Petra K and the Blackhearts: A Novel (Young Europe Books)

Welcome to Pava, a city where miniaturized show-dragons are pitted against each other in secret, forbidden tournaments, and magic has been outlawed by a cruel child dictator. Here lives Petra K, the daughter of a shut-in mother, who becomes the master of a dragonka everyone wants to get their hands on. In a complicated world of sorceresses, gypsies, child gangs, and secret police, Petra K needs to decide whom to trust, and whom to betray in order to keep herself and her pet safe. But revolution is in the air, and she too is caught up in its pull. Only the Blackhearts, a gang of orphan children, dare to defy the new dictators rule, selling potions to survive. Along with the Blackhearts, Petra K faces a murderous pack of mechanical dragonka, a phantom secret agentand, most harrowing, her own weaknesses. Will the Blackhearts adventures and courage inspire the terrified population to rise up again, and return Pava to a place of prosperity, where dragonka run free? Petra K and the Blackhearts is the first thrilling book of a trilogy by M. Henderson Ellis, whose previous novel Booklist called "a wild, manic ride . . . thoroughly enjoyable." Review "A breathless . . . adventure pits a poor, fatherless girl against all sides in a battle for a dragons heart and a citys freedom. . . . Meticulously imagined, Petras city is built on ancient layers of cultures and traditions, with magic woven into its fabric. . . .[A] remarkable and distinctive offering for devoted fantasy fans." Kirkus Reviews "If you're ready to go take a walk on the wildside and meet creatures you haven't even imagined before, this is the book to take you there. You might want to read it during the day... Happy reading." Jo Ann Hakola, Independent Online Booksellers Association Mocked at school and neglected at home, young Petra K finds sanctuary in the streets of Pava, where forbidden magic is still practiced, mechanized automatons hawk their wares, and miniature dragons run wild. . . . The blend of magic and machinery is eerily intriguing, much as in William Alexanders Goblin Secrets. Petra K is a stalwart but accessible heroineher struggles with her friends and her mother give her immediate appeal while her transformation from schoolgirl to revolutionary is authentically bumpy, occurring in fits and starts as she is plagued by doubts and miscalculations. . . . [S]haring this as a classroom or family readaloud may . . . spur some thoughtful discussion about love, loss, and loyalty. --Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books About the Author M. Henderson Ellis, the author of Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Cafe (New Europe Books), is a graduate of Bennington College and a Chicago native who currently lives in Budapest, Hungary. Eastern Europe! Is A Brief And Concise (but Informative) Introduction To Eastern Europe And Its Myriad Customs And History... This Book Is A Gateway To Understanding Both What Unites And Separates Eastern Europeans From Their Western Brethren, And How This Vital Region Has Been Shaped By, But Has Also Left Its Mark On, Western Europe, Central Asia, The Middle East And North Africa.--www.amazon.com. A Few Words About A Word ; A Note On Pronunciation -- A Word (or Two) About Time ; Languages ; Geography ; Religion -- A Prehistory ; History ; Classical Eastern Europe -- Setting The Stage, 500-800 Ce. Western Rome ; The Avars ; The Slavs ; The First Slavic States ; The Bulgars ; The Dacians And Vlachs ; The Khazars ; (a Bunch Of) Finns And Balts -- Special Insert : The Steppe -- The Origins Of States, 800-1242 Ce. The Franks ; Moravia Magna And Bohemia ; The Bulgarians ; The Rus ; The Magyars/hungarians ; The Slovenes And Croatians ; Duklja, Raška, And The Serbs ; The Poles ; The Pechenegs ; The Cumanians ; The Lithuanians ; The Finale : 1239-42 -- Special Insert : Peoples Of Eastern Europe : The Jews --^ The Medieval Years, 1242-1600 Ce. The Mongol Empire, The Golden Horde, And Tartars ; Bulgaria ; Serbia ; Montenegro ; Bosnia & Herzegovina ; Croatia ; The Republic Of Ragusa/dubrovnik ; Albania ; The Byzantine Empire ; The Ottoman (turkish) Empire ; Wallachia, Moldavia, And Transylvania ; Hungary ; Bohemia ; The Teutonic Knights And Schizoid Prussia ; Lithuania And The Eastern Slavs ; Livonia And The Balts ; Poland As Catalyst ; Novgorod, Muscovy, And The Russians ; Halych-volhynia : A Kingdom In Galicia -- Special Insert : Peoples Of Eastern Europe : The Germans -- The Dawn Of A New Age, 1600-1800. The Principality Of Transylvania ; Wallachia And Moldavia ; Montenegro ; The Swedish Empire ; The Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth ; The Ukrainians And Belarussians ; Ottoman Empire ; Russia ; Of Austrians And Habsburgs ; Prussia -- Special