Athene Palace

As European capitals fell during 1940 and 1941, there swarmed to the Athene Palace, Bucharest's Grand Hotel, diplomats, generals, Gestapo spies, and demi-mondaines from all over Europe. Arriving at the crowded Athene Palace on the day Paris fell in June, 1940, American female journalist Rosa Goldschmidt Waldeck observed for the next seven months all the events that unfolded and the international figures that made Romania Europe's last sensational hotbed of intrigue and color.Hitler's beautiful feminine agents held court in the Athene Palace lobby within eyeshot of British diplomats, while around them moved fifth columnists, German economists and generals, American and English diplomats and newspapermen, all who made the Athene Palace the most glamorous spot on the continent. The dramatic events of this turbulent period are described here chiefly in terms of personalities: Carol and Lupescu, Antonescu and Dr. Clodius, Nazi Gauleiters, British Quislings, Romanian appeasers, and all the types who dominated the scene of World War II Europe... On the surface this is a fast-moving, dramatic book, as readable as a novel, but it is also a most effective dissection of the Nazi New Order.This penetrating insight into the German administration of Europe reveals the reasons underlying the failure of the Nazi regime. Originally published during the Second World War, this new edition is enhanced by a thorough introductory study on the author's life and work by Ernest H. Latham, Jr., former cultural attaché at the American Embassy in Bucharest. Dr. Latham is a well-known specialist in Romanian history and has done extensive research on American and British journalists in Romania during World War II.

History

Waldeck, R

Europe

Histria Books

John Hunyadi: Defender of Christendom

Featuring a fully revised translation The fifteenth century marked a decisive moment in world history as the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into southeastern Europe posed a grave threat to Christianity, highlighted by the fall of Byzantium to the Turks in 1453, drawing the attention of the Papacy and of all the states of Christian Europe. Amidst this turmoil, John Hunyadi rose to lead the struggle against the Islamic invaders. As voivode of Transylvania, and later royal governor and captain-general of Hungary, he became the principal defender of Christian Europe from 1441 until his death in 1456. He led several crusading efforts to halt the Turkish advance into Europe, including a remarkable victory over the Turks at the battle of Niš in 1443 that secured his fame as a warrior for the Christian cause. This biography explores the life and times of John Hunyadi. It traces the history of the threat posed by the Ottoman Turks leading up to the great clashes of the fifteenth century and makes critical use of primary sources to tell the story of the man who directed the effort to defend Christian Europe against the Islamic onslaught. As leader of this struggle, John Hunyadi became a hero not only to Romanians and Hungarians, but to all the peoples of the Balkans as well. He led Christian forces in the great battles of the epoch, including Varna in 1444 and Kosovo in 1448. His last great victory occurred when he conducted the successful defense of Belgrade against the Turks in 1456 for which Pope Calixtus III declared him an “Athlete of Christ.”

Biographies & Memoirs

Muresanu, Camil

Historical

Nicolae Iorga’s A History of Romania: Land, People, Civilization is not a typical historical account of a nation’s past, reciting dates, personalities, and events. Rather, it is an intimate portrait of a land and its people written by its greatest historian. Much like Herodotus in antiquity, Iorga can be considered “the father of history” for his country; the sheer volume and scope of his work make him among the most prolific historians in all of world history. Like a true artist, he paints a portrait of Romania, bringing to life the complex history of this fascinating land. Iorga skillfully weaves together history, art, architecture, language, literature, and culture to give the reader an understanding of the fabric of Romanian society. Originally published in 1925, Iorga’s book was one of the earliest overviews of Romanian history printed in the English language. The author presents the history of the Romanian lands from ancient times until the end of World War I. He reflects on the great personalities and events that shaped the nation, while at the same time examining the various threads that bind it together. This new edition of this classic work includes a list of rulers, a bibliography, an index and numerous illustrations. It is also accompanied by a foreword by David Prodan, another great personality of Romanian historiography, discussing Iorga’s contributions to Romanian scholarship. Nicolae Iorga’s A History of Romania is essential reading for anyone interested in the story of this fascinating land.

History of Romania: Land, People, Civilization

Iorga, Nicolae

Zalmoxis: Obscure Pagan

Lucian Blaga (1895-1961) is judged by many to be Romania’s most original philosopher and greatest poet of the twentieth century. While scholars with access to his works in Romanian are well-aware of their importance, his writings have remained, until now, little known in the English-speaking world.\nZalmoxis is Blaga’s first play and one of his most important literary works. It underlines much of his philosophy. Blaga’s attachment to Expressionist ideals is discernible in his treatment of the characters primarily as vehicles of ideas and his preference for primitive nature over the cultured metropolis.\nThe book includes an introduction by Keith Hitchins of the University of Illinois, a leading historian of Romania in the United States, and a scholar intimately acquainted with Blaga’s philosophy. In it, he discusses the importance of Blaga’s life and work. The translation is by Doris Platnus-Runey from Wayne State University.

Literature & Fiction

Blaga, Lucian

Platnus-Runey, Doris

Dramas & Plays

This comprehensive course in modern Romanian is intended for English-speaking university students and others interested in learning this Eastern Romance language. Its purpose is to provide English speakers interested in Romania with a comprehensive course in the language, something greatly lacking at present. Designed by a leading American linguist, in consultation with several Romanian experts, this textbook will be of great use at universities throughout the English-speaking world where Romanian is taught. It goes far beyond the basic tourist language courses presently available and provides a serious training program for anyone interested in learning the Romanian language.The course is divided into two parts. Part One (Chapters 1-16) is intended to develop oral proficiency, each lesson containing a preparatory section in which the student is simultaneously introduced to pronunciation, intonation, and new semantic and syntactic structures. This portion is the cornerstone for entire lesson. It is followed by a memorizable dialogue; a section with grammatical notes, drills and exercises, and a homework assignment. The texts are couched in cultivated colloquial speech. In Part Two (Chapters 17-31) grammatical explanations become more thorough and formal and the texts become more erudite as emphasis shifts to the written language. At the same time, Part Two shifts emphasis from conversation to vocabulary acquisition by means of extensive reading selections, preceded by shorter texts which anticipate new vocabulary, and difficult constructions that appear in the main text. The manual also includes useful appendixes treating pronunciation and inflection and a comprehensive Romanian-English glossary.The author, James E. Augerot, was professor of East European languages at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA. A noted specialist in the Romanian language, he was also a Fulbright lecturer at Babe&#537;-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.

Romanian/Limba Româna: A Course in Modern Romanian

Augerot, James

Leaders & Notable People

Granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England and Tsar Alexander II of Russia, Marie (1875-1938) became princess of Romania through her marriage to Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, crown prince of Romania on 29 December 1892. She became queen of Romania, her adopted country, on 11 October 1914 when Ferdinand assumed the throne following the death of King Carol I. Queen Marie became known worldwide for her charitable efforts and her work nursing wounded soldiers on the front lines during World War I. She also took part in the political and diplomatic efforts that led to Romanian national unification in 1918. This collection of documents helps to reveal important aspects of the life and personality of this remarkable twentieth century monarch.\nThis collection of documents, comprised of three parts, illustrates the queen’s relationships with two remarkable Americans. The first selection is the diary of George Huntington, an American professor who visited Queen Marie, together with his family, in 1925. The second part, compiled by the British writer Hector Bolitho, presents the correspondence between Queen Marie and an American admirer, Ray Baker Harris. This text contains extensive quotes from the queen’s letters to the young American. The final section is a selection of letters written by Ray Baker Harris to the queen. Ray Baker Harris, later a librarian at the Library of Congress, compiled an extensive collection of materials relating to the Romanian queen and later donated them to the archives of Kent State University in Ohio.\nAmericans and Queen Marie of Romania is edited by Diana Fotescu, a researcher at the Cotroceni Museum in Bucharest, Romania, the former royal palace where Queen Marie lived. She compiled the materials presented in this volume during her work in the archives at Kent State University in Ohio and the National Central Archives in Bucharest, Romania.

