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Dracula: The Real Story
Another engaging book from International Reading Association and Children's Book Council "Children's Choices" award-winning author, Ken Derby
"A narrative that retains its crispness without sacrificing its moments of drama, this biography provides a balanced and accurate overview of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), and is an excellent resource for young students."-Dr. Elizabeth Miller, President of the Canadian Chapter of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula"
“Want to get juveniles interested in history? Begin with Dracula: The Real Story: there's no better way of creating this interest than with a work of nonfiction that uses the specter of a real-life 'vampire' and then brings it to life with vivid, rich and interactive descriptions! Dracula: The Real Story is a juvenile biography at its best: and because the subject involves a somewhat sinister figure, it'll attract more leisure readers in the 9-12 age group than most biographies.” - D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Dracula: The Real Story follows the intriguing life of the notorious Vlad Dracula, a little-known fifteenth century Romanian prince. Dracula's saga as hostage, fugitive, and prisoner molded him into an influential and feared warlord caught between the powerful Ottoman and European Empires. His clever and ruthless war tactics - which earned him the savage nickname Vlad the Impaler - helped preserve his homeland and earned him respect from his enemies and compatriots alike.
Many people today think of Dracula as a bloodsucking night demon that terrorized the living. Many Romanians of the fifteenth century considered him a hero who gave his life for his country. But to others, he was one of the cruelest villains of all time. Was he a bloodsucker, a hero, or a villain? Perhaps he was all three.
"A narrative that retains its crispness without sacrificing its moments of drama, this biography provides a balanced and accurate overview of Vlad the Impaler (Dracula), and is an excellent resource for young students."-Dr. Elizabeth Miller, President of the Canadian Chapter of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula"
“Want to get juveniles interested in history? Begin with Dracula: The Real Story: there's no better way of creating this interest than with a work of nonfiction that uses the specter of a real-life 'vampire' and then brings it to life with vivid, rich and interactive descriptions! Dracula: The Real Story is a juvenile biography at its best: and because the subject involves a somewhat sinister figure, it'll attract more leisure readers in the 9-12 age group than most biographies.” - D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Dracula: The Real Story follows the intriguing life of the notorious Vlad Dracula, a little-known fifteenth century Romanian prince. Dracula's saga as hostage, fugitive, and prisoner molded him into an influential and feared warlord caught between the powerful Ottoman and European Empires. His clever and ruthless war tactics - which earned him the savage nickname Vlad the Impaler - helped preserve his homeland and earned him respect from his enemies and compatriots alike.
Many people today think of Dracula as a bloodsucking night demon that terrorized the living. Many Romanians of the fifteenth century considered him a hero who gave his life for his country. But to others, he was one of the cruelest villains of all time. Was he a bloodsucker, a hero, or a villain? Perhaps he was all three.
- GenresHistory
104 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2014
2 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Ken Derby
7 books15 followersKen Derby is a slightly famous author, monkey trainer, twelve-minute rock star, five-minute TV star, two-minute movie star, fisherman, and former CIA operative (okay . . . not really). When he isn't teaching or writing, he might be found reading, working out, biking, or rooting for the Denver Broncos. Ken lives in Budapest, Hungary and teaches grade five at the American International School of Budapest. One of his books, "The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School," is an International Reading Association and Children's Book Council "Children's Choices" Honor Book and an Alabama "Children's Choice Book Award Program" winner. Ken is available for author visits and virtual author visits. Visit Ken's website to learn more about him.
New Book Released on Sept. 6, 2013!
Harley Patrick Davidsun, the zany biker/rocker/teacher dude from "The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School" will tickle your funny bone in my new book called "Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin"! And his classroom is not what one would call "traditional." He's nicknamed it "The Fourth Grade Loony Bin," and that's exactly what it is, especially when he pits the boys against the girls in a contest to win a ride on his chopped motorcycle. Zany events - ranging from a flatulence test to Kiss-A-Mania - mean you'll never know what's going to happen next. Step into the Loony Bin and find out who wins the wacky contest, and you'll be glad you went along for the ride!
New Book Released on Sept. 6, 2013!
