This is the latest in Baddeley and Woods' Devils Histories series of what we might call alternative history books - previous voulmes having dealt with the roots of Islamic terrorism and Jack the Ripper. Here, they take on the much-misunderstood inspiration for Dracula - Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepes, Vlad Dracula... call him what you want.

This exhaustive study takes in the background to Vlad's life, with the Crusades and wars between Europe and the Middle East, and follows his life and his influence. This includes looking at everything from the Marquis de Sade, the My Lai massacre, horror comics and movies and Vlad's continuing influence on Romania and Transylvania today.

While not exactly lightweight reading, this is intriguing stuff, peppered with fictionalised accounts of the battle fields and dungeons of the day, and gives a clear insight as to how he has been seen as a hero in his homeland while demonised as a monster (quite literally by people who confuse Bram Stoker's fiction and the reality) throughout the rest of the world.

Vlad the Impaler remains a character who's name is known but who is something of a mystery outside the vampyric connection, so this thoroughly researched book is most welcome, and well worth seeking out for fans of the darker side of history.

DAVID FLINT

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