What do you think?
Rate this book
Children of the Night: The Strange and Epic Story of Modern Romania
The only country in Eastern Europe to speak a Latin language, Romania has always felt itself different, and its unique fate has been to experience some of the most disastrous leaderships of the last century. In the First World War her German king remained neutral until 1916. The interwar rulers form a gallery of bizarre characters and movements: the corrupt King Carol; the antisemitic Iron Guard led by Corneliu Codreanu; the vain general Ion Antonescu who seized power in 1940 and led the country into alliance with Nazi Germany. After 1945 power was handed over to Romania's tiny communist party, under whom it experienced severe repression, purges and collectivization.
Then in 1964, Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power. And thus began the strangest dictatorship in recent European history.
Children of the Night is also a personal discovery of this extraordinary country, bringing together Paul Kenyon's eye for the private vices and kleptocratic tendencies of despots with a heartfelt exploration of the fate of one Romanian family in particular.
Then in 1964, Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power. And thus began the strangest dictatorship in recent European history.
Children of the Night is also a personal discovery of this extraordinary country, bringing together Paul Kenyon's eye for the private vices and kleptocratic tendencies of despots with a heartfelt exploration of the fate of one Romanian family in particular.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
About the author
Paul Kenyon
3 books99 followersPaul Kenyon is a best-selling author and BAFTA winning journalist. He has reported from danger zones around the world for the BBC, making more than fifty documentaries and writing widely about his experiences. He reported from Ukraine in 2022 and 2014, and on the Libyan Civil War throughout 2011. He famously travelled the most dangerous migration route in the world, from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe, giving a compassionate insight into the lives of young Africans risking all for a better life. His film-making is noted for its irreverent style and his confrontations with the rich and powerful. During the Libyan Civil War, he tackled Gaddafi's son as he fed his pet lions. In Haiti he faked his own death and funeral to expose a gang of fraudsters. As well as Africa, Kenyon has travelled extensively in Eastern Europe, and describes Romania as his spiritual home after having met his wife there shortly after the revolution.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
November 14, 2022
This book was twenty-six years in the making. It tells of a country which is uniquely situated between the great ideologies, religions and political blocs of the world. I had always wanted to travel to Romania, seduced by the mixture of fairytales, Cold War politics, and the lost Fin de siècle glamor of the place. I got my chance when I attended an ambassadorial party in Bucharest after the revolution, and met the girl I would later marry.
It is controversial, I know, to begin with the story of Vlad Tepes - Dracula. As soon as the book was published I received critical emails and reviews from historians. They are right. I used Dracula as a way into an otherwise unfamiliar landscape, to bring a new audience to the story of Romania. For that I make no apologies. Otherwise, the country's history remains dry and inaccessible and debated only by academics exchanging arcane pet theories between themselves. In other words, it remains an elitist minority pursuit, rather than an open book for all to know and to try to understand.
My style is historical narrative. I believe description of place and character are crucial to help readers immerse themselves in the subject matter. I transport my audience into Ceausescu's politburo meetings, through the wildly corrupt court of King Carol II, along the secret passageways of Dracula's castle, into the bed chamber of the British-born Queen Marie, and through the swastika-festooned meeting rooms of the mystical cult of the Iron Guard.
I hope you enjoy.
It is controversial, I know, to begin with the story of Vlad Tepes - Dracula. As soon as the book was published I received critical emails and reviews from historians. They are right. I used Dracula as a way into an otherwise unfamiliar landscape, to bring a new audience to the story of Romania. For that I make no apologies. Otherwise, the country's history remains dry and inaccessible and debated only by academics exchanging arcane pet theories between themselves. In other words, it remains an elitist minority pursuit, rather than an open book for all to know and to try to understand.
My style is historical narrative. I believe description of place and character are crucial to help readers immerse themselves in the subject matter. I transport my audience into Ceausescu's politburo meetings, through the wildly corrupt court of King Carol II, along the secret passageways of Dracula's castle, into the bed chamber of the British-born Queen Marie, and through the swastika-festooned meeting rooms of the mystical cult of the Iron Guard.
I hope you enjoy.
October 15, 2021
This is very much a popular history book. It reads almost like a novel and the author is clearly a talented storyteller, it's one of the most readable history books out there. It's the perfect book for someone that has a curiosity about Romanian history but does not know much about it and prefers not to read dry historical tomes.
The book traces modern history of Romania from the XIXth century to the present day and focuses on the major characters that influenced said history. Each era has its major heroes and villains:
- the early XXth century has the Hochenzollern royal family and especially the playboy king Carol II
- the 1930s see the rise of fascism and has the messiah of the Romanian fascist movement Corneliu Zelea Codreanu
- the 1940s have the controversial field marshal Ion Antonescu and his involvement of Romania in World War II and the holocaust
- the late 1940s and early 1950s have the Communism takeover of Gheorghiu-Dej and his rival Ana Pauker with their purge of Romanian society and mass imprisonment
- the 1965 - 1989 period has the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu which started with a liberalisation but ended in famine, poverty and a bloody revolution
The author tries to link these major historical figures of the XXth century who had a dictatorial or criminal streak with Vlad the Impaler. As such, there are always parallels back to Vlad. This is entertaining for the layman that is just interested in a fun read, however to someone seriously interested in history it can be a bit jarring. The book starts with the history of Vlad the Impaler's reign in the XV century but then skips straight through the XIXth century. There is really no rhyme or reason why the history of Vlad's reign was included while other more important events were skipped other than the entertainment value. Also, there is only so many times the author can mention that some event or other happened close to Vlad the Impaler's capital or castle until it gets a bit old.