Insert : Peoples Of Eastern Europe : The Gypsies --^ The Very, Very Long 19th Century, 1800-1914. The Ottoman Empire As Doorstop ; Serbia's Front Row Seat ; Montenegro Hits The 19th Century ; Romania Is Born ; Bulgaria's Raw Deal ; Albania As Accident; The Italian Risorgimento And Irridentism ; Pan-germanism And How Fritz (and Helga) Got Their Mojo ; Pan-slavism And Pie In The Sky ; The Austrian Dilemma And Hungary ; Russia, The Hope And Prison Of Nations ; Dawn Of The Dead : The Poland That Just Won't Go Away -- Special Insert : Peoples Of Eastern Europe : The Muslims --^ The Great War, And A Magic Year, 1914-1939. The War ; Paris, 1919 ; The Ottoman Empire Goes Out In Style ; Austria-hungary As A Bug On The Windshield ; Serbia And History ; Montenegro Is Pushed Off The Cliff ; The Failed Superstates I : Yugoslavia ; Bulgaria Tries 1913 Over Again ; The Failed Superstates Ii : Romania ; Albania : Let's Try That Again ; Hungary Loses The War...again ; The Failed Superstates Iii : Czechoslovakia ; Ukraine : With Friends Like These ; Belarus Gets Its 15 Minutes...literally ; Libre Baltica : Lithuania, Latvia, And Estonia ; Russia And How Russians Do Change ; The Failed Superstates Iv : Poland --^ War! : 1939-1945. The War As You Probably Don't Know It ; About The Numbers Used In This Chapter ; An Overview Of The War ; Poland And The Art Of Not Being ; The Baltics And A Bad Neighborhood ; The Czech Lands Revert To The 17th Century ; Slovakia Is Born, Sort Of ; Hungary Embraces Its Inner Tar Baby ; Romania Guesses Wrong ; Yugoslavia, Serbia, And 1914 All Over Again ; Croatia's Dark Side ; Albania Tries To Keep Its Head Above Water ; Bulgaria : Third Time A Charm? ; The Soviet Union Wins By Knockout In The 9th Round ; The Holocaust -- Special Insert : Home Is Where The Border Is! --^ The Frying Pan, The Fire, Etc., 1945-92. The Cold War, Or This Town Isn't Big Enough ; The Warsaw Pact : The Farm Animals Unite ; Yugoslavia : Exit, Stage Left ; Albania As An Island ; Bulgaria Finally Gets Something In Return ; Romania Goes Off The Deep End ; Hungary And Its Food-based Ideologies ; Czechoslovakia, Just East Of Eden ; East Germany As The Runt Of The Litter ; Poland, The Perennial Pain In The Butt ; The Soviet Union, Keeping Up With The Joneses -- Easy Come, Easy Go : 1989-92. Ashes To Ashes, We All Fall Down ; Poland And The Ghosts Of 1980 : The First Steps ; The Hungarian Refolution ; East Germany Goosesteps Into Oblivion ; Elvis Is Dead, But Czechoslovakia Goes Velvet Anyway ; Bulgaria Knows Peer Pressure When It Sees It ; Asking For A Light In The Romanian Powderkeg ; Albania And Frost In Hell ; Playing Fiddle On The Deck Of The Titanic : The Soviet Union ; Libre Baltica, Part Ii --^ Reference. Musical Chairs, Or, Place Names In Eastern Europe ; Eastern Europe In Numbers ; Mrs. Jankowska's Homemade Pierogis. Tomek Jankowski. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 501-564) And Index. László Bíró's last name is, in much of the world, a synonym for his revolutionary writing tool. But few people know that Bíró began his career in interwar Budapest as a journalist frustrated with spotty ink; that he escaped fascism by fleeing to Paris and, finally, to Buenos Aires; that a fellow Hungarian, Andor Goy, also played a vital role in the pen's development⎯and that, in a tragic twist of shared fate, business pressures and politics ultimately deprived both men of their rights to the ballpoint pen. Taking us from Hitler's Europe in 1938, to Argentina, where Bíró settled, and to Communist-era Hungary, where Goy lived out his life, Ballpoint is a painstakingly researched, absorbing narrative that reads simultaneously like a work of history and a novel.György Moldova is one of Hungary's most successful—and prolific—writers, and he is respected in particular for his achievements on the nonfiction front. He has earned the Kossuth Prize, Hungary's most prestigious literary honor, and his work has been translated into many languages, including English, German, Russian, and Chinese. He is the only Hungarian author to have achieved sales of 600,000 copies, and he continues to fare well in the country's bestseller lists to this day. Born in 1934, he lives in Budapest with his family. The author lives in Budapest.'Mr. Moldova tells this tale of ingenuity and disappointed hopes with considerable verve; his book is a page-turner.'⎯Wall Street Journal'In terms of history-making inventions, the ballpoint pen is no electric light bulb, but its story is far wilder.'⎯Maclean's (Canada's leading news magazine)'Ballpoint reads like a fast-paced mystery. Although we know from the start that its technological protagonist⎯the ballpoint pen⎯will triumph, we find ourselves repeatedly surprised by the story's unfolding episodes of international intrigue, financial deception, and legal shenanigans.'