BOOKS NEWS EVENTS ABOUT eBook Hardback Trade Paperback Paperback BUY £25 Children of the Night: The Strange and Epic Story of Modern Romania by Paul Kenyon A vivid, brilliant, darkly humorous and horrifying history of some of the strangest dictators that Europe has ever seen. 'A witty and page-turning narrative full of grotesque characters' Misha Glenny 'Kenyon relates all this with verve [and] humour ... He patiently untangles the complicated webs of loyalty and enmity' Literary Review 'Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Romania past and present' John Simpson Balanced precariously on the shifting fault line between East and West, Romania's schizophrenic, often violent past is one of the great untold stories of modern Europe. The country that gave us Vlad Dracula, and whose citizens consider themselves descendants of ancient Rome, has traditionally preferred the status of enigmatic outsider. But this beautiful and unexplored land has experienced some of the most disastrous leaderships of the last century. After a relatively benign period led by a dutiful King and his vivacious British-born Queen, the country oscillated wildly. Its interwar rulers form a gallery of bizarre characters and extreme movements: the corrupt and mentally unbalanced King Carol; the fascist death cult led by Corneliu Codreanu; the vain General Ion Antonescu, who seized power in 1940 and led the country into a catastrophic alliance with Nazi Germany. After 1945 power was handed to Romania's tiny communist party, under which it experienced severe repression, purges and collectivisation. Then in 1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power. And thus began the strangest dictatorship of all. Head of Zeus, an Apollo book * Modern History 19 Aug 2021 * 496pp * £25 * 9781789543162 REVIEWS 'Kenyon relates all this with verve [and] humour ... He patiently untangles the complicated webs of loyalty and enmity, that crisscrossed the royal court, the military camarilla and the politburo alike' LITERARY REVIEW 'A witty and page-turning narrative full of grotesque characters' MISHA GLENNY 'Paul Kenyon sweeps away the myths of romance and horror that cling to this fascinating and mysterious country' ALLAN LITTLE 'Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Romania past and present' JOHN SIMPSON 'This is a book that will leave you astonished, exhausted and curious ... An unapologetic page turner' SPECTATOR 'Witty and fluid, Kenyon's prose is readable without being superficial. His book is an engaging introduction to the rich history of a country that is often stereotyped and misunderstood' NEW STATESMAN 'Paul Kenyon's book delves into this history, bringing to life a rogues' gallery of characters' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE 'This is an extraordinary book ... It is deeply researched and richly documented ... Thanks to this book [Romania] is infinitely better understood' THE CRITIC AUTHOR Paul Kenyon Paul Kenyon is a distinguished BBC correspondent and BAFTA award-winning journalist and author. He has reported from danger-zones around the world for BBC Panorama, pushing the boundaries of investigative journalism and asking the questions many wouldn't dare – from tackling Gaddafi's son in a cage full of lions, to secretly filming Iran's secret nuclear sites. He's even faked his own death in a Haitian funeral parlour to expose a group of fraudsters. Kenyon is the recipient of an Association of International Broadcasters Award, three Royal Television Society awards, and is the author of Dictatorland, a Financial Times Book of the Year in 2018. He lives in London with his wife, Flavia. ALSO BY PAUL KENYON OTHER BOOKS YOU MIGHT LIKE Subscribe to our newsletter! Email Address * SUBSCRIBE WE ARE HOZ Head of Zeus opened for business on 3 January 2012 and we published our first books six months later. In 2015 we won Digital Publisher of the Year and in 2017 we won Independent Publisher of the Year. If you want to know why we are called Head of Zeus, enquire here. CONTACT US 5-8 Hardwick Street 1st Floor East London EC1R 4RG +44 207 253 5557 Registered number: 7769235 VAT number: GB122496619 INFORMATION About HoZ Press Enquiries Sales Enquiries Rights Enquiries Work With Us AI Generator PR Generator Catalogue Generator CATALOGUES Spring 2022 Autumn 2021 Spring 2021 Autumn 2020 Spring 2020 Autumn 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2018 Spring 2018 Autumn 2017 Spring 2017 Autumn 2016 Spring 2016 Autumn 2015 Spring 2015 Autumn 2014 Spring 2014 Autumn 2013 Spring 2013 2012 LINKS HoZ on Facebook HoZ on Twitter HoZ on YouTube HoZ on Instagram HoZ on Bookshop.org Head of Zeus © 2021 Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy