who was traveling from Russia, but long story short... I was not able to meet up with him until 5 days later. I did not have any travel itinerary but this book allowed me to make the most of those 5 days by myself.
After those first days on my own, I finally met my buddy in Budapest Hungary, but then we traveled back to Romania for another 5 days or so.

The information in this book made it possible for me to have the trip of a lifetime. The only thing wish I did differently was take a Romanian language book with me.
That said, this book was hands down an invaluable asset to me.
I used this book to visit Bucharest, Deva, Hunedoara, Sighisoara, Sibiu and Poienari. (Except for Bucharest
I did not know anything about these towns and cities but this book helped me find them)

Traveling in a country where I could not speak the language and very few people could speak English was a tough experience for me, but this book helped make my trip an awesome adventure.
If I every make it back to Romania, I will be taking this book with me!

When I was off to Romania . . ........2006-07-14

. . . I found there was very little available in guidebooks. However, the Lonely Planet people did a good job with this difficult country. I appreciated the concise information, and I suppose it is a miracle they gathered as much info as they did!

The best available tourist guide for Moldova.......2005-11-03

As mentioned by other reviewers, there is very little useful information in English for visitors to Moldova. Most of what one can find are overly negative (and overly biased) media reports and dry, "CIA Factbook"-type descriptions.

The Lonely Planet Guide skillfully fills in this information void, providing lots of useful tourist information and tips interspersed with perspectives on history/culture and some light humor. Although the book may at times appear too forgiving to a highly discerning Western tourist, the authors deserve high praise for their upbeat, the "glass-is-half-full"/"diamond in the rough" tone uncovering a region that has undeservedly received little positive coverage from the mass media.

What a nice book!.......2005-02-14

I am planninga trip to Romania and I bought this book to help. It is very good, vivid, easy to understand and it makes me wish I was already there!

Average customer rating:

Steinberg
Inspiring, inventive.
A Splendid Volume for Connoisseurs of Saul Steinberg
Great overview of Steinberg's career, minus the New Yorker stuff

Saul Steinberg: Illuminations
Joel Smith
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Contemporary Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Artists, Architects & Photographers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0300115865

Book Description

Best known for his barbed and brilliant art for The New Yorker, Saul Steinberg (1914–1999) did much more. He executed public murals, designed fabrics and stage sets, was an inventive collagist and printmaker, and turned his magic touch to the fields of painting, sculpture, advertising, and even wartime propaganda. This is the first comprehensive look at Steinberg’s extraordinary contribution to 20th-century art, which was that of a modern-day illuminator, putting word and image in play to create art that spoke to the eyes, and minds, of readers.
An introduction by poet Charles Simic tracks the origins of Steinberg’s darkly comic sensibility in the “Balkan bazaar” of his native Romania. Joel Smith shows how architectural training and an early rise to fame as a cartoonist in Fascist-era Milan honed the artist’s gift for subtle graphic invention, and explores why one of the most visible, prolific, potent, and cosmopolitan careers in postwar American art has so thoroughly evaded serious study. Tracing the evolving motives that underlie Steinberg’s multi-layered activity, this handsome volume also raises fundamental questions about the historiography of modernism and the vexed status of “the middlebrow avant-garde” in an age of museum-bound art.
Previously unseen sketches, documents, and printed matter from the artist’s papers illustrate the essay, career chronology, and entries for 120 objects featured in this important book.

Customer Reviews:

Steinberg.......2007-03-11

This book sums up most of the best work of Saul Steinberg, and for those who like his graphics, an absolute "must have"

Inspiring, inventive........2007-02-22

The marvelous Saul Steinberg exhibition at the Morgan Library in NYC is almost too much to take in even if one devotes an entire afternoon. Unlike some art exhibitions, Saul Steinberg's work is full of references and verbal ques that make ones brain fire on all cylinders simlutaneously. That can be exhilarating, but also exhausting. Saul Steinberg, the book, allows one to take in the artists's work in smaller bites: indeed, you can dip into the book at any page and be well fed. Don't miss the exhibition. But then, make sure you get the book.

