FREE DRACULAS WARS: VLAD THE IMPALER AND HIS RIVALS PDF James Waterson | 256 pages | 01 Oct 2016 | The History Press Ltd | 9780750964883 | English | Stroud, United Kingdom Dracula's Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals by James Waterson Few names have cast more terror into the human heart than Dracula. The legendary vampire, created by author Bram Stoker for his novel of the same name, has inspired countless horror movies, television shows and other bloodcurdling tales of vampires. Though Dracula may seem like a singular creation, Stoker in fact drew inspiration from a real-life man with an even more grotesque taste for blood: Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or — as he is better known — Vlad the Impaler Vlad Tepesa name he earned for his favorite way of dispensing with his enemies. Vlad II was granted the surname Dracul "dragon" after his induction into the Order of the Dragon, a Christian military order supported by the Holy Roman emperor. Situated between Christian Europe and the Muslim lands of the Ottoman Empire, Transylvania and Wallachia were frequently the scene of bloody battles as Ottoman forces pushed westward into Europe, and Christian Crusaders repulsed the invaders or marched eastward toward the Holy Land. But the meeting was actually a trap: All three were arrested and held hostage. The elder Vlad was released under the condition that he leave his sons behind. Years of captivity Under the Ottomans, Vlad and his younger brother were tutored in science, philosophy and the arts — Vlad also became a skilled horseman and warrior. According to some accounts, however, he may also have been imprisoned and tortured for part of that time, during which he would have witnessed the impalement of his the Ottomans' enemies. The rest of Vlad's family, however, fared even worse: His father was ousted as ruler of Wallachia by local warlords boyars and was killed in the swamps near Balteni, Wallachia, in Vlad's older brother, Mircea, was tortured, blinded and buried alive. Whether these events turned Vlad III Dracula "son of the dragon" into a ruthless killer is a matter of historical speculation. What is certain, however, is that once Vlad Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals freed from Ottoman captivity shortly after his family's death, his reign of blood began. Inthe city of Constantinople fell to the Ottomans, threatening all of Europe with an invasion. Vlad was charged with leading a force to defend Wallachia from an invasion. His battle to protect his homeland was victorious: Legend holds that he personally beheaded his opponent, Vladislav II, in one-on-one combat. Though he was now ruler of the principality of Wallachia, his lands were in a ruinous state due to constant warfare and the internal strife caused by feuding boyars. To consolidate power, Vlad invited hundreds of them to a banquet. Knowing his authority would be challenged, he had his guests stabbed and their still-twitching bodies impaled. What is impaling? Impaling is a particularly gruesome form of torture and death : A wood or metal pole is inserted through the body either front to back, or vertically, through the rectum or vagina. The exit wound could be near the victim's neck, shoulders or mouth. In some cases, the pole was rounded, not sharp, to avoid damaging internal organs and thereby prolong the suffering of the victim. The pole was then raised vertically to display the victim's torment — it could take hours or days for the impaled person to die. Though Vlad is widely credited with bringing order and stability to Wallachia, his rule was undisputedly vicious: Dozens of Saxon merchants in Kronstadt, who were once allied with the boyars, were also impaled in The Ottoman Turks were never far from Vlad's thoughts — or his borders. When diplomatic envoys had an Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals with Vlad inDraculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals diplomats declined to remove their hats, citing a religious custom. Commending them on their religious devotion, Vlad ensured that their hats would forever remain on their heads by having the hats nailed to the diplomats' skulls. During one of his many successful campaigns against the Ottomans, Vlad wrote to a military ally in"I have killed peasants, men and women, old and young, who lived at Oblucitza and Novoselo, where the Danube flows into the sea … We killed 23, Turks, without counting those whom we burned in homes or the Turks whose heads were cut by our soldiers Thus, your highness, you must know that I have broken the peace. Vlad's victories over the invading Ottomans were celebrated throughout Wallachia, Transylvania and the rest of Europe — even Pope Pius II was impressed. But Vlad also earned a much darker reputation: On one occasion, he Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals dined among a veritable forest of defeated warriors writhing on impaled poles. It's not known whether tales of Vlad III Dracula dipping his bread in the blood of his victims are true, but stories about his unspeakable sadism swirled throughout Europe. Tens of thousands Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals In total, Vlad is estimated to have killed about 80, people through various means. This includes some 20, people who were impaled and put on display outside the city of Targoviste: The sight was so repulsive that the invading Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, after seeing the scale of Vlad's carnage and the thousands of decaying bodies being Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals apart by crows, turned back and retreated to Constantinople. Inwhile marching to yet another battle with the Ottomans, Vlad and a small vanguard of soldiers were ambushed, and Vlad was killed and beheaded — by most reports, his head was delivered to Mehmed II in Constantinople as a trophy to be displayed above the city's gates. Stoker, who never visited Vlad's homeland, was nonetheless known to have read Wilkinson's book. And if ever there were a historical figure to inspire a bloodthirsty, monstrous fictional character, Vlad III Dracula was one. Original article on LiveScience. Follow NBC News. Marc Lallanilla. The Origins of Dracula: Vlad the Impaler - Warfare History Network He was also known as Vlad the Impaler for the brutality with which he dispensed with his enemies, gaining him notoriety in 15th century Europe. In modern Romanian, the word drac refers to the devil. Vlad III was born in in the state of Wallachia, now the southern portion of present-day Romania. It was one of the three principalities that made up Romania at the time, along with Transylvania and Moldova. Situated between Christian Europe and the Muslim lands of the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia was the scene of a great number of bloody battles. As Ottoman forces pushed westward, Christian Crusaders marched eastward Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals the Holy Land, Wallachia became the site of constant turmoil. InVlad accompanied his father and his Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals brother Radu on a diplomatic mission in the heart of the Ottoman Empire. However the three were captured and held hostage by the Ottoman diplomats. Their captors told Vlad II that he could be released — on condition that the two sons remain. Believing that it was the safest option for his family, Vlad II agreed. During the 5 years of captivity in the fortress, Vlad and his brother were taught lessons in the art of war, science and philosophy. However some accounts state that he was also subjected to torture and beatings, and it was thought that it was during this time that he developed his hated of the Ottomans. Upon his return, Vlad II was overthrown in a coup orchestrated by local war lords known as the boyar. He was killed in the marshes behind his house while his oldest son, Mircea II, was tortured, blinded and buried alive. To consolidate power and assert his dominance, he decided to hold a banquet and invited hundreds of members of his rival families. Knowing his authority would be challenged, he had his guests stabbed and their still- twitching bodies impaled on spikes. Byhe had succeeded to the Walllachian throne and was at war with the Ottomans. With enemy forces three times the size of his own, Vlad ordered his men to poison wells and burn crops. He also paid diseased men to infiltrate and infect the enemy. His victims were often disembowelled, beheaded and skinned or boiled alive. However impalement came to be his killing method of choice, largely because it was also a form of torture. It would often take hours, if not days, for the victim to finally die. His reputation continued to grow as he inflicted this type of torture on foreign and domestic enemies alike. When the Sultan Mehmed II came across the field of the dead being picked apart by crows, he was so horrified that he retreated to Constantinople. On another occasion, Vlad met with a group of Ottoman envoys who declined to remove their turbans, citing religious custom. As the Italian humanist Antonio Bonfini described:. Now long after the infamous impalement of Ottoman prisoners of war, Vlad was forced into exile and imprisoned Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals Hungary. He returned in to reclaim his rule of Wallachia, however his triumph was short-lived. While marching Draculas Wars: Vlad the Impaler and His Rivals battle with the Ottomans, he and his soldiers were ambushed and killed. Vlad the Impaler was an undeniably brutal ruler. However he is still considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.