A vivid, brilliant, darkly humorous and horrifying history of some of the strangest dictators that Europe has ever seen. 'A witty and page-turning narrative full of grotesque characters' Misha Glenny 'Kenyon relates all this with verve [and] humour ... He patiently untangles the complicated webs of loyalty and enmity' Literary Review 'Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Romania past and present' John Simpson Balanced precariously on the shifting fault line between East and West, Romania's schizophrenic, often violent past is one of the great untold stories of modern Europe. The country that gave us Vlad Dracula, and whose citizens consider themselves descendants of ancient Rome, has traditionally preferred the status of enigmatic outsider. But this beautiful and unexplored land has experienced some of the most disastrous leaderships of the last century. After a relatively benign period led by a dutiful King and his vivacious British-born Queen, the country oscillated wildly. Its interwar rulers form a gallery of bizarre characters and extreme movements: the corrupt and mentally unbalanced King Carol; the fascist death cult led by Corneliu Codreanu; the vain General Ion Antonescu, who seized power in 1940 and led the country into a catastrophic alliance with Nazi Germany. After 1945 power was handed to Romania's tiny communist party, under which it experienced severe repression, purges and collectivisation. Then in 1965, Nicolae Ceau?escu came to power. And thus began the strangest dictatorship of all. Read more

From the assassination that triggered World War I to the ethnic warfare in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, the Balkans have been the crucible of the twentieth century, the place where terrorism and genocide first became tools of policy. Chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times, and greeted with critical acclaim as "the most insightful and timely work on the Balkans to date" (The Boston Globe), Kaplan's prescient, enthralling, and often chilling political travelogue is already a modern classic.This new edition of the Balkan Ghosts includes six opinion pieces written by Robert Kaplan about the Balkans between 1996 and 2000 beginning just after the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and ending after the conclusion of the Kosovo war, with the removal of Slobodan Milosevic from power. Read more

Discover how the Great War transformed the world with World War I for Teens: Major Battles of World War I, Turning Points & Real-Life War Stories—a must-read for teenage history enthusiasts eager to learn about one of the most impactful global events in history - packed with over 30 historic photos.Step back to the early 20th century and uncover the causes that ignited global conflict, the lives of soldiers on the front lines, and the fierce battles that shaped the course of the war and the world. From the assassination that sparked the war to the trench warfare on the Western Front, this book explores the harsh realities faced by those who lived through the conflict.Filled with dozens of photos and eye-opening facts readers are taken on a journey through this dramatic and tragic period in our historyInside World War I for Teens, discover:How imperialism, militarism, and nationalism set the stage for an unprecedented global warThe outbreak of World War I and the events that led to full-scale conflictThe grueling conditions of trench warfare, the new technologies that redefined battle, and the toll they took on soldiersStories of remarkable leaders and unsung heroes, including the brave women who played crucial roles on and off the battlefieldThe critical turning points that led to the Allied victory and how the war's aftermath reshaped nationPacked with 30 historic photos and real-life stories of young people and their extraordinary wartime experiences, this book brings the story of World War I to life. Whether you're a history buff or just beginning to explore this fascinating era, this book promises a fascinating journey through the war that changed everything.Get your copy of World War I for Teens today, and uncover the details of the war that reshaped history! Read more

An essential new history of Central Europe that “deftly unravels the strands of a long and complex past” (Wall Street Journal)    Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. Central Europeans launched the Reformation and Romanticism, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and advanced some of the twentieth century’s most important artistic movements.     Drawing on a lifetime of research and scholarship, The Middle Kingdoms tells as never before the captivating story of two thousand years of Central Europe’s history and its enduring significance in world affairs. Read more