⎯Henry Petroski, author of The Pencil and The Essential Engineer'Part biography, part historical novel, this fascinating book tells the remarkable story of László Bíró and Andor Goy, the two Hungarians who made the first workable ballpoint pen and who, despite the resounding success of their product, earned almost nothing from it.'⎯John Emsley, author of Molecules of Murder and The Elements of Murder'The tale of László Bíró and Andor Goy... is a wonderful illustration of the role that human passions, foibles, and genius play in shaping the world around us.'⎯Robert Friedel, author of Zipper: An Exploration in Novelty Lszl Br's last name is, in much of the world, a synonym for his revolutionary writing tool. But few people know that Br began his career in interwar Budapest as a journalist frustrated with spotty ink; that he escaped fascism by fleeing to Paris and, finally, to Buenos Aires; that a fellow Hungarian, Andor Goy, also played a vital role in the pen's developmentand that, in a tragic twist of shared fate, business pressures and politics ultimately deprived both men of their rights to the ballpoint pen. Taking us from Hitler's Europe in 1938, to Argentina, where Br settled, and to Communist-era Hungary, where Goy lived out his life, Ballpoint is a painstakingly researched, absorbing narrative that reads simultaneously like a work of history and a novel. Gyrgy Moldova is one of Hungary's most successfuland prolificwriters, and he is respected in particular for his achievements on the nonfiction front. He has earned the Kossuth Prize, Hungary's most prestigious literary honor, and his work has been translated into many languages, including English, German, Russian, and Chinese. He is the only Hungarian author to have achieved sales of 600,000 copies, and he continues to fare well in the country's bestseller lists to this day. Born in 1934, he lives in Budapest with his family. The author lives in Budapest. "Mr. Moldova tells this tale of ingenuity and disappointed hopes with considerable verve; his book is a page-turner." Wall Street Journal "In terms of history-making inventions, the ballpoint pen is no electric light bulb, but its story is far wilder." Maclean's (Canada's leading news magazine) "Ballpoint reads like a fast-paced mystery. Although we know from the start that its technological protagonistthe ballpoint penwill triumph, we find ourselves repeatedly surprised by the story's unfolding episodes of international intrigue, financial deception, and legal shenanigans." Henry Petroski, author of The Pencil and The Essential Engineer "Part biography, part historical novel, this fascinating book tells the remarkable story of Lszl Br and Andor Goy, the two Hungarians who made the first workable ballpoint pen and who, despite the resounding success of their product, earned almost nothing from it." John Emsley, author of Molecules of Murder and The Elements of Murder "The tale of Lszl Br and Andor Goy ... is a wonderful illustration of the role that human passions, foibles, and genius play in shaping the world around us." Robert Friedel, author of An Exploration in Novelty Petra K and the Blackhearts take readers to a Prague-like city where miniaturized show-dragons are pitted against each other in secret, forbidden tournaments, and magic has been outlawed by a cruel child dictator. Here lives Petra K, the daughter of a shut-in mother, who becomes the master of a dragonka everyone wants to get their hands on. In a complicated world of sorceresses, Gypsies, child gangs, and secret police, Petra K needs to decide whom to trust, and whom to betray in order to keep herself and her pet safe. But revolution is in the air, and she too is caught up in its pull. Only the Blackhearts, a gang of orphan children, dare to defy the new dictator's rule, selling potions to survive. Along with the Blackhearts, Petra K faces a murderous pack of mechanical dragonka, a phantom secret agentand, most harrowing, her own weaknesses. M. Henderson Ellis ,the author of Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Caf (New Europe Books), is a graduate of Bennington College and a Chicago native who currently lives in Budapest, Hungary. "Ellis's ... years living in Eastern Europe give this steampunk fantasy, first in a planned trilogy, a strong sense of place and an unerring ear for the newspeak of totalitarianism. Archibald the Precious, a child dictator known to the Youth Groups that revere him as the 'Number One Play Pal,' takes the reins in Pava, the crumbling city-state in which Petra K lives... . Ellis's pacing and plotting abilities show considerable gifts as Petra draws closer to the secret of Archibald's power." Publishers Weekly "A breathless ... adventure pits a poor, fatherless girl against all sides in a battle for a dragon's heart and a city's freedom... . Meticulously imagined, Petra's city is built on ancient layers of cultures and traditions, with magic woven into its fabric... .