A Splendid Volume for Connoisseurs of Saul Steinberg.......2007-02-06

First, I must confess that I am predisposed to enjoying this book. I love everything about the man and his work. Over the past several years I've acquired fourteen volumes of Steinberg's art as well as other printed pieces. Before the internet this would have been almost impossible and very costly. My earliest recollection of art I had strong feelings about goes back to the late 1940's when I saw a series of drawings by Saul Steinberg in The New Yorker.

That being said, this catalog is one of the finest volumes of his work to date. It is a generously sized book at 10 x 12 inches, hardcover and 288 pages. It is printed on a matte coated paper which means the reproductions are excellent. The book is very well thought out. It begins with two illustrated essays. They are followed by the catalogue of the exhibition. This is followed by notes, chronologies and other information which illuminates Mr. Steinberg's career.

It is a very well designed book. The type choices and page formats make it quite easy to actually read. This is not always the case since the advent of computer composition. The catalogue section gives each work of art a two-page spread. The title, pictorial information and a brief commentary are on the left facing page and a reproduction is on the right facing page. The illustrations are large and accurate to the originals. For some art works there are extra illustrations below the commentary on the left facing page.

If you are intrigued about this artist, Saul Steinberg ILLUMINATIONS, is a must for your library. To round out your collection, consider purchasing STEINBERG AT THE NEW YORKER which was recently published and should still be available. If you are interested in seeing the actual exhibition, you should be able to find information online at the Saul Steinberg Foundation website.

Great overview of Steinberg's career, minus the New Yorker stuff.......2007-01-20

"A writer who draws," that's how Steinberg described himself, and that's what Joel Smith's explores in his great essay on Steinberg's life and art which accompanies the pieces from the ILLUMINATIONS show. If you're looking for Steinberg's New Yorker work, you won't find it here. (Buy the must-have Complete New Yorker on DVD and you'll have everything he ever published there!) But if you're looking for a good place to start on Steinberg, this is the book.

Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus' Crimes, Lifestyle, and Corruption

Average customer rating:

An interesting Spy-Story
disappointing
Amazing inside into the Romanian Communism's Backrooms
Riveting read about unimaginable corruption by former Romanian Dictator
An interesting look at Romania's Ceausescu regime

Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus' Crimes, Lifestyle, and Corruption
Ion Mihai Pacepa
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0895267462

Book Description

Despite the ghastly details of Romanian spying and the casually ordered murders, Pacepa's truthtelling has many moments of towering humor.--Kirkus Reviews

Customer Reviews:

An interesting Spy-Story.......2007-08-10

I bought this book in order to know a little more about Ceausescu's time. I found in the pages of this book a lot of allusions to corruption of his wife Elena, the most hated woman in the Romanian History (somebody related during his execution she received more bullets than Nick; his son Nicu a modern Caligula and the rest of hight-ranked politicians and functionaries of Communist Administration.

We found interesting connections between Ceausescu and international terrorism, Gadafi or Arafat even Carlos. And the deals with drug smuggling or selective murders abroad.

You will find in this book how many American or European functionaries had been corrupted by Romanian money during this dark years. Also there are a few interesting portraits of politicians of this years like Willy Brand, Breznev, Santiago Carrillo, Aldo Moro, Evita Perón, Mr and Mrs Carter (Mrs Peanut for Elena).

A good book. Actually, the best i read about Nicolae and Elena, but there's a lack of information about the daily life of Romanian people in this years.

disappointing.......2007-08-07

Superficial and disjointed in many ways. Did give some insights into manchinations of Ceausescus' regime but due to presentation style no certainty as to how factual scenarios are. OK as to superficial look but would not recommend book.

