This review was written by Eugene Kernes
Book can be found in:Genre = Novel, History
A story about a ruler of Wallachia. Vlad’s story is mired in transgressions. From seeing the betrayal of the Boyars
against his father to common crimes.
After gaining his power, any transgression was used as an excuse for the
transgressor to be impaled. A slow and
painful death in which the person impaled lived for a short time after being
impaled. Vlad went far to trick people
into minor transgressions for which they were impaled for. By not responding in a way that Vlad had
wanted, an individual was likely to be impaled.
The extreme measure fostered a society which had no crimes, but also
fostered resentment. A cautionary tale of
fear. That fear can be a powerful
weapon, but cannot be the sole tool in leadership.