However, if someone is interested in hard historical facts there a few downsides in the book. The author has clearly researched the history of Romania in the XXth century. But there are quite a few historical inaccuracies when he refers to the history prior to his time period. For example, he mentions the King Carol the first Romanian king was 54 when he ascended the throne, he was actually 27. IG Duca is mentioned as the first Romanian prime minister to be assassinated, which is incorrect, he was actually the second. The first was Barbu Catargiu who was assassinated in 1862. There is also the perpetuation of Bran Castle and Dracula with the author claiming this is where Vlad's troops waited for the Ottomans to attack. This is incorrect, Bran castle was built and owned by the Hungarian crown and was never garrisoned by Wallachian troops.
The ending of the book was also a bit sudden. In the last pages there are some odd comments about the modern day politicians, especially the former prime minister Adrian Nastase who is described as visionary despite the fact that he was known as the most corrupt prime ministers in the country's history and was the first prime minister to actually serve jail time for corruption.
Despite its shortcomings Children of the Night is a highly readable and entertaining book and is a great introduction into modern Romanian history.
The book traces modern history of Romania from the XIXth century to the present day and focuses on the major characters that influenced said history. Each era has its major heroes and villains:
- the early XXth century has the Hochenzollern royal family and especially the playboy king Carol II
- the 1930s see the rise of fascism and has the messiah of the Romanian fascist movement Corneliu Zelea Codreanu
- the 1940s have the controversial field marshal Ion Antonescu and his involvement of Romania in World War II and the holocaust
- the late 1940s and early 1950s have the Communism takeover of Gheorghiu-Dej and his rival Ana Pauker with their purge of Romanian society and mass imprisonment
- the 1965 - 1989 period has the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu which started with a liberalisation but ended in famine, poverty and a bloody revolution
The author tries to link these major historical figures of the XXth century who had a dictatorial or criminal streak with Vlad the Impaler. As such, there are always parallels back to Vlad. This is entertaining for the layman that is just interested in a fun read, however to someone seriously interested in history it can be a bit jarring. The book starts with the history of Vlad the Impaler's reign in the XV century but then skips straight through the XIXth century. There is really no rhyme or reason why the history of Vlad's reign was included while other more important events were skipped other than the entertainment value. Also, there is only so many times the author can mention that some event or other happened close to Vlad the Impaler's capital or castle until it gets a bit old.
However, if someone is interested in hard historical facts there a few downsides in the book. The author has clearly researched the history of Romania in the XXth century. But there are quite a few historical inaccuracies when he refers to the history prior to his time period. For example, he mentions the King Carol the first Romanian king was 54 when he ascended the throne, he was actually 27. IG Duca is mentioned as the first Romanian prime minister to be assassinated, which is incorrect, he was actually the second. The first was Barbu Catargiu who was assassinated in 1862. There is also the perpetuation of Bran Castle and Dracula with the author claiming this is where Vlad's troops waited for the Ottomans to attack. This is incorrect, Bran castle was built and owned by the Hungarian crown and was never garrisoned by Wallachian troops.
The ending of the book was also a bit sudden. In the last pages there are some odd comments about the modern day politicians, especially the former prime minister Adrian Nastase who is described as visionary despite the fact that he was known as the most corrupt prime ministers in the country's history and was the first prime minister to actually serve jail time for corruption.
Despite its shortcomings Children of the Night is a highly readable and entertaining book and is a great introduction into modern Romanian history.
October 20, 2022
If you know absolutely nothing about Romanian history and want the Cliff notes, I guess it's fine. It reads like a thriller, it's easy to follow, for the most part gets the information right and what can I say, it's hella entertaining. As the historical version of pop science, it does its job well. It seems like plenty of folks want to know more and you know what? I'm all for it.
I understand it's hard to cram about 100 years or so of wars, dictatorships, genocide, revolutions, and more in a decent-sized, readable book. You can't just put everything in it. But I still found some choices off.. and a bit cringe to be honest.
EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO DRACULA. Look, I am ok with the preamble presenting a short story of Vlad Tepes. But then, whenever anyone does something, the author needs to remind us how far they were from Vlad 's castle or burial site or place of a battle. I am pretty sure the story at hand is interesting enough, people don't need memberberries.
The last chapter reads like something the author had to get out in the last 10 minutes before sending the manuscript to the publisher. It's just bad. Besides casting doubt on whether some pretty infamously corrupt politicians deserved to go to jail or not, he also says Romania is cool nowadays, I mean ignore all the blood and guts, now they work in corporations and paint stuff! Ugh.
And my last qualm is about research. The editor that published the book in Romanian signalled some glaring mistakes in the notes, while I found a few others, the biggest of which is attributing the Iasi pogrom to German soldiers. The bibliography is also flimsy at best. The fact that one of the biggest reference points to Ceausescu's era is Pacepa, a fascinating guy, but with a well known tendency to blend truths and lies, is not a good look. We were specifically told in university to read his books as based on real events and not as sources.
But I did get one learning point out of all of this. It's a good time for me to go back to all the pop history books I read about other countries and dig further. Their role is only to open the door, then it's your job to delve further.
I understand it's hard to cram about 100 years or so of wars, dictatorships, genocide, revolutions, and more in a decent-sized, readable book. You can't just put everything in it. But I still found some choices off.. and a bit cringe to be honest.
EVERYTHING IS RELATED TO DRACULA. Look, I am ok with the preamble presenting a short story of Vlad Tepes. But then, whenever anyone does something, the author needs to remind us how far they were from Vlad 's castle or burial site or place of a battle. I am pretty sure the story at hand is interesting enough, people don't need memberberries.
