Description

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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

'Will leave you astonished, exhausted and curious... An unapologetic page turner' Spectator

'Essential reading for anyone interested in Romania past and present' John Simpson

'An engaging introduction to the rich history [of Romania]' New Statesman

Balanced precariously on the shifting fault line between East and West, Romania's 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 it 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: the corrupt and mentally unbalanced King Carol; the fascist death cult led by Corneliu Codreanu; the vain General Ion Antonescu. 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.

About the Author

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Paul Kenyon is a distinguished BBC correspondent and BAFTA award-winning journalist and author. He has reported from danger-zones around the world for BBC Panorama, pushing the boundaries of investigative journalism and asking the questions many wouldn't dare – from tackling Gaddafi's son in a cage full of lions, to secretly filming Iran's secret nuclear sites. Kenyon is the recipient of an Association of International Broadcasters Award, three Royal Television Society awards, and is the author of Dictatorland, a Financial Times Book of the Year. He lives in London with his wife, Flavia.

Praise For…

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“Kenyon relates all this with verve [and] humour... He patiently untangles the complicated webs of loyalty and enmity, that crisscrossed the royal court, the military camarilla and the politburo alike'” —Literary Review

“A witty and page-turning narrative full of grotesque characters” —Misha Glenny

“Paul Kenyon sweeps away the myths of romance and horror that cling to this fascinating and mysterious country” —Allan Little

“Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Romania past and present” —John Simpson

“This is a book that will leave you astonished, exhausted and curious... An unapologetic page turner'” —Spectator

“Witty and fluid, Kenyon's prose is readable without being superficial. His book is an engaging introduction to the rich history of a country that is often stereotyped and misunderstood” —New Statesman

“Paul Kenyon's book delves into this history, bringing to life a rogues' gallery of characters” —BBC History Magazine

“This is an extraordinary book... It is deeply researched and richly documented... Thanks to this book [Romania] is infinitely better understood'” —The Critic