Best Romania History Books
Here you will get Best Romania History Books For you.This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
1. Until the Eyes Shut: Memories of a machine gunner on the Eastern Front, 1943-45
Author: by Andreas Hartinger
English
175 pages
1697262341
The veteran tells his grandson about his World War 2 experiences, without pathos, but with gripping, brutal honesty. What awaits the reader:Deeply shocked and heartbroken, we continued on our way back.I had had enough. Enough of the killing. Enough of the dying.
In the eyes of the Alsatian I saw a question I was also asking myself. When would this terrible war come to an end, the cannons fall silent, the armories shut down? When would we finally be able to return to life instead of crawling, slaying, and destroying?
He lived through the whole day and finally died the following night. During this time, he kept calling for help. Just before he died, he thought he saw his mother and calmed down a bit. I rested my hand on his shoulder.
I did not want him to die alone. He finally left our world with his eyes wide open and his hands pressed over his intestines. My baptism of fire was the most incisive event of my life. Nothing was ever going to be the same.
My youthful carefreeness had vanished under the impact of dread and orchestrated mass destruction. SynopsisThe rulers’ mistakes are paid for with the blood of the people. This is shown in history both recent and ancient, time and time again. It was no different for an Austrian mountain farmer’s son who was thrown into the carnage of the Eastern Front.
2. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History
Author: by Robert D. Kaplan
Picador (May 1, 2005)
English
384 pages
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.
3. The Great Betrayal: The Great Siege of Constantinople
Author: by Ernle Bradford
B00J84KTNC
April 1, 2014
English
An engrossing chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the fall of the Holy Roman Empire, from the bestselling author of Thermopylae. At the dawn of the thirteenth century, Constantinople stood as the bastion of Christianity in Eastern Europe. The capital city of the Byzantine Empire, it was a center of art, culture, and commerce that had commanded trading routes between Asia, Russia, and Europe for hundreds of years.
But in 1204, the city suffered a devastating attack that would spell the end of the Holy Roman Empire. The army of the Fourth Crusade had set out to reclaim Jerusalem, but under the sway of their Venetian patrons, the crusaders diverted from their path in order to lay siege to Constantinople.
With longstanding tensions between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, the crusaders set arms against their Christian neighbors, destroying a vital alliance between Eastern and Western Rome. In The Great Betrayal, historian Ernle Bradford brings to life this powerful tale of envy and greed, demonstrating the far-reaching consequences this siege would have across Europe for centuries to come.
4. Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe
Author: by Deborah Cadbury
PublicAffairs
English
416 pages
A captivating exploration of the role in which Queen Victoria exerted the most international power and influence: as a matchmaking grandmother. As her reign approached its sixth decade, Queen Victoria’s grandchildren numbered over thirty, and to maintain and increase British royal power, she was determined to maneuver them into a series of dynastic marriages with the royal houses of Europe.
Yet for all their apparent obedience, her grandchildren often had plans of their own, fueled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Victoria’s matchmaking plans were further complicated by the tumultuous international upheavals of the time: revolution and war were in the air, and kings and queens, princes and princesses were vulnerable targets.
Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Europe from London to Saint Petersburg, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions to enthralling effect. It is at once an intimate portrait of a royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the marriages the Queen arranged.
5. Red Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus' Crimes, Lifestyle, and Corruption (Cold War Classics)
Author: by Ion Mihai Pacepa
Regnery History
English
456 pages
In 1987, Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, the highest ranking defector ever from the Eastern bloc, published RED HORIZONS, his expose of the unchecked power and corruption of Nicolae Ceausecu, then the Romanian President and Romanian Communist Party General Secretary, and his wife, Elena.
Pacepa’s intention was to bring down the Ceausescu regime and liberate his daughter, whom he had to leave behind in Romania. When Ceausescu was told of Pacepa’s defection, he suffered a nervous breakdown and ordered Pacepa killed. Ceausescu’s murder squads never succeeded in tracking down Pacepa, who remained in hiding in the U.S.
Not long after the publication of RED HORIZONS, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty began their campaigns to broadcast the book into Romania. On Christmas Day, 1989, Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu were executed by military forces who had joined the Romanian people in a spontaneous revolt against one of the most oppressive regimes in the world, bringing an abrupt end to 24 years of Communist tyranny.