The last chapter reads like something the author had to get out in the last 10 minutes before sending the manuscript to the publisher. It's just bad. Besides casting doubt on whether some pretty infamously corrupt politicians deserved to go to jail or not, he also says Romania is cool nowadays, I mean ignore all the blood and guts, now they work in corporations and paint stuff! Ugh.
And my last qualm is about research. The editor that published the book in Romanian signalled some glaring mistakes in the notes, while I found a few others, the biggest of which is attributing the Iasi pogrom to German soldiers. The bibliography is also flimsy at best. The fact that one of the biggest reference points to Ceausescu's era is Pacepa, a fascinating guy, but with a well known tendency to blend truths and lies, is not a good look. We were specifically told in university to read his books as based on real events and not as sources.
But I did get one learning point out of all of this. It's a good time for me to go back to all the pop history books I read about other countries and dig further. Their role is only to open the door, then it's your job to delve further.
August 4, 2024
Fabuloasă carte! M-a făcut să pierd câteva nopți bune și astfel a devenit lejer una dintre preferatele mele! La aproape fiecare pagină mă opream puțin să asimilez informațiile și mă întrebam oare de ce unele lucruri nu le știam deja din școală, dar răspunsul l-am găsit imediat. Pentru că școala românească încă are frânturi din comunism și nu vrea să le știi, trebuie să le cauți singur.
Numărul mare de pagini și faptul că este o carte istorică ar putea speria și ar putea da impresia de ceva greoi, dar lectura curge foarte ușor pentru că este scrisă ca un roman și dacă ești câtuși de puțin interesat de istoria României te va prinde imediat. Începe cu istorisiri despre Vlad Țepeș și Transilvania și continuă cu viața Reginei Maria încă de la venirea ei din Marea Britanie, cu luptele și ascensiunea legionarilor la putere, cele două războaie mondiale, Antonescu, Ceaușescu, comuniști, asasinate, revoluție și o istorie întreagă. Fabulos volum!
Pe lângă toată lauda adusă cărții, am și un mic reproș. După ce toate personajele sunt descrise în amănunțime pentru a înțelege de unde vin, cum s-au format și care a fost viața lor, la finalul cărții, după zeci de pagini cu comunism și Ceaușeșcu, Ion Iliescu apare parcă de nicăieri și preia puterea, practic un moment crucial în istoria României. Asta ar fi singura mea dezamăgire, că ascensiunea lui și lumea din care venea nu au fost relatate la fel ca toate celelalte. Exceptând acest lucru pe care autorul probabil nu l-a considerat relevant sau poate că s-a grăbit să încheie o muncă de 27 de ani, atât cât menționează că a durat scrierea, pentru mine cartea rămâne de +5*!
Numărul mare de pagini și faptul că este o carte istorică ar putea speria și ar putea da impresia de ceva greoi, dar lectura curge foarte ușor pentru că este scrisă ca un roman și dacă ești câtuși de puțin interesat de istoria României te va prinde imediat. Începe cu istorisiri despre Vlad Țepeș și Transilvania și continuă cu viața Reginei Maria încă de la venirea ei din Marea Britanie, cu luptele și ascensiunea legionarilor la putere, cele două războaie mondiale, Antonescu, Ceaușescu, comuniști, asasinate, revoluție și o istorie întreagă. Fabulos volum!
Pe lângă toată lauda adusă cărții, am și un mic reproș. După ce toate personajele sunt descrise în amănunțime pentru a înțelege de unde vin, cum s-au format și care a fost viața lor, la finalul cărții, după zeci de pagini cu comunism și Ceaușeșcu, Ion Iliescu apare parcă de nicăieri și preia puterea, practic un moment crucial în istoria României. Asta ar fi singura mea dezamăgire, că ascensiunea lui și lumea din care venea nu au fost relatate la fel ca toate celelalte. Exceptând acest lucru pe care autorul probabil nu l-a considerat relevant sau poate că s-a grăbit să încheie o muncă de 27 de ani, atât cât menționează că a durat scrierea, pentru mine cartea rămâne de +5*!
January 4, 2023
Amazing book! O lectura care imbina armonios scrisul tehnic cu narațiunea. O carte pe care nu iti vine sa o lasi pana nu ajungi in zilele noastre si care sintetizează istoria României moderne, pe alocuri cu pasaje “amuzante” din spatele Cortinei de Fier.
November 25, 2022
Amazing book! I was born right after Ceausescu’s death and left Romania when I was 6. I learned a lot about my country from my family, and I think this book is a very unbiased review of Romania’s modern history. It also sheds so much light on aspects that even my parents didn’t know much about (because of communist censorship). I am ashamed by the atrocities committed by some Romanians but also have a much deeper appreciation for those Romanians that lived through unfathomably difficult times and were able to stand up to an oppressive regime.
It was a very engaging read that goes into enough detail to really understand the nuances of the geo-political/political/military situations described but it is never dull. On the contrary, it’s beautifully written in a very engaging manner that brings all the characters to life. Kenyon’s approach of including his wife’s family’s personal experiences throughout the 20th century offers the reader unique insights and incredibly moving moments. I am sure an entire book can be written on the revolution of 1989, however I would have liked a little bit more detail on those final days, maybe tackling some of myths around who was really behind all the chaos in Bucharest as well as the political manoeuvring that led to the Romania of the 90s. Nonetheless, this was a very educational and entertaining read, and highly recommended!
