Description
Book SynopsisOriginally published in French in 2004, Matei Cazacu’s Dracula remains the most authoritative scholarly biography of the Wallachian prince Vlad III the Impaler (1448, 1456-1462, 1476). Its core is an exhaustively researched reconstruction of Dracula’s life and political career, using original sources in more than nine languages. In addition Cazacu traces Dracula’s metamorphosis, at the hands of contemporary propagandists, into variously a bloodthirsty tyrant, and an early modern “great sovereign.” Beyond this Cazacu explores Dracula’s transformation into “the vampire prince” in literature, film and folklore, with surprising new discoveries on Bram Stoker’s sources for his novel. In this first English translation, the text and bibliography are updated, and readers are provided with an appendix of the key sources for Dracula’s life, in fresh and accurate English translations.
Trade Review"This book is the new standard for Dracula studies. Summing Up: Essential." W. L. Urban, Monmoth College, in: CHOICE 55.6 (2018). "Bram Stoker’s iconic depiction of Dracula left a lasting mark on portrayals of vampires in popular culture. However, as Matei Cazacu outlines in his careful study of Vlad Tepes III (the Impaler), the biography of the Wallachian prince is far more complex and nuanced than the figure’s portrait in gothic fiction. In Stephen Reiner’s new edited version, which offers a clear, crisp translation of Cazacu’s French original with an updated bibliography, students and scholars alike will find edifying material on the history of Vlad III and the ways in which he appeared in German, Russian, Latin, and Balkan accounts... This first translation of Matei Cazacu’s Dracula conveys the richness of the original and the depth of the source material consulted in the biography of Vlad III. The accuracy devoted to the text by the editor and translators is admirable. Dracula will undoubtedly prove useful in curricula focusing on folklore, history, and medieval studies. It opens to English-readers the complexity of Vlad III’s rule and the ways in which his legacy was utilized in history, literature, and film." Colleen Lucey, Univserity of Arizona, in: The Polish Review 64.1 (2019). "[Cazacu's] intimate knowledge of the primary sources, his impressive command of languages, and his overall erudition are truly impressive. But what makes this book a truly compelling read is the author's skilled storytelling. Cazacu is a raconteur, and the book's appeal and considerable success... is due to its ability to address two audiences at once. The book is academically solid and showcases a wide breadth of scholarship, but it does not shy away from blood and gore... The book is a treat for readers interested in Vlad/Dracula or in the fifteenth-century history of Wallachia". Marian Comaon, in: Renaissance Quarterly 73.4 (2020).
Table of ContentsPreface to the 2004 Edition, by Matei Cazacu Introduction to the 2004 Edition, by Matei Cazacu Introduction to the English Translation, by Stephen W. Reinert Abbreviations List of Illustrations, Genealogies, and Map Map and Genealogies 1 Exile as a Way of Life “A Fortress on the Water” The Basarab Dynasty Mircea the Old The Ottoman Danger Wallachia—Strategic and Economic Issues The Succession Crisis of 1420 Vlad Dracul’s Youth Transylvania, Land of Welcome Vlad Dracul, Protector of Transylvanians Finally, the Throne of Wallachia 2 A Prince and His Sons (1436–1448) A Peace Treaty with Murad II The Remarriage of Vlad Dracul Murad II’s 1438 Campaign in Transylvania Vladislav, King of Poland and Hungary János Hunyadi, Defender of the Transylvanian Frontier Vlad Dracul, Prisoner of the Turks The Disaster of Varna The Campaign of 1445 on the Danube The Conflict with János Hunyadi and the Death of Vlad Dracul Vladislav II Installed on the Wallachian Throne 3 First Reign and New Exile (1448–1456) A Transylvanian Childhood A Wallachian Adolescence Hostage in Ottoman Territory (1444–1448) Dracula’s First Reign (1448) Exile in Moldavia The Accord with János Hunyadi 4 The Reign (1456–1462) “Mark of Red Iron” “A Fierce and Dreadful Appearance” The Princely Council of Wallachia Wallachian Society in the Fifteenth Century Very Restless Neighbors “To Rule and Govern Accordingly” Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary (1458) Vlad Dracula Alone Against Everyone Bloody Easter “And Beheaded Him Near His Tomb . . .” A Moldavian Danger? 5 The Conqueror of Constantinople Five Hundred Young Men Dracula’s Danubian Campaign Alone Against the Turks Warrior of the Night Radu the Handsome Assumes Power Crusade or Internal Peace? 6 Propaganda, Exile, and Death (1463–1476) The Improbable Treachery The 1463 German Pamphlet The Hungarian Manipulation Dracula’s Liberation “But He Was Pierced by Many Lances . . .” A Face Covered With a Silk Cloth Vlad and Mihnea: The Children of “The Devil” The Descendants of the Sons of the Impaler 7 Tyrant or Great Sovereign? The Evolving Die Geschicht Dracole Waide (The History of Voievod Dracula) The Incarnation of Evil A Pious Prince? Dracula “The Beloved” Discovery of the Russian Accounts of Dracula The Tale of Voievod Dracula, A Political Manual Used by Ivan III Laonikos Chalkokondyles In the Entourage of Mahmud Pasha Chalkokondyles’ Disappearance 8 Dracula and Bram Stoker Of Bats in General . . . . . . and of Dracula in Particular “Not On the Lips But On the Throat . . .” Stoker a Plagiarist? Marie Nizet and her Captain Vampire The Romanian “Journey” of Marie Nizet A Family History Billy the Kid Versus Dracula A New Golden Age 9 The Vampire in Romania How to Proceed with a Strigoi The Vampire’s Identity Card The Christianization of Vampirism Vitamin C, Weapon Against Vampires Conclusion Dead Vampires and Living Vampires Appendix Chronology Geschichte Dracole Waide (Anonymous, 1463) Von ainem wutrich der hies Trakle waida von der Walachei (Michel Beheim, 1416–1474) ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞEΙΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΩΝ: Historiarum Demonstrationes (Laonikos Chalkokondyles c. 1423–c.1474) Skazanie o Dracole voevode (Fyodor Kuritsyn 1486) Die Geschicht Dracole Waide (Anonymous, 1488) Glossary Illustrations Bibliography Index