Amazing inside into the Romanian Communism's Backrooms.......2007-01-11

I found Pacepa's recount of those final days spent in Bucharest as the chief of the Romanian DIE, a very useful tool to understand why various things that happened in the 80s made sense. I was impressed to discover that the bizarre law that asked for everyone to register their typing machines with the police had its roots in the anti-Communist letters sent by people to radio Free Europe in Germany. When I was a child in the 1980s in Romania, things like these seemed weird to me and my parents weren't too responsive in trying to help me understand them, for fear that I would talk about it at school. Those times were pretty harsh even for a young child and I believe that as an adult I had a lot to learn from the book.

Riveting read about unimaginable corruption by former Romanian Dictator.......2005-11-12

The Ceausescu "presidency" and "government" is revealed from the ultimate insider point of view, that of his former head of Intelligence, General Pacepa. Pacepa describes with frank methodology Nicolae Ceausescu's, along with his ankle biting wife Elena's, abuse of power. Hidden microphones, dissidents being "taken care of" in ways completely mind boggling, disinformation spread to allow Romania to shine in Western countries, even Jimmy Carter made to look foolish... it's amazing how far Ceausescu's "government" went to enrich it's humble leader. It is extremely fascinating, and shines new light on Yasser Arafat and Mikail Gorbachev, as well as making one question their own government and how perhaps other modern day governments are really run, especially North Korea.

The book did not however, go into very many details about everyday life under Ceausescu. It mentions a few sentences about people waiting in lines, but always from a point of view of the privileged top government officials who are driven around in limousines. What I was most interested in was why or how Ceasescu forced women to have as many children as possible and outlawed abortion. There was a brief explanation that Elena wanted to be the leader of a country that more than doubled it's population under their regime and wanted "Nick" to make it law that women must have a minimum of four children.

When reading this book, one also must question the author. He finally escapes the regime, but under what circumstances did he really live while there? And what criminal acts did he commit, but did not include? I suppose that anyone in that sort of country does what he can do to survive, but being a top aide must've had it's privileges too...

An interesting look at Romania's Ceausescu regime.......2005-01-02

Anyone who spent even a few months in Romania when Ceausescu ran it knows that it was very poorly governed. Some symptoms of this were the long lines, the empty shelves in the food stores, the lack of so many consumer goods, the dollar shops, the Securitate, the eagerness of so many citizens to emigrate (and the difficulty of getting visas), the lack of Western newspapers and magazines and the weakness of currency by Western standards. There were also the searches for contraband items at the borders, such as calculators, Bibles, or coffee. Bribery appeared to be part of the culture. Yes, a few people in the government were relatively well off, but very few others were.

In my opinion, one reason for the situation was the quality of those who ran the nation. Some Romanian communists, including Ceausescu, were Communists even when Romania was allied with Germany in World War Two. Back then, Communists were not exactly public servants: generally, they were misfits. When the Communists were victorious, these misfits wound up running the country, and they did a poor job of it.

In this book, written before Ceausescu was overthrown, Pacepa gives us some evidence (albeit, much of it anecdotal) that the Ceausescu regime was repressive and irresponsible in many respects.

We see Ceausescu giving very detailed advice and support to Arafat, a terrorist leader. We see some of the greed the Ceausescus were notorious for, as they stashed away huge amounts of money and goods. And we see that the Ceausescu government was a special threat to minorities such as Hungarians, Jews, and Germans.

This book was written well over 15 years ago, but I think it needs to be looked at even today, perhaps to remind us how counterproductive governments can be.

Red Storm over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania, Spring 1944 (Modern War Studies)

Average customer rating:

Great Book for advanced readers
Glantz's Greatest Defeat
disappointing
Dreary, plodding reading
Puts It Together Nicely

Red Storm over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania, Spring 1944 (Modern War Studies)
David M. Glantz
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0700614656

Book Description

Germany's Eastern Front in World War II saw many campaigns and battles that have been "forgotten" by a Soviet Union that tried to hide its military failures. The Red Army's invasion of Romania in April and May 1944 was one such campaign, which produced nearly 200,000 casualties and tarnished the reputations of its commanders. The redoubtable David Glantz, the world's leading authority on the Soviet military in World War II, now restores this tale to its proper place in the annals of World War II.

Working from newly available Russian and long-neglected German archives-plus Red Army unit histories and commanders' memoirs-Glantz reconstructs an imposing mosaic that reveals the immense scope and ambitious intent of the first Iasi-Kishinev offensive. His re-creation shows that Stalin was not as preoccupied with a direct route to Berlin as he was with a "broad front" strategy designed to gain territory and find vulnerable points in Germany's extended lines of defense. If successful, the invasion would have also eliminated Romania as Germany's ally, cut off the vital Ploiesti oilfields, and provided a base from which to consolidate Soviet power throughout the Balkans.

Glantz discloses General Ivan Konev's strategic plan as the 2nd Ukrainian Front prepared its Iasi offensive and fought a climactic battle with the German Eighth Army and its Romanian allies in the Tirgu-Frumos region in early May, then the regrouping of General Rodion Malinovsky's 3rd Ukrainian Front for its decisive offensive toward Kishinev, which aborted in the face of a skillful counterstroke by a threadbare German Sixth Army. Glantz describes how the Wehrmacht, with a nucleus of combat veterans, was able to beat back Soviet forces hampered by spring floods, while already fragile Soviet logistical support was further undermined by the Wehrmacht's scorched-earth strategy.

Although Konev's and Malinovsky's offensives failed, the Red Army managed to inflict heavy losses on Axis forces, exacerbating the effects of Germany's defeats in the Ukraine and making it more difficult for the Wehrmacht to contain the Soviet juggernaut's ultimate advance toward Berlin.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for advanced readers.......2007-05-10

This guy is simply the best military writer i've ever read.
At my age, i need a magnifying glass for the maps. That's my one objection, but i assume younger people will have no problem. This is another Glantz special: an utterly fantastic detailed miltary description of the initial Soviet attempt to invade Romania. These books must be a godsend for the companies that make wargames. After reading Glantz books, i feel like becoming a wargame designer myself! If you're into the movements of armies, corps, divisions, this book is heaven. The maps are great (though i wish they were bigger!)
If you want to read about the "personal" or "human interest" side of war, don't buy this book, there's nothing in it for you. It's also not for the casual military reader, it's very detailed.
I only wish some of Glantz' other publications werent so darned expensive; i'd own them all.
He's simply the best military writer i've ever read.

Glantz's Greatest Defeat.......2007-03-01

Glantz's books differ quite significantly in quality. Of the eight I have read, this was the worst. The writing is relatively poor, and features a lot of repetition, with little flow or tension. It feels rushed. The book is crying out for a good editor to really clean it up. The history, of course, is excellent as always. But I would recommend his operational studies of Mars and Kursk before this one. They are both excellent.

disappointing.......2007-02-22

Being an avid student of the Russo-German war and having a few hundred books on the subject, ranging from detailed German unit histories to books with a wide scope like those by Earl Ziemke, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this book as it promised to fill a gap in my knowledge of the Eastern Front. I was also worried, because I have all the books by Glantz and they can be divided into three categories: boring and unreadable (whenever he focuses on Russian sources; example: The Battle for Lvov), extremely interesting and well written (because they offer new information and new insights; example: Zhukov's greatest defeat) and books that offer a bit of both (example: When Titans Clashed). This latest book, I am afraid, falls into the last category. After reading it my first impulse was to rip out the first 150 pages. Being a book lover I did not do this of course, but still... In this first third of the book Glantz describes, no sorry, lists, units, commanders (boring the reader to tears) and actually describes what is on the maps!! Any editor worth his salt should have told Glantz to stop babbling and refer the material to an appendix or (in case of the battle dispositions) refer to the maps.
On the plus side: mainly thanks to German sources, the book does offer new information about the Red Army's failed spring campaign, which in the end is why I am still glad that I bought the book. If, like me, you want to know more about the fighting around Targul Frumos or the Dnjestr bridgeheads, I am afraid you will have to buy this book. Hence three stars (just sufficient).
However, I really hope that for Glantz' next few books somebody with common sense will sift through the material and make Glantz realise that, ultimately, a book should not only contain lots of information but first and foremost be READABLE! As a writer about the war myself as well as a voracious reader I think I know what I am talking about. Glantz can give me a call any day of the week for some free advice.

Jack Didden

Dreary, plodding reading.......2007-02-14

OK, up front we all admit that David Glantz knows more about WWII on the Eastern Front than any other person alive. That said, this is operational military history at its worst. An endless barrage of corps & division numbers, grouping letters, directions of attacks & campaigns, etc., etc. The whole thing reads like an over-long after action report prepared by a junior officer who never took a liking to writing coherent narrative essays. There is no political context discussed in this book, nor is there discussion about weapons, weaponery, personalities, etc. Sure, its authoritative, but does that mean it has to be such a drudge to get through? I put this book down half-way through and read 4-5 other books before I worked up the patience to tackle this to its finish.

Puts It Together Nicely.......2007-01-19

Glantz was not well-served by his editors here; they chose the provocative title and Glantz throughout maintains this as some sort of 'lost' campaign that 'he found'. As the prior reviewer from Vienna stated, it's not so 'lost'. Targul-Frumos has been the subject of lectures and papers at US military academies and in technical journals from both sides since the late 1940's. So Glantz does overstate that point.
What Glantz does achieve is a unique synthesis of the diverse sources and he analyzes them skillfully. He puts it all together and gives it context that no other Eastern Front historian had yet done, just as he did with 'Operation Mars'. Unfortunately, the reviewer from Vienna is right about the small number of mistakes and, indeed, there are a few more than he cited. Editors let Glantz down there as well. They exist to pick up those little typos or tiny mis-statements. Like Glantz's other books, it reads a little dry, but I overlook that and give him five stars for the skill and value of his presentation and analysis. Not perfect but VERY needed.

Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times

Average customer rating:

National Hero??? Right!
Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times
Count Alacard
Eye Opening
dracula ,barbaric murderer

Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times
Radu R Florescu , and Raymond McNally
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Entertainers | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0316286567

Book Description

With the phenomenal success of Elizabeth Kostovas critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Historian, there is a renewed interest in the true story of Dracula. Originally published in 1990, Dracula, Prince of Many Faces still stands as the definitive biography of Vlad Dracula of Romania. Dracula, Prince of Many Faces reveals the extraordinary life and times of the infamous Vlad Dracula of Romania (1431-1476), nicknamed the Impaler. Dreaded by his enemies, emulated by later rulers like Ivan the Terrible, honored by his countrymen even today, Vlad Dracula was surely one of the most intriguing figures to have stalked the corridors of European and Asian capitals in the fifteenth century. In this definitive biography covering Vlad Draculas life and subsequent legend, readers will discover that life can truly be more terrifying than fiction.

Customer Reviews:

National Hero??? Right!.......2007-05-23

For those who lack historical knowledge of Central European history in the 14th and 15th Century, this book is an interesting book to read, as long as they do not fall into the trap the authors conceived in their false national grandeur. Due to that, I can only give this book, ONE star.

This book has several flaws big enough to drive a Dacia through it and would take a lot of pages, if not another book to correct all of them. A Dacia, for those who do not know, is a Romanian built automobile, based upon an out-dated Renault design that was manufactured in the 1970's.