It was a very engaging read that goes into enough detail to really understand the nuances of the geo-political/political/military situations described but it is never dull. On the contrary, it’s beautifully written in a very engaging manner that brings all the characters to life. Kenyon’s approach of including his wife’s family’s personal experiences throughout the 20th century offers the reader unique insights and incredibly moving moments. I am sure an entire book can be written on the revolution of 1989, however I would have liked a little bit more detail on those final days, maybe tackling some of myths around who was really behind all the chaos in Bucharest as well as the political manoeuvring that led to the Romania of the 90s. Nonetheless, this was a very educational and entertaining read, and highly recommended!
March 5, 2024
Amazing. I learnt so much about my own country and its enfant terribles leading characters. I left Romania at 11 yrs old and have had many of the communist stories of Ceausescu times told to me by my family. As a 3 year old, I remember the shocking footage of the Ceausescu couple being shot on live TV. The excitement of the new order which alas, wasn't to be, President Constantinescu being elected and doing much of nothing, my dad playing over and over again a revolutionist vinyl at parties when tipsy, my grandmother still so afraid that the Securitatea is listening to our phone calls...
What I really didn't know anything about was the shocking history of pre-war Romania, the Legionaires, the crazy fascist bandits running rampage in the country. Our German lent Kings and their much-left-to-be-desired behaviour. I definitely have my homework cut out for me as I will go on researching more of this history. Thanks to Paul Kenyon for marrying a Romanian and being fascinated enough with our history to relate it in such a page turner of a book, more chilling than a thriller. Real life always is.
The history seems so unbelievably...bad and bleak, I had to get the book for my grandmother in Romanian and my dad. Now to cross check it against their knowledge and wisdoms, them having lived through it all.
Petition for Paul Kenyon to write a similar book on all surrounding Eastern European countries, in the hope that perhaps... we might not be the worst. Here's a dim hope!
Bravo to the author. Much needed easy to read book, a delight to find amongst the dry and crusty volumes of our history books. Now to cross check him. To books, 'comrade'!
What I really didn't know anything about was the shocking history of pre-war Romania, the Legionaires, the crazy fascist bandits running rampage in the country. Our German lent Kings and their much-left-to-be-desired behaviour. I definitely have my homework cut out for me as I will go on researching more of this history. Thanks to Paul Kenyon for marrying a Romanian and being fascinated enough with our history to relate it in such a page turner of a book, more chilling than a thriller. Real life always is.
The history seems so unbelievably...bad and bleak, I had to get the book for my grandmother in Romanian and my dad. Now to cross check it against their knowledge and wisdoms, them having lived through it all.
Petition for Paul Kenyon to write a similar book on all surrounding Eastern European countries, in the hope that perhaps... we might not be the worst. Here's a dim hope!
Bravo to the author. Much needed easy to read book, a delight to find amongst the dry and crusty volumes of our history books. Now to cross check him. To books, 'comrade'!
September 2, 2023
Trigger warnings: death, antisemitism, Holocaust, murder, execution
I read a book last year about the fall of Communism in Romania - I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys - and it made me realise that I know very little about Romania's history despite having been there and despite having read that book already. So I picked this up on a whim, determine to find out more.
And more I did find, although I will say that though this starts out with Vlad Dracul, it predominantly focuses on Romania in the 20th century, from a monarchy closely tied to the rest of Europe's monarchies through Queen Victoria's seemingly endless number of grandchildren to the Second World War to a Communist dictatorship. Again, I knew nothing about Romania's involvement in the Second World War, so that was fascinating (and horrifying).
All in all, I'm really glad I read this and I enjoyed how the author included the story of his wife and her father in telling Romania's story, adding the story of ordinary people to the story of the country's political changes.
I read a book last year about the fall of Communism in Romania - I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys - and it made me realise that I know very little about Romania's history despite having been there and despite having read that book already. So I picked this up on a whim, determine to find out more.
And more I did find, although I will say that though this starts out with Vlad Dracul, it predominantly focuses on Romania in the 20th century, from a monarchy closely tied to the rest of Europe's monarchies through Queen Victoria's seemingly endless number of grandchildren to the Second World War to a Communist dictatorship. Again, I knew nothing about Romania's involvement in the Second World War, so that was fascinating (and horrifying).
All in all, I'm really glad I read this and I enjoyed how the author included the story of his wife and her father in telling Romania's story, adding the story of ordinary people to the story of the country's political changes.
February 7, 2022
Well written popular history. While I knew a little about the Ceausescus, much of the 100 or so years before 1945 was new to me. It made me want to read more.
August 22, 2024
I really liked this book. I have obviously heard a lot about the Romanian Communist era from my parents, and I knew names of the really old Medieval kings and figures (every Romanian kid does), but I never knew much about the in-between, like WWI, the fascist period, and WWII. The history of the fascist period in particular was so enlightening and so important.
The history of the Communist Era I mainly knew, and the book said all the key points that I would’ve said to describe how Romania was uniquely Stalinist and brutal at a time (1960s+) when even the USSR was substantially liberalizing. Romania had the particular bad luck of having the maniacal Ceauşescus. Particular things I’ve noticed among the Romanian adults that I know is how much they PARTICULARLY hated 1) Elena Ceauşescu, and 2) (related) the fact that in Romania meritocracy was flipped: the most brutal, stupid, uneducated people ruled everything. They particularly hated this “flipped” meritocracy— and the book conveys that well. Relatedly, I’m glad it mentioned the concept of “pile” “ingrained in Romanian psychology”— because in a flipped meritocracy it doesn’t matter if you’re capable or work hard, you need political connections. Several of my family’s most memorable stories are about being either denied opportunities due to lack of pile or being lucky to have the right pile to get them.
