A history of George Castriota Scanderbeg and his resistance to Ottoman expansion in Albania during the 15th century. From 1443 to 1468 Scanderbeg led a successful resistance to Ottoman expansion into Europe. Having conquered Constantinople in 1453, the Ottomans set their sights on Rome. This book argues that Scanderbeg's success ultimately saved Italy by delaying the planned invasion by Sultan Mehmed II until 1480-1481. Published to mark the 550th anniversary of the death of George Castriota Scanderbeg in 2018, this book commemorates the heroic struggle of the Albanian people to defend their culture and civilization for which Western Civilization owes them a debt of gratitude.

Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe

Biographies & Memoirs

Brackob, A K

Historical

Center for Romanian Studies LLC

The struggle of the Albanian people led by George Castriota Scanderbeg to defend Europe against the assault of the Ottoman Turks has been much celebrated. For a quarter of a century, from 1443 until his death in 1468, he used his military prowess to thwart the efforts of the most powerful Empire in the world at the time to subdue his tiny country.One of the true heroes of the Middle Ages in Europe, unfortunately the remarkable story of Scanderbeg remains little known outside of Albania. George Castriota defended Europe for a quarter of a century and, it can rightly be said, helped to save Western civilization from being overrun by Islam and suffering the same fate as the once mighty Byzantine Empire. This book examines the genius and remarkable achievements of Scanderbeg who helped shape the identity of the Albanian people and reveals the important contribution this small but proud nation has made to European civilization.Although the challenges have changed over the centuries, the clash of civilizations, which the history of the Albanian struggle to fend off the Islamic onslaught illustrates, continues today. As a result, it is all the more worth noting the contribution that this tiny land, led by Scanderbeg, made in the fight to preserve Western culture and civilization. Equally important is the example set by the Albanian people in ultimately harmonizing these two great civilizations.A.K. Brackob has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a specialist on the history of southeastern Europe during the Middle Ages and author of Mircea the Old: Father of Wallachia, Grandfather of Dracula.

Vita Histria

Mircea the Old: Father of Wallachia, Grandfather of Dracula

One of the greatest leaders in Romanian history, Mircea the Old comes to life in this new book. Although his grandson, Vlad the Impaler, has acquired much greater international fame, Mircea the Old was the most significant ruler to sit on the throne of the small principality of Wallachia during the Middle Ages. To understand the historical Dracula, it is essential to comprehend the life and times of Mircea the Old, who, during his long reign from 1386 to 1418, consolidated the political and administrative structure of his principality and maintained its freedom at the time of its most significant peril.\nMircea defeated the mighty Ottoman Empire, the greatest power of his day, at the battle of Rovine in 1394. During the crusade of Nicopolis, in 1396, the Wallachian prince played a key role and many, including Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg, believed that he should have led the Christian assault. Flawed political considerations, however, countermanded that proposal and resulted in a disastrous defeat for Christendom.\nDespite this setback, Mircea positioned his small country as a major force in international politics at the dawn of the fifteenth century. As the Ottoman Empire collapsed into civil war following the decisive defeat of Sultan Bayezid by the Mongol Emperor Tamerlane at the battle of Ankara in 1402, Mircea the Old emerged in the role of kingmaker. The great powers fighting for control over southeastern Europe all recognized his skill and acumen, leading the Turkish chronicler Leunclavius to describe him as “the bravest and most able of Christian Princes.” His long reign allowed him to establish the dynamic ruling dynasty from which the Dracula legend would ultimately be born.\nDr. A.K. Brackob is a noted specialist in the history of southeastern Europe. His other books include Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe.

Center for Romanian Studies

Dracul – Of the Father: The Untold Story of Vlad Dracul

Stories of Dracula have fascinated people around the world for generations. Both the fictional vampire created by the Irish author Bram Stoker at the end of the nineteenth century and the fifteenth century Prince called Vlad the Impaler, the man regarded as the historical Dracula, have become part of universal culture. Yet few realize that the Wallachian ruler dubbed "the Impaler," is not the original Dracula. Instead, that distinction belongs to his father, a little-known prince called Vlad Dracul.The elder Vlad, who gained the sobriquet Dracul or Dracula when Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg initiated him into the Order of the Dragon in February 1431, was among the most important political personalities of his day. He far surpassed his more famous namesake in those qualities that define a great ruler. Vlad Dracul struggled to protect the independence of his land, under the most difficult of circumstances, against the threats posed by his powerful neighbors, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. In so doing, he in no small way contributed to the survival of his principality at a time when Ottoman expansion in the Balkans expunged countries such as Bulgaria and Serbia from the map of Europe.Several books have been devoted to the study of his famous son, Vlad the Impaler, but any search for the historical Dracula must begin with the story of the father. Now, for the first time, based on extensive documentary research, the true story of the man who founded the Dracula dynasty is revealed.

Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu is a selection of the best English-language renditions of poems and prose by this remarkable cultural figure of the nineteenth century, whom the British writer George Bernard Shaw once referred to as “the Moldavian who raised the XVIII-XIX fin de siècle from its grave.” To have an appreciation of Romanian culture one must become acquainted with the works of the country’s national poet, Mihai Eminescu. The leading cultural figure of nineteenth century Romania, Eminescu (1850-1889) was not only a poet, but also a philosopher, prose writer, translator, and journalist. He is best seen as a man who embodied the national culture and, therefore, through his work, helped to give it shape. The selections in this volume include some of Eminescu’s best-known poems such as Doina, Lacul, Și dacă, Luceafărul, Odă (în metru antic), Mai am un singur dor, Scrisoarea III, and many others. It also includes English versions of his most important prose writings — Făt Frumos din lacrimi, Sărmanul Dionis, Geniu pustiu, and Cezara. Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu also includes an introduction on the life and work of Eminescu by A.K. Brackob and original artwork by Ioana Lupușoru.

Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

This new edition of poems and prose by Mihai Eminescu commemorates the 130th anniversary of the death of Romania’s national poet. This book includes a selection of the best English-language renditions of poems and prose by this remarkable cultural figure of the nineteenth-century, whom the British writer George Bernard Shaw once referred to as “the Moldavian who raised the XVIII-XIX fin de siècle from its grave.”\nIt is undeniable that to have an appreciation of Romanian culture one must become acquainted with the works of Mihai Eminescu. The leading cultural figure of nineteenth century Romania, Eminescu (1850-1889) was not only a poet, but also a philosopher, prose writer, translator, and journalist.\nThe selections in this volume include English language versions of some of Eminescu’s best-known poems such as Doina, Lacul, ?i daca, Luceafarul, Oda (în metru antic), Mai am un singur dor, Scrisoarea III, and many others. It also includes English versions of his most important prose writings. This beautiful, deluxe volume also includes an introduction on the life and work of Eminescu by A.K. Brackob and original artwork by Ioana Lupu?oru.

A Description of Moldavia

History

Cantemir, Dimitrie

Europe

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Brackob, A K. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Brackob, A K

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Brackob, A K. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe

Scanderbeg: A History of George Castriota and the Albanian Resistance to Islamic Expansion in Fifteenth Century Europe

Mircea the Old: Father of Wallachia, Grandfather of Dracula

Dracul – Of the Father: The Untold Story of Vlad Dracul

Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu

Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu

A Description of Moldavia