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In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires Paperback – October 31, 1994

by Radu Florescu (Author), Raymond T. McNally (Author)

37 customer reviews

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The true story behind the legend of Dracula - a biography of Prince Vlad of Transylvania, better known as Vlad the Impaler. This revised edition now includes entries from Bram Stoker's recently discovered diaries, the amazing tale of Nicolae Ceausescu's attempt to make Vlad a national hero, and an examination of recent adaptations in fiction, stage and screen.

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Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; Rev Sub edition (October 31, 1994)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0395657830
ISBN-13: 978-0395657836
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Books > History > Europe > Romania
- #244 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Occult & Paranormal > Occultism
- #1016 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Europe

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

5 star		65%
4 star		16%
3 star		16%
2 star		3%
1 star		0%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful

The "real" dracula

By Freeborn John on December 14, 2005

Format: Paperback

If given the choice I would prefer to split this book down the middle, the first half being given fours stars and the second 1. I would have to say that the title of the books says this is a history of vampires as well as dracula. I think this is incorrect; there is one chapter on vampiric folklore which to be blunt is very vague and doesn't really tell you anything.

However, whilst I have doubts about there use of some evidence (the authors repeatedly seem very trusting of peasant folklore) the chapters on Dracula (Vlad Tepes), which constitute the bulk of the book, are very good and the book is worth buying for that alone.

I do have the feeling that once this was done the authors needed to padd the book out and hence add three chapters on vampire fiction to the present day. It is only because I have an obsessive need to finish any book I start that I finished this, otherwise I would have given up contented once they had finished with Dracula.

However, I am in agreement with the previous reviewer who stated that the score was recued by the appendixes. By bringing such resources in one place it is a very useful aid to the reader's further research and hence am happy to recommend.

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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

Start Here for Your Search of the Real Dracula

By AmazingMrKimble on September 23, 2000

Format: Paperback

A nice blend of scholarship with fascination, this is the first book to look for the truth behind the fiction. Does a nice job not only of explaining where Bram Stoker got the bits and pieces he picked up to turn Vlad the Impaler into Count Dracula, but also puts the Wallachian Prince in historical perspective. There are more detailed biographies of Vlad out there, but this is really the book that opened the door and its writers are paricularly well suited to the task. If you only want to read one book about the real Dracula and his transformation into one of the major fictional characters of all time, this would be that book.

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37 of 43 people found the following review helpful

Not Terribly Scholarly, but a Worthwhile Introduction.

By mirasreviews HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on February 8, 2004

Format: Paperback

"In Search of Dracula" is an exploration into any historical basis that may exist for Bram Stoker's icon of gothic horror, Count Dracula. The authors, Raymond McNally and Radu Florescu, both history professors at Boston College, undertook seven research expeditions to investigate their hypothesis that the infamous vampire Count was in part based on a real person: the 15th century Eastern European ruler Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad Tepes' father was Vlad Dracul, who ruled Wallachia before him, and Tepes preferred the name "Dracula", by which he was widely known in his own time. Bram Stoker's Count Dracula appears to have been inspired by stories of Vlad the Impaler along with the vampire folklore of the region that the historical Dracula dominated. Vlad the Impaler has never been considered a vampire by his countrymen, and similarities to the fictional Count are superficial, but they are enough to indicate more than coincidence: The two men have the same name. Count Dracula is from Transylvania, while Prince Dracula was from neighboring Wallachia, but his castle was on the Transylvanian border. Both men led their nations to victory against the incurring Ottoman Turks. And both were widely feared. Vlad the Impaler was and still is considered to be one of the most bloodthirsty and Machiavellian leaders to have ever lived, having murdered an estimated one fifth of his own population. Legend has it that the ruthless Prince ate bread dipped in the blood of his victims. That's not substantiable, but it may provide a further connection to Bram Stoker's fictional Count.Read more ›

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

A very good book

By rene@centroweb.net on January 11, 2001

Format: Paperback

I'm a college professor in History and next semester I will be offering a special course on Dracula and his Contemporaries. I have chosen this book as one of the required readings. It serves as a companion volume to Florescu's Dracula: Prince of Many Faces. Particularly useful are the bibliography and the translated documents. The book tells us about the research the authors did on Vlad the Impaler and about his career as Prince of Wallachia.

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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

Lots and Lotsa Dracula Going On

By Mark Rainey on March 20, 2000

Format: Paperback

This is one entertaining volume, one I can refer back to time and time again. The writers give a very matter-of-fact account of the life and times of Vlad Tepes, occasionally laced with a bit of wry humor, and relate the legends that have grown around ye olde impaler. From there, they take us through Bram Stoker and his background, and on to the celluloid versions of Dracula, all without pausing for breath...and happily so. My favorite bits are the various legends about Prince Vlad told from several points of view, and how they compare with each other. Very revealing, and always entertaining. Great fun for vampire afficionados and "serious" devotees alike.

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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

Bit of a let down....

By Aaron J. Palmer on March 10, 2007

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

I was disappointed with this book. I have read the authors' biography of Dracula, and found little new or worthwhile presented here. Moreover, the title is deceptive. Very little of this book is devoted to the history of vampires, and too much of it deals with modern popular culture. Given that the authors are serious scholars, I was hoping for a detailed look at popular culture roughly at the time of Vlad Tepes. I highly recommend the authors' other book, "Dracula: Prince of Many Faces," but find little merit in this volume. I think this book might have more appeal to a general audience. So, if you are looking for some basic background on the "real" Dracula (Vlad Tepes), and the basics of how he fits into folklore and popular culture, then this book may very well be for you. It is well written, and draws on the authors' considerable knowledge. It just was not what I expected or hoped for.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Great read!

Published 7 hours ago by Bran.B

A Reference Book about Dracula and Vampires

In Search of Dracula

Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu are leading authorities on Vlad Dracula and professors at Boston College who teach courses on Dracula, the... Read more

Published 18 days ago by Acute Observer

Great First Exploration For Dracula Fans!

I first read the original 1972 edition of In Search of Dracula back in high school when I first began to really explore the backstory of the character and novel Dracula. Read more

Published 2 months ago by William G.

Three Stars

a lot of the same ,no new info on the subject

Published 3 months ago by Richard DiCosmo

In Search Of Dracula

Love all Dracula movies and books, haven't finished reading the book, so far so good!

Published 4 months ago by Mei

I recommend this book wholeheartedly

Everything I ever wanted to know about Vlad the Impaler was in this book. Now I know he is actually Dracula not Dracul (Dracul was his father), and that he was as brutal as he was... Read more

Published 5 months ago by SteeleDude

Gr8 read

Very good book. Highly rated by my Romanian friend.

Published 6 months ago by Amazon Customer

Background on one part of the Dracula legend

Whether this is a good book or not so good depends on your purpose in reading it. If you are looking for scholarship, skip this one. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Eleanor Latham

good book

Good book.

Published 14 months ago by Lee Benedict

as part of my history search, I have always ...

as part of my history search, I have always been curious about this movie phenomenon and now I see that real life story of how these tales were created.

Published 15 months ago by Lil Bear

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