Harley Patrick Davidsun, the zany biker/rocker/teacher dude from "The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School" will tickle your funny bone in my new book called "Harley P. Davidsun's Loony Bin"! And his classroom is not what one would call "traditional." He's nicknamed it "The Fourth Grade Loony Bin," and that's exactly what it is, especially when he pits the boys against the girls in a contest to win a ride on his chopped motorcycle. Zany events - ranging from a flatulence test to Kiss-A-Mania - mean you'll never know what's going to happen next. Step into the Loony Bin and find out who wins the wacky contest, and you'll be glad you went along for the ride!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 26, 2021
Nothing new under the sun but I really liked the summing up of the real Dracula's career. His politics, his enemies, his cruelties and his ending. The author did a good job to actually tell history in a fluent way in proper words. This was a fast reads on one of the cruelest tyrants that ever lived. Interesting insight for all those who only know the Dracula character from literature. Really recommended!
August 25, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I'm not sure when or where I first found it out, but I remember learning somewhere that Bram Stoker's Dracula was likely at least inspired by Vlad the Impaler.
I already knew bits and pieces about Vlad - probably the most obvious things, really. This book did contain more interesting information about the real-life Dracula, but I felt that it was somewhere in between a factual, non-fiction book and a historical fiction novella.
The author did a good job of showcasing Dracula's brutal side, but not so much how he could have been considered a hero. I was a bit surprised at the sudden mention of his wife and son - they hadn't been mentioned so much before, so I had very little idea of what they were like with Dracula.
I did think there was a lot of opinion in this book, such as the author's comments on how Dracula would have felt about certain things.
It was interesting to see the quotes taken from sources and I felt the use of footnotes worked really well in this book. I also like the illustrations at the end of the book.
At least one of the other books by this author looks like one I'd be interested in reading at a later date. This book was intriguing and violent and there was clearly a large amount of research that had gone into it.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I'm not sure when or where I first found it out, but I remember learning somewhere that Bram Stoker's Dracula was likely at least inspired by Vlad the Impaler.
I already knew bits and pieces about Vlad - probably the most obvious things, really. This book did contain more interesting information about the real-life Dracula, but I felt that it was somewhere in between a factual, non-fiction book and a historical fiction novella.
The author did a good job of showcasing Dracula's brutal side, but not so much how he could have been considered a hero. I was a bit surprised at the sudden mention of his wife and son - they hadn't been mentioned so much before, so I had very little idea of what they were like with Dracula.
I did think there was a lot of opinion in this book, such as the author's comments on how Dracula would have felt about certain things.
It was interesting to see the quotes taken from sources and I felt the use of footnotes worked really well in this book. I also like the illustrations at the end of the book.
At least one of the other books by this author looks like one I'd be interested in reading at a later date. This book was intriguing and violent and there was clearly a large amount of research that had gone into it.
December 30, 2020
Libro muy sencillo de leer para conocer más la historia del dracula original
August 16, 2016
What mankind has done in pursuit of power...
This book is a cleverly disguised biography of Vlad the Impaler a.k.a. Dracula meant for older kids/teens, I assume (due to some of the gory details). However, adults can also learn a lot from reading this concise publication. It truly sheds light on the facts behind the somewhat obscure historical figure. I liked how the author posed the question: "Who was the real Dracula?" to readers who may only be familiar with his vampire namesake. I found the cover illustration striking as well. I recommend this book for anyone seeking to increase their knowledge of world history.
This book is a cleverly disguised biography of Vlad the Impaler a.k.a. Dracula meant for older kids/teens, I assume (due to some of the gory details). However, adults can also learn a lot from reading this concise publication. It truly sheds light on the facts behind the somewhat obscure historical figure. I liked how the author posed the question: "Who was the real Dracula?" to readers who may only be familiar with his vampire namesake. I found the cover illustration striking as well. I recommend this book for anyone seeking to increase their knowledge of world history.
February 20, 2016
Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Dracul, or even Dracula is known as a blood-sucking monster to the outside world, however to many European countries he is known as a hero who died in battle to help protect his country. What is so blood-sucking and evil about that? Ken Derby explains how Dracula was a wicked, crazy soul, but a brave one too in this short and informative biography.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews