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.

Here are just some of the topics covered in part 1 of this book:

• How Romania connected the West and East
• The Panaretos, the Greek rulers of Moldavia and Wallachia
• The unification of the country and its international recognition
• What role Romania played during the two world wars
• How communism almost destroyed the nation
• Communism Rising
• The Ceausescu Regime

This book also looks at Vlad from the many facets he has left to history - the Impaler; the Renaissance prince 'more sinned against than sinning' whose reputation was destroyed by his enemies; the hero on a white horse, who welded Wallachia into a fighting and defiant nation-state; the defeated martyr, captured by the Hungarian king Corvinus. A stylishly written and compelling narrative, this book unravels the true story behind the image, and takes us into the heart of the bloody, uncertain world of medieval Europe.