Roumania Past and Present is a book by James Samuelson. It delves into numerous matters concerning Roumania, presenting historical, geographical and cultural views and traditions.

This prize-winning study of post-WWII Romania examines the fraught relationship between national heritage and Socialist statecraft. In Socialist Heritage, ethnographer and historian Emanuela Grama explores the socialist state’s attempt to create its own heritage, as well as the ongoing legacy of that project. While many argue that the socialist regimes of Central and Eastern Europe aimed to erase the pre-war history of the socialist cities, Grama shows that the communist state in Romania sought to exploit the past for its own benefit. The book traces the transformation of Bucharest’s Old Town district from the early twentieth century into the twenty-first. Under socialism, politicians and professionals used the district’s historic buildings—especially the ruins of a medieval palace—to emphasize the city’s Romanian past and erase its ethnically diverse history. Since the collapse of socialism, the cultural and economic value of the Old Town has become highly contested. Its poor residents decry their semi-decrepit homes, while entrepreneurs see it as a source of easy money. Such arguments point to recent negotiations about the meanings of class, political participation, and ethnic and economic belonging in today’s Romania. Grama’s rich historical and ethnographic research reveals the fundamentally dual nature of heritage: every search for an idealized past relies on strategies of differentiation that can lead to further marginalization and exclusion. Winner of the 2020 Ed A. Hewitt Book Prize

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

A comprehensive and engaging new history charting Romania's development over 2000 years from its establishment to the present day.

This book presents captivating stories about Romania's past in the larger context of European and world history. Prof. Djuvara sets aside the academic tone to recount the story of Romanians, without taboos or prejudices. Common misunderstandings are brought to light and clarified, such as the story of Vlad the Impaler and the role played by Romania in World War II. Read about the wars between Dacia and Rome, barbarian invasions, the assimilation of other populations, the complex history of Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia and about great sacrifices made in defense of Christianity. This translation published by Cross Meridian (Canada) is dedicated to young people of Romanian descent who live in countries where English is spoken or understood.