6. A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich: The Extraordinary Story of Fritz Kolbe, America's Most Important Spy in World War II
Author: by Lucas Delattre
0802142311
English
320 pages
In 1943 a young official from the German foreign ministry contacted Allen Dulles, an OSS officer in Switzerland who would later head the Central Intelligence Agency. That man was Fritz Kolbe, who had decided to betray his country after years of opposing Nazism.
While Dulles was skeptical, Kolbe’s information was such that he eventually admitted, “No single diplomat abroad, of whatever rank, could have got his hands on so much information as did this man; he was one of my most valuable agents during World War II.” Using recently declassified materials at the U.S.
National Archives and Kolbe’s personal papers, Lucas Delattre has produced a work of remarkable scholarship that moves with the swift pace of a Le Carr thriller.
7. The Balkans: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)
Author: by Mark Mazower
Modern Library
English
240 pages
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. In this highly acclaimed short history, Mark Mazower sheds light on what has been called the tinderbox of Europe, whose troubles have ignited wider wars for hundreds of years.
Focusing on events from the emergence of the nation-state onward, The Balkans reveals with piercing clarity the historical roots of current conflicts and gives a landmark reassessment of the region’s history, from the world wars and the Cold War to the collapse of communism, the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and the continuing search for stability in southeastern Europe.
8. Romania – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture (83)
Author: by Debbie Stowe
Kuperard
English
168 pages
A land of mountains, hills, and fertile plains, Romania is a tourist destination waiting to be discovered. It is a rich and complex country: a place whose cities are home to beautiful parks and vibrant cultural scenes; whose people welcome guests warmly into their homes, sharing the best of whatever they have, and party into the night, suffused by Latin joie de vivre.
Buffeted over time between three great powersthe West, Russia, and TurkeyRomania betrays the cultural influences of each, and it can be a difficult place to get a handle on.Culture Smart! Romania provides an indispensable tool for the foreign visitor, digging deep behind the clichs, explaining many of the behavioral quirks of the people, smoothing your path toward better understanding, and outlining the many attractionscultural, social, and geographicalthat await you in this underexplored part of Europe.
9. Vlad the Impaler: A Captivating Guide to How Vlad III Dracula Became One of the Most Crucial Rulers of Wallachia and His Impact on the History of Romania
Author: by Captivating History
English
112 pages
1647488176
If you want to discover the captivating history of Vlad the Impaler, then keep reading… The Balkans were the home of both the vampiric stories and a monarch, whose name became synonymous with drinking blood and avoiding sunlight. That monarch was Vlad, the third ruler of Wallachia to hold that name, the second ruler to be associated with the Order of the Dragon, and the first ruler to be associated with a gruesome act, that of impalement.
The bulk of the book will deal with what Vlad’s political career looked like, what wars he waged, and how his life eventually ended. But we’ll go one step beyond and cover some areas that historians don’t typically focus on.
In addition to raw facts, we’ll also focus on what Vlad III’s character was, what drove him forward, and what his chief traits might have been. In addition, we will give a much-needed focus on his successors and what life was like in Wallachia after his passing.
Furthermore, you’ll also get a glimpse into some of the most popular myths and legends about Vlad III, some of which were written and passed on by both his supporters and his bitter enemies. All of these are needed to get as complete an image of Vlad as possible, which will help us understand what kind of man he was and what kind of impact his life had on those around him, as well as those who came after him.
10. Ploesti 1943: The great raid on Hitler's Romanian oil refineries (Air Campaign)
Author: by Steven J. Zaloga
English
96 pages
1472831802
A new study of one of the most famous, costly, and strategically vital air operations of World War II, the United States’ great airstrike against Nazi Germany’s oil refineries. Operation Tidal Wave was one of the boldest and most controversial air raids by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).
At the time, the Romanian Ploesti oil fields produced about a third of all Axis oil, and was Germany’s single most important fuel source. In the summer of 1943, the USAAF decided to stage a major raid on Ploesti from air bases in Libya.
The resulting Operation Tidal Wave raid on 1 August 1943 was one of the costliest to date, losing 53 aircraft, about a third of the starting force. Of the more than 150 bombers that took part in the raid, only 88 B-24s returned to Libya, 55 of which were damaged.
On the other hand, of the 17 Medals of Honor awarded to US soldiers and airmen from Pearl Harbor in 1941 to D-Day in 1944, 5 were awarded to pilots of the Tidal Wave mission in recognition of their extraordinary performance. Although undoubtedly bold and heroic, the mission had questionable results.