Fascinating how historical facts intermixed with obvious bias, envious bitterness and with written with, in my opinion, a chip on their shoulder, includes inadequacies lacking a national historical identity towards the true owners and rulers of the Erdély, the region known in Latin as Transylvania, "beyond the forest," can portray a Wallachian despot, a Prince wannabe named Vlad III, better know as Dracula, as a national hero! No wonder the same people who call Dracula their national hero in the 20th century, who've uprooted 1000 year old villages, bulldozed down every house and all monuments, justifying their actions in the name of ethnic cleansing; then, resettled tens of thousands of persons from Hungarian speaking areas in Transylvania into harsh regions of modern Romania, Yes, that would make Dracula proud!

While there is a lot of history portrayed in this book, it is done with much envy and distortion towards Hungarians in general. Right from the beginning of the book "...Transylvanian place names that have Romanian, German, and Hungarian equivalents, we shall use the modern Romanian names..." This only makes sense one would assume, however even such simple statements reflect the falseness that is displayed throughout the book. It is implying that the Hungarian names held the least or were of no significance in the history of Transylvania, where as, the truth is factually the opposite. In Dracula's era, there was no such country as Romania, nor was Romanian an official language in Transylvania. The official language was Hungarian, Latin used for general administration, German in the Saxon cities, while Romanian was spoken by the minority in the western counties or duchies, increasing towards majority near the bordering counties or duchies that were near the regions of Wallachia and Moldavia. Romanian names in Transylvania only became dominant after 1918. Since the events portrayed in this book took place mostly in the 1400's to be historically accurate, and unbiased, one should use the proper names perhaps with the modern names in brackets for reference to their location in modern Romania. The method used in the book is just an extension of the eradication and continued denial of the significant Hungarian culture, history or presence in the region.

Transylvanian history goes back to time of the Roman Empire, as it was an outpost region bordered within the western slopes of the Carpathian mountain range known as Dacia. In brief, as the Roman Empire broke up and separated into separate two Empires: Western and Eastern, ethic tribes from the East started to migrate into areas formerly occupied by the Romans. These invaders such as the Huns, Avars, Lombards, Gepids, Slavs, and later the Magyar tribes, they moved into the Carpathian basin and the surrounding areas just west of the Byzantine Empire. Some have left and moved on. These eastern invaders conquered, subjugated the native population, some who intermarried with descendants of the original Roman Legionaries who decided to stay behind once the empire fell apart, thus forming the native population for the next generations. The Carpathian basin including the regions of Pannonia and Dacia of the former Roman Empire were settled by the Ten Magyar, (Hungarian) tribes. Thus, the Magyar (Hungarian) State was established in 896 AD. Note at this time, and for almost 1000 years after the establishment of Hungary, there was no Romania. The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 and in 1918 Hungarian Transylvania was annexed by the victors of WWI, as punishment for the Hungarian participation in WWI. When the pagan Hungarian King Vajk, converted to Christianity and adopted the Christian name István, (Stephen, who later was named a Saint), and by force converted the rest of the Magyar pagans, he was rewarded by the Pope in Rome and by Byzantine Emperor with crowns to symbolize his sovereignty over the lands under his command including Transylvania. The two crows were assembled into one as the Holly Crown of Hungary. As the Hungarian kingdom congealed, and needed additional populous at the eastern borders (Transylvania) to shore up the defences against any further invasions from the East, such as the Hordes of Genghis Khan, and the Ottoman Turks, Székely (Szeklers descendants of the Huns, who left after the death of Attila) from the East and Saxon (German) settlers from western Europe were encouraged to move in, along with the Teutonic Knights (who were expelled later on), and were granted lands and independent city statues, but were subject to the Crown of Hungary.

Wallachia east and Moldavia to the north of Transylvania were autonomous regions ruled by Princes, or pretenders to the throne. These regions were populated in majority by Romanian speaking inhabitants.

Thus, what these so called historians scholars have cooked up about a petty Wallachian despot named Dracula, as the founding father of Romania, is a laughable! "Dracula became a national hero par excellence, one who defended the nation's independence against overwhelming odds - kind of George Washington of the Romanian people..." I do not believe George Washington had people impaled while he ate his dinner, nor had tens of thousands (if not over a hundred thousand) killed by boiling, skinning people alive, sawing off their limbs, who'd disagreed or challenged his political ambitions. Nor was Dracula like Robin Hood, giving to the poor from the rich!

