Vlad the Impaler: The Real Count Dracula

by Enid A. Goldberg, Norman Itzkowitz

Overview

Explore the life of Vlad "the Impaler" Dracula, the fifteenth-century Romanian prince who served as a model for Bram Stoker's infamous vampire.

The wicked ways of some of the most ruthless rulers to walk the earth are revealed in these thrilling biographies (A Wicked History) about men and women so monstrous, they make Frankenstein look like a sweetheart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780531138984
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2008
Series:	Wicked History Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	NC800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Norman Itzkowitz was an American academic who was a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He was an Ottoman historian who brought perception of psychoanalysis into Near Eastern Studies.
Enid A. Goldberg has lived most of her life in New York City. Her career has encompassed both teaching and writing. She is the author of 14 published nonfiction books.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6-8
Part biography, part historical compilation, these books piece together scattered facts and information about their subjects to provide readable, accessible glimpses into these notorious figures. While the various leaders are included because of their ruthless behavior, the authors are able to demonstrate that all are products of their times and their upbringings. Genghis Khan's life was brutal from the beginning and thus he becomes an almost sympathetic player in the politics of ancient Mongolia. Almost. In an effort to provide complete pictures of these men, the writing occasionally lapses into a listing of places, dates, and battles, especially for those people about whom there is not much known, as is the case for Tomás de Torquemada. Complex political machinations lead to complicated descriptions of who, what, where, and when, and the interpretation of events is fairly conventional. Readers will be lured by the notion of gory details of abhorrent actions, but may be disappointed that those depictions often don't occur until late in the game. Each book contains a useful section of images and brief captions to give an overview of the individual's life. Serious researchers will want books with more depth, but casual readers will have enough to sink their teeth into.
—Jody KoppleCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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