[A] remarkable and distinctive offering for devoted fantasy fans." Kirkus Reviews "This marks the first in a series aimed to reinvigorate the 'Old World,' and its strength lies in its sense of place, as Pava's twisting alleyways have the feel of ancient Venice, where any shadow might conceal a thief or a bit of magic... . [F]or readers looking for a light mystery with a dash of fantasy, this book will open the door to an imaginative world." BooklistOnline.com Petra K and the Blackhearts take readers to a Prague-like city where miniaturized show-dragons are pitted against each other in secret, forbidden tournaments, and magic has been outlawed by a cruel child dictator. Here lives Petra K, the daughter of a shut-in mother, who becomes the master of a dragonka everyone wants to get their hands on. In a complicated world of sorceresses, Gypsies, child gangs, and secret police, Petra K needs to decide whom to trust, and whom to betray in order to keep herself and her pet safe. But revolution is in the air, and she too is caught up in its pull. Only the Blackhearts, a gang of orphan children, dare to defy the new dictator's rule, selling potions to survive. Along with the Blackhearts, Petra K faces a murderous pack of mechanical dragonka, a phantom secret agent—and, most harrowing, her own weaknesses.M. Henderson Ellis, the author of Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Café (New Europe Books), is a graduate of Bennington College and a Chicago native who currently lives in Budapest, Hungary.'Ellis's... years living in Eastern Europe give this steampunk fantasy, first in a planned trilogy, a strong sense of place and an unerring ear for the newspeak of totalitarianism. Archibald the Precious, a child dictator known to the Youth Groups that revere him as the'Number One Play Pal,'takes the reins in Pava, the crumbling city-state in which Petra K lives.... Ellis's pacing and plotting abilities show considerable gifts as Petra draws closer to the secret of Archibald's power.'—Publishers Weekly'A breathless... adventure pits a poor, fatherless girl against all sides in a battle for a dragon's heart and a city's freedom.... Meticulously imagined, Petra's city is built on ancient layers of cultures and traditions, with magic woven into its fabric....[A] remarkable and distinctive offering for devoted fantasy fans.'—Kirkus Reviews'This marks the first in a series aimed to reinvigorate the'Old World,'and its strength lies in its sense of place, as Pava's twisting alleyways have the feel of ancient Venice, where any shadow might conceal a thief or a bit of magic.... [F]or readers looking for a light mystery with a dash of fantasy, this book will open the door to an imaginative world.'—BooklistOnline.com When the legendary Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded the city of Rome in 753 BCE, Plovdiv—today the second-largest city in Bulgaria—was thousands of years old. Indeed, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam are all are mere infants compared to Plovdiv. This is just one of the paradoxes that haunts and defines the New Europe, that part of Europe that was freed from Soviet bondage in 1989, and which is at once both much older than the modern Atlantic-facing power centers of Western Europe while also being much younger than them. Eastern Europe! is a brief and concise (but informative) introduction to Eastern Europe and its myriad customs and history.Even those knowledgeable about Western Europe often see Eastern Europe as terra incognito, with a sign on the border declaring “Here be monsters.” Tomek Jankowski's book is a gateway to understanding both what unites and separates Eastern Europeans from their Western brethren, and how this vital region has been shaped by but has also left its mark on Western Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. It is a reader-friendly guide to a region that is all too often mischaracterized as remote, insular, and superstitious.The book comprises three parts, The first sums up modern linguistic, geographic, and religious contours of Eastern Europe, while the second, main part delves into the region's history, from the earliest origins of Europe up to the end of the Cold War. Closing the book is a section that makes sense of geographical name references -- many cities, rivers, or regions have different names -- and also includes an'Eastern Europe by Numbers'feature that provides charts describing the populations, politics, and economies of the region today. Throughout are boxed-off anecdotes ('Useless Trivia') describing fascinating aspects of Eastern European history or culture.

What is it to be Hungarian? What does it feel like? Most Hungarians are convinced that the rest of the world just doesn't get them. They are right. True, much of the world thinks highly of Hungarians-for reasons ranging from their heroism in the 1956 revolution to their genius as mathematicians, physicists, and financiers. But Hungarians do often seem to be living proof of the old joke that Magyars are in fact Martians: they may be situated in the very heart of Europe, but they are equipped with a confounding language, extraterrestrial (albeit endearing) accents, and an unearthly way of thinking.

What most Hungarians learn from life about the Magyar mind is now available, for the first time, in this user-friendly guide to what being Hungarian is all about.

The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian brings together twelve authors well-versed in the quintessential ingredients of being Hungarian-from the stereotypical Magyar man to the stereotypical Magyar woman, foods to folk customs, livestock to literature, film to philosophy, politics to porcelain, and scientists to sports.

In fifty short, highly readable, often witty, sometimes politically incorrect, but always candid articles, the authors demonstrate that being credibly Hungarian-like being French, Polish or Japanese-is largely a matter of carrying around in your head a potpourri of conceptions and preconceptions acquired over the years from your elders, society, school, the streets, and mass media.

Compacting this wealth of knowledge into an irresistible little book, The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian is an indispensable reference that will teach you how to be Hungarian, even if you already are.

A passionate novel of unstoppable physical obsession amongst a group of Brussels eurocrats, Illegal Liaisons offers a fascinating insight into the first Polish generation that is truly'free', but struggle to know where the boundaries of that freedom lie. Plebanek's characters have to negotiate between the old-fashioned devout Catholicism they grew up with, and the modern way of living they are desperate to embrace. Watch them as they try to claim their rightful place within the international crowd in the big world that turns out to be really rather small. Expect the upending of stereotypes, libidos run wild, graphic eroticisim, and, ultimately, the soul searching and hard realities.Grazyna Plebanek is a highly acclaimed and bestselling author in Poland. Plebanek's latest novel, Illegal Liaisons, is her first novel to be translated into English. In 2011 Plebanek was awarded the Literary Prize Zlote Sowy for her contribution to promoting Poland abroad. She lives in Brussels, Belgium.'Plebanek's crisp and intelligent new novel is full of pitch-perfect descriptions, mostly but not exclusively about sex, and its contemplation.... A merciless comedy of modern manners, and the politics of desire.'—Publishers Weekly'Fascinating.... [E]xposes what can happen when the tables are turned in an ego-driven marriage, and a husband plays a secondary role next to a successful wife.'—Foreword Reviews'Grażyna Plebanek's tantalising Illegal Liaisons breaks down barriers with its thrilling descriptions of sex and acute observations of life in Brussels where the author resides. A father, husband and a writer caught in a relationship with two women. Need I say more?'—Litro Magazine What is it to be Hungarian? What does it feel like? Most Hungarians are convinced that the rest of the world just doesn't get them. They are right. True, much of the world thinks highly of Hungarians--for reasons ranging from their heroism in the 1956 revolution to their genius as mathematicians, physicists, and financiers. But Hungarians do often seem to be living proof of the old joke that Magyars are in fact they may be situated in the very heart of Europe, but they are equipped with a confounding language, extraterrestrial (albeit endearing) accents, and an unearthly way of thinking. What most Hungarians learn from life about the Magyar mind is now available, for the first time, in this user-friendly guide to what being Hungarian is all about. The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian brings together twelve authors well-versed in the quintessential ingredients of being Hungarian--from the stereotypical Magyar man to the stereotypical Magyar woman, foods to folk customs, livestock to literature, film to philosophy, politics to porcelain, and scientists to sports. In fifty short, highly readable, often witty, sometimes politically incorrect, but always candid articles, the authors demonstrate that being credibly Hungarian--like being French, Polish or Japanese--is largely a matter of carrying around in your head a potpourri of conceptions and preconceptions acquired over the years from your elders, society, school, the streets, and mass media. Compacting this wealth of knowledge into an irresistible little book, The Essential Guide to Being Hungarian is an indispensable reference that will teach you how to be Hungarian, even if you already are. Miniaturized show-dragons, automatons with minds of their own, a palace haunted by alchemists, and a neighborhood that is home to criminals and sorcerers alike: Welcome to the world of the Black Hearts, a gang of children bound together by the need to survive in a brutal world where the powers that be are especially cruel to those who do not conform to authoritarian rule. Based on legends of "magic Prague" and on the reality of its former communist regime, Petra K and the Blackhearts focuses on ten-year-old Petra K, the daughter of a shut-in mother, who becomes the master of a dragonka that everyone in the city of Pava wants to get their hands on. In the complicated world of sorceresses, gypsies, child gangs, and secret police, Petra K needs to decide who to trust, and who to betray in order to keep herself and her pet safe. But revolution is in the air, and she is caught up in its pull, becoming separated from her family and aligning herself with the Black Hearts. Magic is banned and personal freedoms are stripped. Only the Black Hearts dare to defy the dictator. Along with the Black Hearts, Petra K faces a murderous pack of mechanical dragonka, a phantom secret agent, and, most harrowing, her own weaknesses as she transforms from an impassive follower into a child revolutionary. Will the Black Hearts' adventures and courage inspire the city's terrified population to rise up again, and return Pava to a place of prosperity, where dragonka run free'

Being Polish is no joke. For ten million people of Polish ancestry in the United States, as well as many who have settled in the UK since the fall of communism, it is a heartfelt matter—and amid all the travel guides and guides to Polish language, folklore,and customs, there is no single, comprehensive, reader-friendly and yet ever-informative reference on what it means to be Polish. Enter The Essential Guide to Being Polish — the go-to concise resource for anyone looking to reconnect with their culture or, indeed, hoping that their friends, children, or colleagues learn something about their heritage. 

Divided into three sections to make for an easy-to-follow format —Poland in Context, Poles in Poland, and Poles Abroad — this guide covers just about everything and does so in a style that is at once entertaining and informative: the country's history and geography, wars, Jews in Poland, the communist past, the postcommunist past and present, language, kings and queens, religion/Catholicism (with special focus on Pope John Paul II), holidays, food, and drink. What is a real Polish wedding all about? That, too, is addressed succinctly and with flair in this guide. Other chapters cover literature, music, art, famous scientists, Polish men and Polish women, Poles in America, Poles in the UK, Poles and the EU, and last but not least, Polish pride.

Being Polish is no joke. For ten million people of Polish ancestry in the United States, as well as many who have settled in the UK since the fall of communism, it is a heartfelt matter⎯and amid all the travel guides and guides to Polish language, folklore, and customs, there is no single, comprehensive, reader-friendly and yet ever-informative reference on what it means to be Polish. Enter The Essential Guide to Being Polish⎯the go-to concise resource for anyone looking to reconnect with their culture or, indeed, hoping that their friends, children, or colleagues learn something about their heritage. Divided into three sections to make for an easy-to-follow format⎯Poland in Context, Poles in Poland, and Poles Abroad⎯this guide covers just about everything and does so in a style that is at once entertaining and informative: the country's history and geography, wars, Jews in Poland, the communist past, the post-communist past and present, language, kings and queens, religion/Catholicism (with special focus on Pope John Paul II), holidays, food, and drink. What is a real Polish wedding all about? That, too, is addressed succinctly and with flair in this guide. Other chapters cover literature, music, art, famous scientists, Polish men and Polish women, Poles in America, Poles in the UK, Poles and the EU, and last but not least, Polish pride. When the legendary Romulus killed his brother Remus and founded the city of Rome in 753 BCE, Plovdiv - today the second-largest city in Bulgaria - was already thousands of years old. Indeed, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam are all are mere infants compared to Plovdiv. This is just one of the paradoxes that haunts and defines the New Europe, that part of Europe that was freed from Soviet bondage in 1989 which is at once both much older than the modern Atlantic-facing power centers of Western Europe while also being in some ways much younger than them. Eastern Europe! is a brief and concise (but informative) introduction to Eastern Europe and its myriad customs and history. Even those knowledgeable about Western Europe often see Eastern Europe as terra incognita, with a sign on the border declaring "Here be monsters." This book is a gateway to understanding both what unites and separates Eastern Europeans from their Western brethren, and how this vital region has been shaped by, but has also left its mark on, Western Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Ideal for students, businesspeople, and those who simply want to know more about where Grandma or Grandpa came from, Eastern Europe! is a user-friendly guide to a region that is all too often mischaracterized as remote, insular, and superstitious Mustering his extensive experience on the scene of the world's richest source of vampire lore, Transylvania, historian and author István Pivárcsi seeks to peel away the effects of popular culture and set the record straight, addressing essential questions in dozens of bite-size chapters: How did vampire legends emerge in the Balkans, Romania, and Transylvania? How did other monsters eventually coalesce as what we know as vampires? Who was the real Vlad the Impaler, and how did he come to personify the classic vampire? How did vampire-related oral traditions evolve over the centuries—and then explode with unprecedented force in both literature and popular culture from the mid-nineteenth century on? The ideal short reference for anyone with at least a passing interest in the undead, Just a Bite includes an extensive two-part appendix comprising a comprehensive glossary of vampire terms as well as a chronology of human beings'fascination (and interaction) with vampires through history.From the Trade Paperback edition. A page-turning dystopian classic that stands alongside Brave New World and Gulliver's Travels.

Voyage to Kazohinia is a tour de force of twentieth-century literature--and it is here published in English for the first time outside of Hungary. Sándor Szathmári's comical novel chronicles the travels of a modern Gulliver on the eve of World War II. A shipwrecked English ship's surgeon finds himself on an unknown island whose inhabitants, the Hins, live a technologically advanced existence without emotions, desires, arts, money, or politics. Soon unhappy amid this bleak perfection, Gulliver asks to be admitted to the closed settlement of the Behins, beings with souls and atavistic human traits. He has seen nothing yet. A massively entertaining mix of satire and science fiction, Voyage to Kazohinia has seen half a dozen editions in Hungary in the seventy years since its original publication and remains the country's most popular cult classic.

Mustering his extensive experience on the scene of the world's richest source of vampire lore, Transylvania, historian and author Istvn Pivrcsi seeks to peel away the effects of popular culture and set the record straight, addressing essential questions in dozens of bite-size How did vampire legends emerge in the Balkans, Romania, and Transylvania? How did other monsters eventually coalesce as what we know as vampires? Who was the real Vlad the Impaler, and how did he come to personify the classic vampire? How did vampire-related oral traditions evolve over the centuriesand then explode with unprecedented force in both literature and popular culture from the mid-nineteenth century on? The ideal short reference for anyone with at least a passing interest in the undead, Just a Bite includes an extensive two-part appendix comprising a comprehensive