One other thought is that everyone knows of Poland as the example of the country cursed by being stuck between East and West and therefore repeatedly disintegrating. The story of WWII in Romania made clear to me how big of a force that is in Romania too. A lot of the horrible things that happened in Romania in the WWII era (both by the fascists and communists) were because the country basically had to choose between either Hitler or Stalin, largely based on who was at the time most credibly threatening to take half of the Romanian land, or who at the time most credibly able to protect the rest of the Romanian land from being stolen. First that was Hitler (because Stalin took the eastern land right away so then it was like ok we have to ally with Hitler) and allying with Hitler and inviting in German troops obviously had HORRIBLE consequences and spurred the Romanian Holocaust (not that it was only Germans doing it). Romania switched to the Allies and Stalin for strategic reasons near the end of the war, when it was becoming clear Hitler would lose after Stalingrad, and then they had to let in Stalin’s troops and let the USSR have power in establishing Romania’s new government, with the resulting consequences for the next 40 years.
The history of the Communist Era I mainly knew, and the book said all the key points that I would’ve said to describe how Romania was uniquely Stalinist and brutal at a time (1960s+) when even the USSR was substantially liberalizing. Romania had the particular bad luck of having the maniacal Ceauşescus. Particular things I’ve noticed among the Romanian adults that I know is how much they PARTICULARLY hated 1) Elena Ceauşescu, and 2) (related) the fact that in Romania meritocracy was flipped: the most brutal, stupid, uneducated people ruled everything. They particularly hated this “flipped” meritocracy— and the book conveys that well. Relatedly, I’m glad it mentioned the concept of “pile” “ingrained in Romanian psychology”— because in a flipped meritocracy it doesn’t matter if you’re capable or work hard, you need political connections. Several of my family’s most memorable stories are about being either denied opportunities due to lack of pile or being lucky to have the right pile to get them.
One other thought is that everyone knows of Poland as the example of the country cursed by being stuck between East and West and therefore repeatedly disintegrating. The story of WWII in Romania made clear to me how big of a force that is in Romania too. A lot of the horrible things that happened in Romania in the WWII era (both by the fascists and communists) were because the country basically had to choose between either Hitler or Stalin, largely based on who was at the time most credibly threatening to take half of the Romanian land, or who at the time most credibly able to protect the rest of the Romanian land from being stolen. First that was Hitler (because Stalin took the eastern land right away so then it was like ok we have to ally with Hitler) and allying with Hitler and inviting in German troops obviously had HORRIBLE consequences and spurred the Romanian Holocaust (not that it was only Germans doing it). Romania switched to the Allies and Stalin for strategic reasons near the end of the war, when it was becoming clear Hitler would lose after Stalingrad, and then they had to let in Stalin’s troops and let the USSR have power in establishing Romania’s new government, with the resulting consequences for the next 40 years.
September 20, 2023
The beautiful and complex history of my paternal homeland is hard to tell.
So intricate yet fascinating, the required depth limits accessibility to most. However, Paul Kenyon’s attempt walks the line well. Nothing is lost as he intwines a myriad of political back stories to craft a narrative of truth that can be comprehended and enjoyed even by those with a casual interest.
The historically tortured yet proud people of Romania have endured centuries of mismanagement, abuse and occupation. From the brutality of Vlad the Impaler, who then later became a nationalist treasure, the horrific persecution of Jewish communities under fascism, to a form of communism that even the Kremlin distanced itself from.
There was a time of hope, prosperity and growth when a Royal Family was received by the nation, comprising of a marriage between British and German monarchs. Tragically this union began just before two global conflicts between both empires. Romania now placed in the middle, it was all destined to fail.
My family (originally British diplomats who arrived during the reign of Queen Marie) escaped the communist takeover and watched from London their home be destroyed by Ceausescu’s appalling mismanagement of oil reserves and other natural resources.
Thankfully, Romania is now on the rise, travelling to Galati a few times a year I see phenomenal transformation. But it has come at the cost of mass migration west of millions of working age families. The nation still suffers from foreign influence.
My prayer is that this beautiful nation, with its unique philosophy, culture and food will not be exploited anymore and will rise to stand alone. A friend to surrounding nations, a European power that stands for freedom and liberty.
So intricate yet fascinating, the required depth limits accessibility to most. However, Paul Kenyon’s attempt walks the line well. Nothing is lost as he intwines a myriad of political back stories to craft a narrative of truth that can be comprehended and enjoyed even by those with a casual interest.
The historically tortured yet proud people of Romania have endured centuries of mismanagement, abuse and occupation. From the brutality of Vlad the Impaler, who then later became a nationalist treasure, the horrific persecution of Jewish communities under fascism, to a form of communism that even the Kremlin distanced itself from.
There was a time of hope, prosperity and growth when a Royal Family was received by the nation, comprising of a marriage between British and German monarchs. Tragically this union began just before two global conflicts between both empires. Romania now placed in the middle, it was all destined to fail.
My family (originally British diplomats who arrived during the reign of Queen Marie) escaped the communist takeover and watched from London their home be destroyed by Ceausescu’s appalling mismanagement of oil reserves and other natural resources.
Thankfully, Romania is now on the rise, travelling to Galati a few times a year I see phenomenal transformation. But it has come at the cost of mass migration west of millions of working age families. The nation still suffers from foreign influence.
My prayer is that this beautiful nation, with its unique philosophy, culture and food will not be exploited anymore and will rise to stand alone. A friend to surrounding nations, a European power that stands for freedom and liberty.
November 3, 2023
The history of Romania is fascinating, and the author delivers a riveting account. Highly recommended.
