Romania occupies a unique position on the map of Eastern Europe, standing at the interface of several different regions, with a great diversity of ethnic cultures. It is a country that presents many paradoxes. This book examines the development of this country from the Middle Ages to modern times, delineating its culture, history, language, politics, ethnic identity and international relations. The author introduces the reader to the heroes and myths of Romanian history, such as the celebrated fictional Count Dracula, and provides an enlightening account of the history of Romanian communism. He shows how, following the collapse of Communism, modernization and the influence of Western languages and culture have divided the nation - town versus country, nationalists versus pro-European factions, elite versus the "masses". Lucian Boia argues that Romania today is in difficulty as it tries to fix its identity and envision a future.
The book also documents the perception of ethnic minorities such as Hungarians, Jews and gypsies in Romania, as well as the Romanian attitudes towards other nations, and concludes with a tour of present-day Bucharest whose houses, streets and public monuments embody Romania's old and new values, as well as its current, painful contradictions.