How much Eastern European history do you know?The story of Eastern Europe is one of successes and failures, competing interests, and the rise and fall of states and empires. The ancient Greek and Roman empires knew the importance of Eastern Europe for trade and settlement. Later, during the Migration Period, also known as the “Barbarian Invasions", Eastern Europe became the stomping grounds for many people. The Visigoths, Huns, Slavs, and central Asian Turkic tribes like the Avars and Khazars all made their way into Eastern Europe.With so many people moving in, the first states started to rise. Some of them would break apart as soon as they started, while others would form full-fledged empires. The medieval period would see some of the greatest empires of European history, like Kievan Rus, the Bulgarian Empire, Serbia, and the German Crusader states. By the early modern period, these great states would be replaced by Russia, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Ottoman Empire.In this audiobook, you will learn about:The Greek and Roman influence in Eastern EuropeThe Migration Period, a.k.a. the “Barbarian Invasions”Charlemagne and the Holy Roman EmpireThe Mongol invasionsChristian Europe vs. the Ottoman EmpireThe fall of ConstantinopleThe rise of Russia and its famous rulers, like Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the GreatThe path to World War I and World War IIThe Jewish experience in Eastern EuropeThe Soviet Union and the Eastern BlocThe fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communismThe conflicts in Bosnia and KosovoThe 2014 Russian annexation of CrimeaTo learn more about Eastern Europe than you ever thought possible, add History of Eastern Europe to your cart today! Read more

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An essential new history of Central Europe, the contested lands so often at the heart of world history     Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture. Central Europeans launched the Reformation and Romanticism, developed the philosophy of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and advanced some of the twentieth century’s most important artistic movements.    Drawing on a lifetime of research and scholarship, The Middle Kingdoms tells as never before the captivating story of two thousand years of Central Europe’s history and its enduring significance in world affairs. Read more

From the award-winning historian of the Holocaust, the first book to move beyond Germany’s singular crime to the collaboration of Europe as a whole.The Holocaust was perpetrated by the Germans, but it would not have been possible without the assistance of thousands of helpers in other countries: state officials, police, and civilians who eagerly supported the genocide. If we are to fully understand how and why the Holocaust happened, Götz Aly argues in this groundbreaking study, we must examine its prehistory throughout Europe. We must look at countries as far-flung as Romania and France, Russia and Greece, where, decades before the Nazis came to power, a deadly combination of envy, competition, nationalism, and social upheaval fueled a surge of anti-Semitism, creating the preconditions for the deportations and murder to come.In the late nineteenth century, new opportunities for education and social advancement were opening up, and Jewish minorities took particular advantage of them, leading to widespread resentment. At the same time, newly created nation-states, especially in the east, were striving for ethnic homogeneity and national renewal, goals which they saw as inextricably linked. Drawing upon a wide range of previously unpublished sources, Aly traces the sequence of events that made persecution of Jews an increasingly acceptable European practice. Ultimately, the German architects of genocide found support for the Final Solution in nearly all the countries they occupied or were allied with.Without diminishing the guilt of German perpetrators, Aly documents the involvement of all of Europe in the destruction of the Jews, once again deepening our understanding of this most tormented history.Praise for Europe Against the Jews 1880-1945“A masterpiece.” —Die Zeit“If HBO’s The Plot Against America makes you want to know the grim real-life context, read German historian Götz Aly’s new book, Europe Against the Jews.” —New YorkMagazine“A major work on anti-Semitism of incredible research and singular scholarship. . . . Aly delivers again, this time expanding his lens outside of Germany to offer further revelations about the Holocaust.” —Kirkus Reviews Read more

Romania occupies a unique position on the map of Eastern Europe. It is a country that presents many paradoxes. In this book the preeminent Romanian historian Lucian Boia examines his native land's development from the Middle Ages to modern times, delineating its culture, history, language, politics and ethnic identity. Boia introduces us to the heroes and myths of Romanian history, and provides an enlightening account of the history of Romanian Communism. He shows how modernization and the influence of the West have divided the nation - town versus country, nationalists versus pro-European factions, the elite versus the masses - and argues that Romania today is in chronic difficulty as it tries to fix its identity and envision a future for itself.The book concludes with a tour of Bucharest, whose houses, streets and public monuments embody Romania's traditional values and contemporary contradictions. Read more

From the assassination that triggered World War I to the ethnic warfare in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, the Balkans have been the crucible of the twentieth century, the place where terrorism and genocide first became tools of policy. Chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times, and greeted with critical acclaim as "the most insightful and timely work on the Balkans to date" (The Boston Globe), Kaplan's prescient, enthralling, and often chilling political travelogue is already a modern classic.This new edition of Balkan Ghosts includes six opinion pieces written by Robert Kaplan about the Balkans between 1996 and 2000 beginning just after the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and ending after the conclusion of the Kosovo war, with the removal of Slobodan Milosevic from power. Read more

Spanning a period of 2000 years from the Roman conquest of Dacia to the present day, A Concise History of Romania traces the development of a unique nation situated on the border between East and West. In this illuminating new history, Keith Hitchins explores Romania's struggle to find its place amidst two diverse societies: one governed by Eastern orthodox tradition, spirituality and agriculture and the other by Western rationalism, experimentation and capitalism. The book charts Romania's advancement through five significant phases of its history: medieval, early modern, modern and finally the nation's 'return to Europe'; evaluating all the while Romania's part in European politics, economic and social change, intellectual and cultural renewals and international entanglements. This is a fascinating history of an East European nation; one which sheds new light on the complex evolution of the Romanians and the identity they have successfully crafted from a unique synthesis of traditions. Read more

BOOK DESCRIPTIONAs twilight descends on the Carpathian Mountains, the ancient walls of Bran Castle cast long shadows across the mist-shrouded valley. In the nearby village, the aroma of freshly baked cozonac wafts through cobblestone streets, mingling with the sound of traditional folk music. This is Transylvania, a land where myth and reality intertwine, where every moment is an adventure waiting to unfold. Are you ready to experience it for yourself?Introducing the Transylvania Travel Guide 2024/2025 - your key to unlocking the secrets of this captivating region.Benefits of this guide:• Comprehensive coverage of must-see attractions and hidden gems• Up-to-date information on accommodations, dining, and transportation• Insider tips from locals and seasoned travelers• Detailed maps and suggested itineraries for every type of traveler• In-depth cultural insights to enhance your experience• Budget-friendly options and luxury indulgencesWhat you'll miss without this guide:• Off-the-beaten-path experiences that most tourists never discover• Time-saving tips to maximize your visit• Cultural faux pas that could embarrass you or offend locals• The best times to visit popular attractions to avoid crowds• Local secrets for authentic experiences and the best photo opportunitiesHow to use this book:1. Start with the overview to plan your ideal itinerary2. Dive into region-specific chapters for detailed information3. Use the quick reference guides for on-the-go decision making4. Explore the themed routes for specialized interests (history, nature, cuisine)5. Refer to the language guide for essential Romanian phrasesQuality assurance:Our team of expert travelers and local insiders have personally vetted every recommendation in this guide. We update our information annually to ensure accuracy and relevance.Verifiable facts:• Transylvania boasts 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites• The region is home to Europe's largest population of brown bears• Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania's largest city, was named European Youth Capital in 2015Don't let another year pass without experiencing the magic of Transylvania. Whether you're drawn by the allure of vampire lore, the promise of pristine natural beauty, or the charm of medieval towns frozen in time, this guide is your passport to an unforgettable adventure.Order now and start planning the journey of a lifetime. With the Transylvania Travel Guide 2024/2025 in hand, you're not just a tourist - you're an explorer, ready to uncover the heart and soul of one of Europe's most enchanting destinations. Don't just dream about Transylvania - experience it. Your adventure begins with the turn of a page. Read more