March 3, 2024
Tare mi-a plăcut această carte! Mi se pare sănătos să ne cunoaștem istoria și astfel să ne cunoaștem pe noi ca societate, nevoie neîndeplinite, mecanisme de apărare 😊
August 23, 2024
An excellent if nightmarish narrative history of modern Romania. Might be paired with Timothy Synder’s broader and more scholarly examination of the broader tragedy of modern Eastern Europe.
June 28, 2022
Kinda felt like everything on the Ceaușescu regime - which probably covered at least half the book - was taken straight from Romania’s highest-ranking defector, Lt. General Ion Pacepa, and the memoir he published of the Ceaușescus and their corruption (and just overall filthy behavior, particularly Elena) in 1978, I believe? At any rate, the memoir was published before Ceaușescu and his wife were executed on Christmas Day of 1989, after the largest uprising ever by the Romanian people (and following Nicolae Ceaușescu’s orders to the Securitate - Romania’s secret police - to fire on unarmed protesters, including women and young children).
I’ve been so busy lately I may not get around to reviewing this book in more detail, along with the other five I’d intended on reviewing, but hey, I’ve still reviewed 46 out of 52 books I’ve read this year, so...not bad. 47, if you include this one.
As I said, I would really need to do a more thorough comparison of Red Horizons to determine just how much of that book’s information went directly into this one, but I suppose based on the research on figures like Vlad Dracula, Georgieu Dhej (sic?) - although he is also mentioned quite a bit throughout Pacepa’s book (he was Ceaușescu’s predecessor, after all) - two stars, rounded up to 2.5, would be accurate. I can’t really give credit to anyone for using so much of another’s already published account rather than doing their own independent research on the Ceaușescu regime.
I remember too that it drove me insane how he’d brought up an elderly survivor of one particularly harsh time in Romanian history, only to seemingly completely forget about him. Well, not completely. The story that had been started around page 80 or so was picked back up perhaps 150 pages later. (Agh, I really need to look into the book again to get these names! lol). The point is, I can’t stand that. Bringing up a true victim story where the author sat down and interviewed the subject for lengths at a time, only to abandon the subject and skip back around to it far too much later on.
Oh, and his wife grew up in Romania and only got to have a pet goldfish because the people there, under Ceaușescu’s dictatorship and cruelty, were kept so extremely poor and lacking in even the most basic provisions. Not sure why this required a story from his wife’s childhood, as my professor who is Romanian born grew up at this time as well, and from what I’ve read about his mentions of his mother and father in law, and wife, seemed to have it considerably more difficult than them...
I’ve been so busy lately I may not get around to reviewing this book in more detail, along with the other five I’d intended on reviewing, but hey, I’ve still reviewed 46 out of 52 books I’ve read this year, so...not bad. 47, if you include this one.
As I said, I would really need to do a more thorough comparison of Red Horizons to determine just how much of that book’s information went directly into this one, but I suppose based on the research on figures like Vlad Dracula, Georgieu Dhej (sic?) - although he is also mentioned quite a bit throughout Pacepa’s book (he was Ceaușescu’s predecessor, after all) - two stars, rounded up to 2.5, would be accurate. I can’t really give credit to anyone for using so much of another’s already published account rather than doing their own independent research on the Ceaușescu regime.
I remember too that it drove me insane how he’d brought up an elderly survivor of one particularly harsh time in Romanian history, only to seemingly completely forget about him. Well, not completely. The story that had been started around page 80 or so was picked back up perhaps 150 pages later. (Agh, I really need to look into the book again to get these names! lol). The point is, I can’t stand that. Bringing up a true victim story where the author sat down and interviewed the subject for lengths at a time, only to abandon the subject and skip back around to it far too much later on.
Oh, and his wife grew up in Romania and only got to have a pet goldfish because the people there, under Ceaușescu’s dictatorship and cruelty, were kept so extremely poor and lacking in even the most basic provisions. Not sure why this required a story from his wife’s childhood, as my professor who is Romanian born grew up at this time as well, and from what I’ve read about his mentions of his mother and father in law, and wife, seemed to have it considerably more difficult than them...
August 24, 2021
This is an excellent and enthralling book. It reads like a novel, a thriller which you can’t put down: the characters and the events are so vividly described, the attention to detail is phenomenal and the research that must have gone into this is truly impressive. Reading this book was a journey of discovery for me as I learnt things about my country’s past I knew very little about: from Queen Marie to the birth of fascism and the death cult of the mystic leader Codreanu, to the Stalinist machinations of bringing communism to power.
Starting the book with Vlad Tepes (a.k.a Dracula) was inspired as it deftly sets the tone and introduces the central themes of nationalism and the sacred blood infused soil of ancestors who fought for independence.
This is one of the best historical narratives I’ve read in a long time, and it happens to be about my own country!
Starting the book with Vlad Tepes (a.k.a Dracula) was inspired as it deftly sets the tone and introduces the central themes of nationalism and the sacred blood infused soil of ancestors who fought for independence.
This is one of the best historical narratives I’ve read in a long time, and it happens to be about my own country!
March 7, 2024
Great book to help someone to better understand the recent history of Romania. I did however find the last chapter and the ending to be a bit too abrupt for my taste
March 7, 2024
The Strange and Epic Story of Modern Romania — is an understatement ! The Romanian people, descendants of Ancient Rome, had been around a long time, when they eventually jelled into a region and then a country, it was fashionable to have a monarchy. Since they didn’t have one, they went shopping ….interviewing, and found a German prince looking for work.