Throughout the book, and at every opportunity, the Hungarians are perceived as corrupt, unreliable, who had betrayed Vlad III, spreading false propaganda unjustly, undeservingly about this Christian Knight, who wore the Order of the Dragon. From John Hunyadi, (being described as: from a humble Wallachian stock, a turncoat Hungarian wannabe), he actually was a true Christian Crusader at the time and whose victory over the Turks in 1456 at Belgrade is still celebrated to date: every day at noon, church bells are rung. Hunyadi was the Regent of Hungary and the Governor of Transylvania to King Matthias Corvinus, was described as "...King Matthias evidently liked to think of himself as a true patron of learning and the arts." Matthias didn't have to think of it, he was! Matthias established the flowering culture of the Hungarian Renaissance, by modernizing and building. His treasures were ransacked by the Turks later on, but some of the surviving books that were published upon his orders and were housed in the King's Library the Corvinus Codex's are worth millions and are now treasured by Museums world wide. In fact, the only painting of Dracula that existed was done by the King's artist while Dracula was in his imprisonment, when the King had no choice but to put Dracula in "prison" for his alleged autocracies after Vlad III, was overthrown the second time by his rivals. However, the prison was far from a real prison, it was more like a house arrest and at the King's palace. I do not of many prisoners in history who were allowed to marry the cousin of the King, while being incarcerated by the same King. The fact is that Vlad III, aka Dracula, married Ilona Szilágyi, a cousin of the King, while he was in, so called "imprisoned". Later on with the King's army, Dracula was put back in power for the third time to help with the continued fight and gain a psychological advantage against the invading Ottomans. Dracula's fierce reputation against the Turks gained by his prior autocracies against them and excellent knowledge of their tactics was something that the King did not ignore.

These two bright scholarly historians overwhelmed with debasing anything that had to do with Hungarians, could not even get the small facts straight about the Hunyadi coat of arms and the family symbol of King Matthias. For example, the black bird is a raven holding a gold ring in his beak and not a "crow." There is a significant difference between the two. Both John Hunyadi and King Matthias, among many other Hungarians in power in Transylvania, were actual benefactors of Vlad III.

The real Dracula, Vlad III, was not a forthright Christian or a nationalist hero. At the very best, he was a warlord with many ambitions. He was power hungry, cruel, sadistic, evil, revengeful, and treacherous yet, a very savvy individual who made the right connections with powerful benefactors, looking out for his own true interests in being or trying to be the ruler of Wallachia. Ambitions supported by using all his talents and available methods: torture, intimidations, bribery, and psychological warfare against not just his enemies but his own subjects. While Dracula did fight the Ottoman Turks, it was based upon his childhood hate towards the Turks (for that Dracula cannot be blamed) and own self interests in manifestation of power to rule independently over Wallachia against Ottoman expansionism, than being a Christian Crusader. Dracula was in many ways just like many of his contemporarily power hungry despots and tyrants in the 14th to the 15th centuries who made deals and alliances with more powerful benefactors. What made him different was that he was a lot more cruel and bloody in his methods. By constructing monasteries he thought he could seek salvation from eternal damnation and from hell.

Ironically in 1476, when Dracula was assassinated, his head was cut off and taken to Constantinople to the Sultan to be displayed on a pole, just like he had done to so many of his enemies. If not for Bram Stoker, Dracula would have been forgotten in history, like so many petty tyrants of the era.

Dracula, Prince of Many Faces: His Life and His Times.......2007-02-27

The most objective write up on Dracula! It is about history and not fiction. It is about Romanians and their culture as part of the Europe's XV century. It is about a leader that was loved, feared and hated both at home and outside the Romanian territory. With simple examples, Mr. Florescu brings forward Dracula's leadership skills and characteristics that have no time bound and can also be found and applied today by successful leaders.