In 2003, when a mysterious ancient chamber was unearthed beneath the Romanian Sphinx in the Bucegi Mountains, it became a state secret of the highest level for Romania and their new partner, the United States, whose advanced technology enabled the discovery to take place. The primary custodial agency of this remarkable chamber full of holographic technology is Department Zero, a secret service unit that answers only to the Romanian president. Ever since, there has been a continuous and persistent effort by certain Romanian and American factions to undermine the authority of Department Zero in order to gain access to and control this technology.The Secret Parchment — Five Tibetan Initiation Techniques tells the story of the detailed political intrigues behind this remarkable find and also how these matters have been subject to intervention by superior spiritual forces, one of which concerns the arranged discovery of an ancient Tibetan manuscript which is revealed and explained in this book.After the ancient manuscript is translated, a mysteri- ous antenna-like structure reveals itself as a result of melting ice near a secret American base in Antarctica. Acting as some sort of cosmic buoy, it has an energy signature connecting both to Jupiter's moon, Europa, and an area of Transylvania where the remains of an ancient civilization were uncovered in 1990 amidst vast tunnels of solid gold. Long ago classified as the top state secret of Romania, this location becomes the center of intrigue in and around Department Zero. Although not actually penetrating the underground area itself, Peter Moon visits the general area and determines that this ancient civilization is still very much alive and active. Read more

The complex and fascinating story of Romania's 'turning of arms' against Nazi Germany, and the battle for Romania - an important but overlooked and misunderstood episode of World War II. The battle for Romania from March to September 1944 is a multifaceted story involving German, Romanian, Soviet, American, and British forces. Romania's defection from the Axis denied Nazi Germany not just resources (especially oil) but also turned the Romanian Army, formerly its most important support on the Eastern Front, from friend to foe. The fighting witnessed the German Sixth Army being destroyed for a second time (after Stalingrad).This in-depth work explores the strategic struggle within German-Romanian relations and the tactical development of the Battle of Romania. The detailed 2D maps and 3D diagrams guide you step-by-step through the Axis defence of Romania in March-May during the first Iasi-Chisinau offensive, the Allied campaign in April-August to assist the Soviets, the Axis collapse in August during the second Iasi-Chisinau offensive, the Romanian defeat of the attempted German counter-coup, and the final Soviet occupation of Romania. Period photographs from the Romanian archives and private collections, many never before seen, and stunning battlescene artworks bring to life the soldiers and materiel of the wide range of forces involved in this rarely explored Eastern Front campaign. Read more

“Sweeping and replete with alluring detail . . . [a] haunting yet ultimately optimistic examination of the human condition as found in Romania.”—Alison Smale, The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the New York Times bestselling author Robert D. Kaplan, named one of the world’s Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine, comes a riveting journey through one of Europe’s frontier countries—and a potent examination of the forces that will determine Europe’s fate in the postmodern age. Robert Kaplan first visited Romania in the 1970s, when he was a young journalist and the country was a bleak Communist backwater. It was one of the darkest corners of Europe, but few Westerners were paying attention. What ensued was a lifelong obsession with a critical, often overlooked country—a country that, today, is key to understanding the current threat that Russia poses to Europe. In Europe’s Shadow is a vivid blend of memoir, travelogue, journalism, and history, a masterly work thirty years in the making—the story of a journalist coming of age, and a country struggling to do the same. Through the lens of one country, Kaplan examines larger questions of geography, imperialism, the role of fate in international relations, the Cold War, the Holocaust, and more. Here Kaplan illuminates the fusion of the Latin West and the Greek East that created Romania, the country that gave rise to Ion Antonescu, Hitler’s chief foreign accomplice during World War II, and the country that was home to the most brutal strain of Communism under Nicolae Ceaușescu. Romania past and present are rendered in cinematic prose: the ashen faces of citizens waiting in bread lines in Cold War–era Bucharest; the Bărăgan Steppe, laid bare by centuries of foreign invasion; the grim labor camps of the Black Sea Canal; the majestic Gothic church spires of Transylvania and Maramureş. Kaplan finds himself in dialogue with the great thinkers of the past, and with the Romanians of today, the philosophers, priests, and politicians—those who struggle to keep the flame of humanism alive in the era of a resurgent Russia. Upon his return to Romania in 2013 and 2014, Kaplan found the country transformed yet again—now a traveler’s destination shaped by Western tastes, yet still emerging from the long shadows of Hitler and Stalin. In Europe’s Shadow is the story of an ideological and geographic frontier—and the book you must read in order to truly understand the crisis Europe faces, from Russia and from within. Read more