Thus began the Romanian royalty. Good Lord, that’s just a start. If you wanted to curse someone, you’d have them living in Romania over the 20th century, a land in between 3 empires eager to whoop on them anytime they like, Austro-Hungary, Ottoman and most of all Russia, and Germany around the corner. Outside forces were terrifying enough, they were further cursed by horrible leadership, particularly the socialist regimes since the end of World War 2.
Author Kenyon writes in an entertaining ‘historical narrative’ style which keeps things moving along at a ‘what can happen next’ pace? Including some pop culture - he often makes reference to the world’s favorite vampire ‘Dracula’, (the book title is a line from the book Dracula), even though Romanians rarely appreciated the bloodsucker as the world’s view of their heritage.
My DonauSchwaben-German grandfather left Romania in 1906, good move Grandpa !
There are helpful maps and some photos to put a face on things. At 400 pages, the tale is a good overview of all that has gone on to what has to be a better next century for Romania.
Thus began the Romanian royalty. Good Lord, that’s just a start. If you wanted to curse someone, you’d have them living in Romania over the 20th century, a land in between 3 empires eager to whoop on them anytime they like, Austro-Hungary, Ottoman and most of all Russia, and Germany around the corner. Outside forces were terrifying enough, they were further cursed by horrible leadership, particularly the socialist regimes since the end of World War 2.
Author Kenyon writes in an entertaining ‘historical narrative’ style which keeps things moving along at a ‘what can happen next’ pace? Including some pop culture - he often makes reference to the world’s favorite vampire ‘Dracula’, (the book title is a line from the book Dracula), even though Romanians rarely appreciated the bloodsucker as the world’s view of their heritage.
My DonauSchwaben-German grandfather left Romania in 1906, good move Grandpa !
There are helpful maps and some photos to put a face on things. At 400 pages, the tale is a good overview of all that has gone on to what has to be a better next century for Romania.
Read
March 10, 2024Very enjoyable and well-written but not telling me enough about the things I would like to understand better about Romanian history, such as more about the Jewish life there that inspired so much resentment and about the kind of community my grandmother grew up in. I liked the part I've read up to the death of King Nando and am happy to stop there.
December 24, 2022
Excellent book ! Very well written, easy to read and very well documented. It covers the period of about 100 years, from the end of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century, during which Romania established itself as a state, outlined its identity, looked, through its leaders, allies among the great European powers, adopted political doctrines dominant in their time and participated, trying to preserve its state integrity and political independence, in the two great world wars. The book reveals a unique history of survival, which makes, ultimately, the Romanians a remarkable people, through the choices of their leaders, the flair and intelligence of the political class, the adaptability to the difficulties of history. Fascinating historical characters are presented through their profile and destiny: Carol I, Ferdinand and Maria, princes who came, one by one, in their youth, from the splendor of the castles of Western Europe to become kings of a poor people from the eastern periphery of Europe; Marshal Antonescu, devoted unto death to his country, but firm in his wrong choice; Charles II, a royal upstart of sad memory; King Mihai, a missed chance; Ceaușescu, a brand of poverty. Kenyon turns everything into a story that you read captivated by the diversity of situations, the difficulty of the choices the characters have to make, and the tragic fate of everyone in the end.
Inspired title - Children of the Night - people who seek to emerge to light from the shadow of Dracula's dark castle...
For Romanians, the book brings an impartial picture of a complicated period of their history, and for foreigners a story with real characters that offers a better understanding of the Romanians.
Inspired title - Children of the Night - people who seek to emerge to light from the shadow of Dracula's dark castle...
For Romanians, the book brings an impartial picture of a complicated period of their history, and for foreigners a story with real characters that offers a better understanding of the Romanians.
December 29, 2023
I loved the narrative, the author has a real ability to keep the reader gripped, moving at a good pace while bringing key characters to life. The references to the experiences of his wife’s family added a nice personal touch.
August 19, 2023
The best historical narrative I’ve read in a long time!
Kenyon is a highly accomplished writer and his story of România’s history is an absolute gem.
The book is a triumph of cleverly observed historical facts and events, woven with personal and first-hand experiences, moving, lyrical description and a touch of poetic licence to shine a light in the darkest, most absurd corners of România’s history and in the souls of its dictators. The use of Dracula as a leitmotif is inspired and the historical narrative takes the reader on a thrilling journey like no other: România’s history is populated with characters stranger than fiction and Kenyon brings them to life in the battle between light and darkness, hope and despair, love and betrayal, human suffering and redemption. Everyone should read this book, it will enrich you!
Kenyon is a highly accomplished writer and his story of România’s history is an absolute gem.
The book is a triumph of cleverly observed historical facts and events, woven with personal and first-hand experiences, moving, lyrical description and a touch of poetic licence to shine a light in the darkest, most absurd corners of România’s history and in the souls of its dictators. The use of Dracula as a leitmotif is inspired and the historical narrative takes the reader on a thrilling journey like no other: România’s history is populated with characters stranger than fiction and Kenyon brings them to life in the battle between light and darkness, hope and despair, love and betrayal, human suffering and redemption. Everyone should read this book, it will enrich you!
March 26, 2022
Reads like a novel, for better or worse. If it had been a novel, I would complain that there were too many villains and not enough characters to root for. Damn there were some real scoundrels in 20th century Romania. The author gives play-by-plays of political maneuverings, but I wish there was more exploration of culture to help understand Romanian society. We get exposed to two dissidents during the terrible 1980s, but mostly we bask in the vileness of Elena Ceaușescu. Which is about as vile as it gets. But I would want to spend more time with the people.
March 22, 2024
Terrific read, written with flair. I felt the WW2 part was a little light and could have been explored in more detail but otherwise this book was an excellent introduction to a country I know little about, beyond the Causescus' demise, which I remember well back in '89 (showing my age here!).