Count Alacard.......2006-11-20

Love the book. Vlad was a great history character. A great addition to my library. Great service and it arrived in perfect shape.

Eye Opening.......2006-11-04

This book is one of the very few written in the English language to portray the historical figure of Dracula whose nickname was used by Bram Stocker. It is a work that was indeed needed in order to correct many wrong impressions about the historical figure of Dracula.

Vlad "The Impaler" lived in a harsh world, an unforgiving one, full of strifes, intrigues from within his country and from outside. Written with a wide readership in mind this book succeedes to convey the sense of the age and the personality of the elusive prince.

dracula ,barbaric murderer.......2006-10-03

Prince Dracula was a very unkind prince. He would impale anyone whom he thought was insulting him or going against him. Everyone hated him and feared him. it is a really good book to read. It describes the barbaric tortures and execution methods enjoyed by prince dracula.

A.H, Australia

Average customer rating:

A simple, succinct, harrowing story
incredible
Great book...influenced the epic
Night
Book CLub Book

Night; with Connections
Elie Wiesel
Manufacturer: Holt Rinehart and Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Jewish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Romania | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Biographies & Memoirs | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Children's Books | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Teens | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0030554624

Amazon.com

In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.

Book Description

Night -- A terrifying account of the Nazi death camp horror that turns a young Jewish boy into an agonized witness to the death of his family...the death of his innocence...and the death of his God. Penetrating and powerful, as personal as The Diary Of Anne Frank, Night awakens the shocking memory of evil at its absolute and carries with it the unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again.

Customer Reviews:

A simple, succinct, harrowing story.......2007-09-10

This is the true story of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. A religious Jew, Wiesel was a young boy during the German invasion. He and his family were taken captive by the Nazis and put into the concentration camps where he witnessed atrocities that destroyed his family and shattered his faith.

Told simply and succintly, this first person account is haunting. Wiesel speaks with a numb detachment, sensationalizing nothing. He asks for no pity. He simply describes what he saw.

It is only one person's point-of-view of perhaps the most important event in modern history, but his testimony feels as big as the Holocaust itself. That this is one of millions of stories that could be told is shocking again, even if you've seen movies or read other books on the topic. You come away from this book with a better understanding of what happened, and many unanswerable questions as to why it happened.

As other reviewers have suggested, this book should be required reading for all high school students.

incredible.......2007-08-23

This was amazing book. This book takes you on the journey of a Jewish boy during the Nazi reign. You may know the stories of the concentration camps but you really can't imagine what they felt like. I would recomend this book to any one.

Great book...influenced the epic.......2007-08-12

Read a book like this and it might influence you to write a concept piece.
By the way the title of this is Night not "darkness" Ted Leonard.

Night.......2007-07-09

The author is such a good writer that you'll almost hear the squeak of rusty railroad cars along with muffled sounds of hopelessness from within as they roll down the tracks to the concentration camps.

You can almost smell the odors of less than humane living conditions mingled with the acrid smoke from the crematoriums upon arriving at the death camps.

You'll almost be able to see the look of death in the eyes of the living who have given up as well as the emaciated bodies of those whose suffering had finally ceased.

You'll almost feel the nagging hunger pains of those who sometimes must go without food for days at a time and the bone-drilling cold ache of hands and feet not protected from the sub-zero temperatures.

But you'll also sense the author's strong will to persevere the inhumane cruelties inflicted upon his people to return to the land of the living one day. He did survive and tells his story in a non-fiction selection that reads like a novel.

"Night" by Elie Weisel relates the atrocities of the Holocaust through the eyes of a teenage Jewish boy. As in "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "Schindler's List", it's an unforgettable story that should never EVER be forgotten.

Book CLub Book.......2007-06-02

Great telling of a sad story, but factual and interesting. Enjoyed this book and shared it with others

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books