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The story of the diverse communities of Eastern Europe’s borderlands in the centuries prior to World War II   “A powerful combination of history and personal memoir. . . . A richly contextual, skillfully woven historical study.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)   Focusing on the former province of Galicia, this book tells the story of Europe’s eastern borderlands, stretching from the Baltic to the Balkans, through the eyes of the diverse communities of migrants who settled there for centuries and were murdered or forcibly removed from the borderlands in the course of World War II and its aftermath. Omer Bartov explores the fates and hopes, dreams and disillusionment of the people who lived there, and, through the stories they told about themselves, reconstructs who they were, where they came from, and where they were heading. It was on the borderlands that the expanding great empires—German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman—overlapped, clashed, and disintegrated. The civilization of these borderlands was a mix of multiple cultures, languages, ethnic groups, religions, and nations that similarly overlapped and clashed. The borderlands became the cradle of modernity. Looking back at it tells us where we came from. Read more

This intriguing book describes the Romans' formidably warlike enemies in modern Romania and Bulgaria – their 'most illustrated' opponents, thanks to friezes on Trajan's Column and carvings on Trajan's Adamklissi monument.Formidable warriors, able to field tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry and led by a military aristocracy, the Dacians and Getae presented a real threat to Rome's north-eastern frontier. They inflicted several defeats on Rome, crossing the Danube to invade the province of Moesia, and later stubbornly resisting counter-invasions from their strong mountain fortresses.Historians believe that the Dacians and Getae were essentially the same group of tribes during successive periods, related to Thracian tribes from territory south of the Carpathian Mountains, but their exact relationship in place and time is a subject for debate. Those called the 'Getae' by ancient Greek sources were actively expanding by at least the 4th century BC; some enlisted as mercenaries in Roman armies during the 1st century BC, and others later clashed with the army of Augustus, fighting alongside the Sarmatians. The people whom the Romans called the 'Dacians' are best known from wars against the emperors Domitian in AD 85–89 and Trajan in 101–106. At their peak, the Dacians and Getae defeated neighbouring peoples stretching from modern Slovakia to southern Ukraine and it is believed that the effectiveness of their weapons caused modifications in Roman infantry armour. Although most direct ancient sources have been lost to us, enough references remain to reconstruct a picture of their society and culture. Using previously unseen photos of archaeological finds with colour illustrations showing the appearance and weaponry of their warrior kings, noblemen, infantry and cavalry, this detailed book draws upon the latest literary and archaeological research to provide a complete account of these fascinating fighters. Read more

Throughout history, the Balkans have been a crossroads, a zone of endless military, cultural and economic mixing and clashing between Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam, Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Subject to violent shifts of borders, rulers and belief systems at the hands of the world's great empires--from the Byzantine to the Habsburg and Ottoman--the Balkans are often called Europe's tinderbox and a seething cauldron of ethnic and religious resentments.         Much has been made of the Balkans' deeply rooted enmities. The recent destruction of the former Yugoslavia was widely ascribed to millennial hatreds frozen by the Cold War and unleashed with the fall of communism. In this brilliant account, acclaimed historian Mark Mazower argues that such a view is a dangerously unbalanced fantasy. A landmark reassessment, The Balkans rescues the region's history from the various ideological camps that have held it hostage for their own ends, not least the need to justify nonintervention. The heart of the book deals with events from the emergence of the nation-state onward. With searing eloquence, Mazower demonstrates that of all the gifts bequeathed to the region by modernity, the most dubious has been the ideological weapon of romantic nationalism that has been used again and again by the power hungry as an acid to dissolve the bonds of centuries of peaceful coexistence. The Balkans is a magnificent depiction of a vitally important region, its history and its prospects. Read more