glossary of vampire terms as well as a chronology of human beings' fascination (and interaction) with vampires through history. The World Of Blood. Vampirology ; Fending Off Vampires ; Bloodsucking Bats ; Werewolves ; Pellagra And Porphyria ; Bloodletting ; Blood Legends ; Blood Libels -- Dracula And History. Three Principalities ; The Fortresses Of Sighişoara And Bran ; Vlad The Impaler, The Historical Dracula ; Will The Real Dracula Please Stand Up? ; The Dreadful Doings Of Dracula ; Elizabeth Báthory : A Female Dracula ; Tainted Blood ; A French Dracula ; The Vampiress Of Venice -- Bad Beings, Distant (undead) Relatives, And More. Demons ; Fairies And Witches ; Golem ; Voodoo And Zombies ; Vampires Around The House -- Dracula Meets Popular Culture. Frankenstein ; The Doctors Of Fear ; Fantômas ; Vampires And Classic Cinema ; Nosferatu ; The Dracula Film That Time Forgot ; Hollywood's Hungarian Dracula ; Vampire Blockbusters ; The Book Of Dracula. István Pivárcsi ; [translation By Dorottya Olchváry, Dániel Dányi, And Paul Olchváry]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 274-276) And Index. This classic dystopian satire has been compared to the likes of Brave New World, Gulliver's Travels and The Wizard of Oz. Voyage to Kazohinia is a tour de force of twentieth-century literature--and it is here published in English for the first time outside of Hungary. Sándor Szathmári's novel chronicles the travels of a modern Gulliver on the eve of World War II. A shipwrecked English ship's surgeon finds himself on an unknown island whose inhabitants, the Hins, live a technologically advanced existence without emotions, desires, arts, money, or politics. Soon unhappy amid this bleak perfection, Gulliver asks to be admitted to the closed settlement of the Behins, beings with souls and atavistic human traits. He has seen nothing yet. A massively entertaining mix of satire and science fiction, Voyage to Kazohinia has seen half a dozen editions in Hungary in decades since its original publication and remains the country's most popular cult classic. The triumphs and the trials of the men who invented the modern ballpoint pen as they battled corporate greed, dark eras--and each other.

László Bíró's last name is, in much of the world, a synonym for his revolutionary writing tool. But few people know that Bíró began his career in interwar Budapest as a journalist frustrated with spotty ink; that he escaped fascism by fleeing to Paris and, finally, to Buenos Aires; that a fellow Hungarian, Andor Goy, also played a vital role in the pen's development--and that, in a tragic twist of shared fate, business pressures and politics ultimately deprived both men of their rights to the ballpoint pen. Taking us from Hitler's Europe in 1938, to Argentina, where Bíró settled, and to Communist-era Hungary, where Goy lived out his life, Ballpoint is a painstakingly researched, absorbing narrative that reads simultaneously like a work of history and a novel.

"A passionate novel of unstoppable physical obsession amongst a group of Brussels eurocrats, Illegal Liaisons offers a fascinating insight into the first Polish generation that is truly 'free', but struggle to know where the boundaries of that freedom lie. Plebanek's characters have to negotiate between the old-fashioned devout Catholicism they grew up with, and the modern way of living they are desperate to embrace. Watch them as they try to claim their rightful place within the international crowd in the big world that turns out to be really rather small. Expect the upending of stereotypes, libidos run wild, graphic eroticisim, and, ultimately, the soul searching and hard realities."--Provided by publisher While discussions of Eastern Europe have previously been confined to dry, scholarly works, Tomek E. Jankowski's Eastern Europe! is an entertaining account of this vital but oft-forgotten region. The book sums up modern linguistic, geographic and religious contours of Eastern Europe, providing a general background of the region's demographics. It also delves into the region's history, from the earliest origins of Europe up to the end of the Cold War and makes sense of geographical name references and changes throughout the years A shipwrecked English ship's surgeon finds himself on an unknown island whose inhabitants, the Hins, live in a technologically advanced existence without emotions, desires, arts, money or politics. Soon unhappy with this bleak perfection, Gulliver asks to be admitted to the closed settlement of the Behins, beings with souls and atavistic human traits. But he's seen nothing yet .. For the millions of people of Polish ancestry in the United States and other countries, being Polish is a heartfelt matter. Spysz and Turek have created the go-to concise resource for anyone looking to reconnect with their culture or, indeed, hoping that their friends, children, or colleagues learn something about their heritage In the oppressed city of Pava, Petra, a fatherless girl, and the dragonka she has taken under her wing are pulled into a resistance movement, led by a gang of orphans called the Blackhearts, that defies the new child dictator's rule. Part history and part historical novel, this book recounts the invention of the first mass-produced ballpoint pen and the two figures who brought it to life: László Bíró and Andor Goy. Grażyna Plebanek ; Translated By Danusia Stok. Translated From The Original Nielegalne Związki. First Published In English In 2012 By Stork Press. Translated From Polish.