Americans and Queen Marie of Romania: A Selection of Documents

Fotescu, Diana

Community & Culture

This book is a newly revised edition of Nicholas M. Nagy-Talavera’s classic work The Green Shirts and the Others published by the Hoover Institution Press in 1970. This book is the standard work in English on the history of fascism in Romania and Hungary.\nThe Green Shirts and the Others is the first comprehensive and comparative work in English on the history of the fascist movements in Hungary and Romania. The author presents an objective account of the history of the two countries from 1918 to 1945 and the role of fascist movements during these years. He considers the rise of these movements, the Arrow Cross in Hungary and the Legion of the Archangel Michael in Romania. He considers their evolution and growth during the interwar period, as well as during the tragic periods in which each movement came to power in its respective country. The author then draws conclusions and parallels from the comparative history of the two movements.\nThe author, Nicholas M. Nagy-Talavera, was a leading American expert on the history of Hungary and Romania during the interwar period and World War II. He was a professor of history at California State University, Chico. His other books include Nicolae Iorga: A Biography.

The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Facism in Hungary and Romania

Talavera, Nicholas

Captain Cooked: Hawaiian Mystery of Romance, Revenge… and Recipes!

Review\n“Original, entertaining, absorbing, "Captain Cooked: Hawaiian Mystery of Romance, Revenge... and Recipes!" by S. P. Grogan is an inherently fascinating and memorable read -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary Fiction collections.”\nMidwest Book Review\nAll she wanted was to find a quiet beach where she could go topless. It was not to be. Videographer Madison Merlot Dayne arrived on the Big Island to shoot the HDTV of her culinary father’s popular television food show, “Insatiable Delights.” But from the moment of her arrival, Madison and her father are involved in trying to discover who may have poisoned a revered Hawaiian singing star. Her working vacation involves riots, suspicious accidents, earthquakes, flowing lava, ancient Hawaiian war weapons, and a real ‘cliff-hanger.’ Madison is likewise having men problems. She desires island romance, but is not prepared for three men in her life… at the same time. And there is the mystery of the boiling cauldron. Will Madison get off the island alive?\nAuthor S.P. Grogan is a best-selling author. His other books include Lafayette: Courtier to Crown Fugitive and Vegas Die: A Quest Mystery.

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Grogan, S

Regional & International

Powerfully Perplexing Presidential Profiles

Review\n“…I enjoyed reading it, so this truly is a book for all ages.”\nAiring My Laundry\nPowerfully Perplexing Presidential Profiles is a fun fact/trivia book on our United States Presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump, written in a fun, witty style, to make learning entertaining and enjoyable. The book includes a never before published timeline linking two presidents at the same time somewhere in history.\nWhether you like American History or not, you will find a wealth of stories and facts to be shared that could spark conversation or debate at any party. After all, George Washington’s kids were the first to play on the White House lawn right... or were they? This book covers a vast array of presidential trivia and facts, making it a fun read for kids and adults alike.\nA freelance writer of middle grade and young adult fiction, Rod Martinez grew up on Marvel Comics and The Twilight Zone. He also had a fascination with American History dating back to grade school. He is the author of The Juniors and regularly speaks at schools, conferences, and libraries promoting a love of the written word.

Martínez, Rod

Reference

Byzantium After Byzantium

Although Constantinople fell to the Turks in 1453, bringing an end to the Eastern Roman Empire which had survived its predecessor in the West by nearly one thousand years, this important book argues that Byzantium did not die, but continued to influence European history all the way up to the beginning of the nineteenth century.&nbsp; &nbsp; The author's formula "Byzantium after Byzantium" defines several centuries of world history. Iorga points out the great contributions of Byzantine civilization to the Western world, especially during the Renaissance. He demonstrates that Byzantium survived through its people and local autonomies, as well as through its exiles. One of the most important expressions of this was found in the Romanian principalities where Greeks from the Phanar district of Istanbul played a major role in Romanian political life, defining an entire era -- the Phanariot Period. They continued the Byzantine ideas, aspirations, education, and way of life. All of this allows us to speak of a Byzantium after Byzantium. &nbsp; The author, Nicolae Iorga (1871-1940), was one of Romania's greatest historians. During his long and distinguished academic career, Iorga authored more than 1,000 books and 12,000 articles. The book is enriched with a preface by one of Romania's leading historians of Southeastern Europe, Academician Virgil Cândea.

Byzantium after Byzantium

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

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