April 26, 2024
Completely fascinating. I knew very little about Romania before reading this. What a fascinating (and at many places, horrifying) journey through the history of this country. I hope for much better days ahead for the people of Romania.
September 8, 2022
Loved it
January 28, 2023
2.5*
This book was so bad it gaslit me into thinking it was good for a while.
I initially started reading from chapter fourteen and I was hooked. I have little in depth knowledge of communist Romania and the style of writing was fun end engaging. So I got the book and started from the beginning and it was something else entirely. The style that drew me to this book became annoying when it presented facts I had more knowledge about. The constant references to Vlad Tepes soon became tiresome, the small tidbits of information that added character to the book were mostly imagined and the overall tone of the book was missing the point entirely.
Were the facts presented true? Yes. Did the way that they were presented painted a different picture? Definitely. Every random town was an ancient settlement, every ornate building was the pinnacle of architecture (for the Romanian people, of course, not for the author), all accounts from the communist period were taken from one semi fictional source and the memories of the author’s wife and her family. This is not how you write a book that you label non-fiction/history. The author should have just written a biography of the family he married into and it would have been 100 times better.
In the end, my expectations were different. I was expecting a historical account from the perspective of someone that studied recent Romanian history. I basically read every conversation I had with anyone over 50 from any Western European country that is a bit too much into communism, condensed in a neat package.
Good writing, good intro in recent Romanian history but, as with all of Ceaușescu’s aparent knowledge, it went no deeper than surface level.
This book was so bad it gaslit me into thinking it was good for a while.
I initially started reading from chapter fourteen and I was hooked. I have little in depth knowledge of communist Romania and the style of writing was fun end engaging. So I got the book and started from the beginning and it was something else entirely. The style that drew me to this book became annoying when it presented facts I had more knowledge about. The constant references to Vlad Tepes soon became tiresome, the small tidbits of information that added character to the book were mostly imagined and the overall tone of the book was missing the point entirely.
Were the facts presented true? Yes. Did the way that they were presented painted a different picture? Definitely. Every random town was an ancient settlement, every ornate building was the pinnacle of architecture (for the Romanian people, of course, not for the author), all accounts from the communist period were taken from one semi fictional source and the memories of the author’s wife and her family. This is not how you write a book that you label non-fiction/history. The author should have just written a biography of the family he married into and it would have been 100 times better.
In the end, my expectations were different. I was expecting a historical account from the perspective of someone that studied recent Romanian history. I basically read every conversation I had with anyone over 50 from any Western European country that is a bit too much into communism, condensed in a neat package.
Good writing, good intro in recent Romanian history but, as with all of Ceaușescu’s aparent knowledge, it went no deeper than surface level.
June 16, 2024
Wow, this book! It's just how I would have liked to learn Romania's modern history in school!
I started going to school after Ceausescu's fall, but the history books had not been revised yet to reflect the true events. Much of the modern history was glossed over and skimmed. I learnt a lot about my own country's history and it made me realise once again how much I appreciate the people of 1989 and their Revolution that made it possible for me to live in a democracy (such as it is) and how precious freedom is.
I started going to school after Ceausescu's fall, but the history books had not been revised yet to reflect the true events. Much of the modern history was glossed over and skimmed. I learnt a lot about my own country's history and it made me realise once again how much I appreciate the people of 1989 and their Revolution that made it possible for me to live in a democracy (such as it is) and how precious freedom is.
August 22, 2022
I am travelling to Romania in October and my reading habit is to read about where I am going before I do. Maybe that's why I read so much about Italy (hopeful longing).
Back to this book, I never bargained on such a graphically entralling book. I have become addicted to history and learning about our world and how we have got to today.
Romania's history is shocling, savage, dysfuncional, a sickingly full of prejudice, murder, despots, slaughter, anti semetitism, state theft, and dictatorship. If you wrote a novel or a screen play (say Game of Thorns) you couldn't write a believeable story that captures what Romania and its people have endured, and what they beget on each other. Its shocking.
I am fascinated about what I will discover when I visit, and I will continue each to be thankful that I live in Aotearoa.
Back to this book, I never bargained on such a graphically entralling book. I have become addicted to history and learning about our world and how we have got to today.
Romania's history is shocling, savage, dysfuncional, a sickingly full of prejudice, murder, despots, slaughter, anti semetitism, state theft, and dictatorship. If you wrote a novel or a screen play (say Game of Thorns) you couldn't write a believeable story that captures what Romania and its people have endured, and what they beget on each other. Its shocking.
I am fascinated about what I will discover when I visit, and I will continue each to be thankful that I live in Aotearoa.
March 8, 2023
I had no knowledge or interest in the history of Romania prior to reading this, however this incredibly well-researched and engaging book really piqued my interest.
It provides a detailed and comprehensive history of Romania from the time of Vlad III to the current day. The characters were well-fleshed out and felt like real people with light and shade rather than broad characatures of 'villains'.
I also really enjoyed the personal histories of the author's in-laws interspersed throughout.
My only mild critique is that the final chapter felt slightly rushed. I would have liked a bit more detail about post-revolutionary Romania. It didn't in any way hamper my enjoyment of the book, though.
It provides a detailed and comprehensive history of Romania from the time of Vlad III to the current day. The characters were well-fleshed out and felt like real people with light and shade rather than broad characatures of 'villains'.
I also really enjoyed the personal histories of the author's in-laws interspersed throughout.
My only mild critique is that the final chapter felt slightly rushed. I would have liked a bit more detail about post-revolutionary Romania. It didn't in any way hamper my enjoyment of the book, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews