The Real Dracula

[ValkyrieRaven88]

Has anyone else here read Dracula Prince of Many Faces? It's really my first historical non-fiction book, and I'm very impressed by it. It's about the real Dracula, Vlad Tepes, who lived in fifteenth-century Romania. In addition to telling what happened in the life of Dracula, the authors try to explain why he was as harsh as he was, and they really paint a vivid portrait of this man. It certainly makes me happy that I was never anywhere near where he ruled...

 

[Anamnesis]

Was this written by Radu Florescu and Raymond T. McNally? I read one of their other books many years ago, In Search of Dracula, and enjoyed it very much. I agree with you on one thing: I'm glad I don't live in 14th-century Romania .

 

[lady.cordelia]

If I recall correctly, Florescu is a descendant of Vlad's family - I think his sister or something married a Florescu?

 

[mehastings]

If I recall correctly, Florescu is a descendant of Vlad's family - I think his sister or something married a Florescu?

I just saw a special a few weeks back on his "search for Dracula". It was really interesting, but I didn't realize there was a book.

 

[ValkyrieRaven88]

Yeah, those are the same authors. Different book, though. Florescu isn't a descendent of Dracula, but is the descendant of one of his well-known enemies, a Romanian nobleman. Vlad Dracula didn't have any sisters that I know of--he had two brothers, Mircea and Radu--although his father probably had many illegitimate children who weren't named in the book.

 

[mehastings]

Yeah, those are the same authors. Different book, though. Florescu isn't a descendent of Dracula, but is the descendant of one of his well-known enemies, a Romanian nobleman. Vlad Dracula didn't have any sisters that I know of--he had two brothers, Mircea and Radu--although his father probably had many illegitimate children who weren't named in the book.

In the show I watched on the History Channel, I think they did make some familial connection between Florescu and Vlad Tepes. I don't think it was a direct relationship though, perhaps a cousin or something of that nature. It may also be as a result of a marriage that has occured since that book was written sixteen years ago. I wish I remembered more, but I was doing other things at the same time it was on.

 

[ValkyrieRaven88]

It's possible, as families were frequently inter-related during that time. I actually saw that same show, and I didn't realize until after I got the book that the author was the same man who was featured in the show.