Eastern Europe

Not too many people realize that the story of Dracula was based on a really sadistic ruler in Romania. Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad the Third, was a merciless despot who tried to make an example out of his opponents by impaling them and displaying them in public. He also enjoyed bathing in dead people’s blood and did some other gross, inhumane things. He was the terror of Eastern Europe for many years.

Croatia, the Mediterranean country on the Mediterranean Sea, with wonderful coasts and more than a thousand islands... The ancient buildings and Venetian cities are a treasure trove of culture and Architecture. Zagreb, Veliki Tabor, Umag, Porec, Rovinj, Pula, Opatija, Rijeka, Plitzwitzer Seen, Zadar, Kornati, Krka, Sibenik, Trogir, Split, Salona, Omis, Korcula, Dubrovnik Zagreb is the cultural heart and a lovely capital with an extraordinary atmosphere, because the upper town is still a treasure trove of the past.

The KGB is one of the most famous abbreviations of the 20th century, and it has become synonymous with the shadowy and often violent actions of the Soviet Union’s secret police and internal security agencies. Aside from the KGB, the 20th century’s most notorious spy agency was the Stasi, which was instrumental in the history of East Germany. In an era of totalitarian countries dominated by repressive state agencies, the Stasi stood out for its size, and the sheer breadth and depth of its surveillance.

The author of the "dazzling epic" (Lev Grossman, Time) Brilliant delivers an indelible view of the ways silence affects those who seek it and those who have it imposed upon them. Through her original, intertwined histories of the penitentiary and the monastery, Jane Brox illuminates the many ways silence is far more complex than any absolute; how it has influenced ideas of the self, soul, and society.

Ita was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The place was the former Pale of Settlement, which was a large swath of land in Western Russia where Jews were forced to live for centuries. The year was 1918 and Russia was in the midst of two revolutions. Ita was caught in the middle during this time of great political and social upheaval. Wave after wave of murderous anti-Jewish riots, or pogroms, descended upon Jewish shtetls, and the only chance for her survival was to escape. Escape was not easy. In fact, it could be deadly.

An unforgettable literary masterpiece written over 200 years ago by a remarkable woman during the struggle and fall of Europe's first attempt at a constitutional democracy. A coming-of-age story, love drama, and historical saga all in one, it unfolds more like a novel than an authentic memoir. Despite its epoch, the highs and lows of Countess Anna's journey reverberate with timeless issues that still affect us all today. This courageous young woman wrote down extraordinarily visceral details of the horrendous experiences she was living through between 1791 and 1795

The Russian Federation and Ukraine do indeed share a common heritage, but their history and culture led them along divergent paths. Many listeners might be surprised to learn that the historical center of Russia was not Moscow, but Kiev, the capital of modern Ukraine.

Greater Than a Tourist—Minsk, Belarus by Anna Martsynkevich offers the inside scoop on Minsk. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Are you excited about planning your next trip? Do you want an edible experience? Would you like some culinary guidance from a local? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this Eat Like a Local book is for you. Eat Like a Local – Arizona by Sara Maya. Sara Maya offers the inside scoop on food and travel in Arizona. Culinary tourism is an important aspect of any travel experience. Food has the ability to tell you a story of a destination, its landscapes, and culture on a single plate. Most food guides tell you how to eat like a tourist.

Greater Than a Tourist—Bitola, Macedonia by Aleksandar Tashkovski offers the inside scoop on Bitola. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the Greater Than a Tourist series, this book will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination. In this book, you will discover advice that will help you throughout your stay.

Что такое — Современная Прибалтика? Ранее — "Terra Marianna", что переводится как "приморская земля", а ныне — это капли янтаря, сосны, белый песок, мятежные волны Балтийского моря, размеренный ритм жизни и трепетно охраняемые народные традиции. В разное творили историю такие люди как Яан Поска, Константин Пятс, Михаил Нехемьевич Таль, Раймондс Паулс и многие другие. Из книги «Прибалтика. Полная история» вы узнаете: что такое Ливония и почему пал Ливонский орден, кто такой Барклай де Толли на самом деле и какую ошибку совершили литовцы в начале Второй мировой войны. Изучение истории — это просто и увлекательно.