11. History of Romania: A Captivating Guide to Romanian History, Including Events Such as the First Roman–Dacian War, Raids of Vlad III Dracula against the Ottoman Empire, the Great War, and World War 2
Author: by Captivating History
B08SK2BFRS
January 8, 2021
English
Do you want to discover more about the country that inspired the story of Dracula? Then dive into the captivating history of Romania! Free History BONUS Inside! Romania was internationally recognized in 1878, but its history is much older. To understand the people who inhabit this country, one must go back thousands of years and meet the first king who united the local tribes, Burebista.
He and his successor, Decebal, warred against Roman legions, and although they displayed extraordinary bravery and military prowess, it wasn’t enough to preserve their independence. In this book, you will discover how Romania developed from a distant Roman province on the fringes of the Roman Empire to a modern state in eastern Europe, one ready to adopt Western values.
Romania lies on Europe’s eastern border, and as such, it is often neglected in history. Although it is a culturally very rich country, the world displayed little interest in its promotion. By reading this captivating history of Romania, you will learn about the turbulent past of the region, the many wars it fought, and the people who led them.
12. A Concise History of Romania (Cambridge Concise Histories)
Author: by Keith Hitchins
English
327 pages
0521694132
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.
13. The Great Cauldron: A History of Southeastern Europe
Author: by Marie-Janine Calic
Harvard University Press
English
736 pages
A sweeping history of southeastern Europe from antiquity to the present that reveals it to be a vibrant crossroads of trade, ideas, and religions. We often think of the Balkans as a region beset by turmoil and backwardness, but from late antiquity to the present it has been a dynamic meeting place of cultures and religions.
Combining deep insight with narrative flair, The Great Cauldron invites us to reconsider the history of this intriguing, diverse region as essential to the story of global Europe. Marie-Janine Calic reveals the many ways in which southeastern Europe’s position at the crossroads of East and West shaped continental and global developments.
The nascent merchant capitalism of the Mediterranean world helped the Balkan knights fight the Ottomans in the fifteenth century. The deep pull of nationalism led a young Serbian bookworm to spark the conflagration of World War I. The late twentieth century saw political Islam spread like wildfire in a region where Christians and Muslims had long lived side by side.
14
Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula
Author: by Dr. Kurt Treptow
English
252 pages
1592110282
The fifteenth century Romanian Prince Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is one of the most fascinating personalities of medieval history. Already during his own lifetime, his true story became obscured by a veil of myths. As a result, he has been portrayed both as a bloody tyrant who degenerated down throughout the centuries into the fictional vampire of the same name created by Bram Stoker at the end of the nineteenth century and as a national and Christian hero who bravely fought to defend his native land and all of Europe against the invading Turkish infidels.
Even in more recent historiography, the true history of Dracula has been obscured by Communist and nationalist historiography. This revised second edition of the book widely considered to be the most serious comprehensive study of the historical Dracula, presents the life and times of this remarkable figure of medieval Europe.
The author uses all extant Romanian, Turkish, Russian, and German sources to reconstruct the history of this famous prince who, despite his short reign, created a name for himself in the history of his own country, as well as in world history.
15. In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires
Author: by Radu Florescu
Mariner Books
English
320 pages
The true story behind the legend of Dracula – a biography of Prince Vlad of Transylvania, better known as Vlad the Impaler. This revised edition now includes entries from Bram Stoker’s recently discovered diaries, the amazing tale of Nicolae Ceausescu’s attempt to make Vlad a national hero, and an examination of recent adaptations in fiction, stage and screen.
16. Vlad III Dracula: The Life and Times of the Historical Dracula
Author: by Dr. Kurt Treptow
Gaudium (April 6, 2021)
English
296 pages
The fifteenth century Romanian Prince Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is one of the most fascinating personalities of medieval history. Already during his own lifetime, his true story became obscured by a veil of myths. As a result, he has been portrayed both as a bloody tyrant who degenerated down throughout the centuries into the fictional vampire of the same name created by Bram Stoker at the end of the nineteenth century and as a national and Christian hero who bravely fought to defend his native land and all of Europe against the invading Turkish infidels.
Even in more recent historiography, the true history of Dracula has been obscured by Communist and nationalist historiography. This revised second edition of the book widely considered to be the most serious comprehensive study of the historical Dracula, presents the life and times of this remarkable figure of medieval Europe.
The author uses all extant Romanian, Turkish, Russian, and German sources to reconstruct the history of this famous prince who, despite his short reign, created a name for himself in the history of his own country, as well as in world history.
