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 vi