We know you'll enjoy visiting the wonderful and transformative city of Budapest! Passport to European Travel Guides offers this comprehensive yet quick and concise five-day guide to Budapest, Hungary - a Central European staple!

Defectors fleeing the Soviet Union seized the world's attention during the Cold War. Their stories were given sensational news coverage and dramatized in spy novels and films. Upon reaching the West, they were entitled to special benefits, including financial assistance and permanent residency. In contrast to other migrants, defectors were pursued by the states they left even as they were eagerly sought by the United States and its allies. Defectors follows their treacherous journeys and looks at how their unauthorized flight via land, sea, and air gave shape to a globalized world.

After perfecting their new apartment (complete with mini Parthenon) in a cosmopolitan suburb of Athens, Englishman Peter and his Greek wife Alexandra check out life in an authentic fishing village on a Greek island. They instantly fall in love with Pefki and plan to build a house there.

Сербия — одна из немногих стран, где к русскоговорящим гостям относятся с особой братской теплотой и радушием. Одних она привлекает живописной природой национального парка Тара и Копаоника, других — богатой историей.

Krystyna Mazurówna jest tak ekscentryczna, że aż archetypiczna. Jej konsekwentne poszukiwanie wolności i radości życia oraz brawurowa fantazja sprawiły, że blisko poznawała najciekawszych mężczyzn, jakich napotykała na swej drodze. A było ich naprawdę wielu – lgnęli do niej z całej Europy niczym opiłki do magnesu, przyciągani jej wrażliwością, odwagą i buntowniczym charakterem. Bo tylko tchórze i mięczaki boją się Krystyny Mazurówny! Dla tych, którzy mają charakter, jest jasne, że spotkanie z nią to wyzwanie i rozkosz dla inteligencji.

Holocaust survivor Harry Gordon recalls in brutal detail the anguished years of his youth, a youth spent struggling to survive in a Lithuanian concentration camp. A memoir about hope and resilience, The Shadow of Death describes the invasion of Kovno by the Red Army and the impact of Soviet occupation from the perspective of the ghetto's weakest and poorest class. It also serves as a reminder that the Germans were not alone responsible for the persecution and extermination of Jews.

In Romania, times were tough back in 1919. As Cecilia and her husband, a preacher, went through many unwanted and unexpected trials and tribulations, Cecilia ended up having to drop out of seminary school, which devastated her. Cecilia, being a mother to many children, also had plenty of dreams. Those dreams helped and showed her how to cope and what to expect in the future. Patricia, one of their daughters, had her own problems. Patricia was blessed with dreams that not only came true, but also encouraged her to live and to not give up.

Jak vypadala krajina 13. století? A kdo byli její obyvatelé? Kolika let se dožívali, na jaké nemoci trpěli? Jak spolu vycházeli čeští a němečtí kolonisté? Poznáme významné stavby na našem území a budeme sledovat počátky gotiky, zakládání měst a jejich rozkvět. Byli naši předci tak nároční na bydlení a odívání, jako jsme my? Co znamenaly chrámy pro tehdejší lidi a jaká byla jejich spiritualita? Jako úlohu přičítali vzdělání, jak se bavili a jak milovali? Na tyto i další otázky odpovídá historik Vlastimil Vondruška.

Co víme o 12. století? Třeba to, že se v Evropě začal pomocí destilace vyrábět alkohol, byla pravděpodobně sepsána Kosmova kronika česká, byly založeny řády Templářů a Premonstrátů, vznikl gotický sloh, byl vynalezen střelný prach a také proběhla první doložená chřipková epidemie. Jak se ale obecně žilo lidem ve 12. století? To popisuje první část cyklu Život ve staletích. I když dílo vychází z dostupných historických pramenů a odráží současný stav poznání, nejde o učebnici.