The current volume presents a significant portion of documents and texts on the work of the Romanian Central Military Senate of Officers and Soldiers of Vienna between 31 October to 27 November 1918, which enabled the body to function in a period of profound political and military mutations generated at end of the First World War. I've long aspired to write a book like this. Think of Hemingway with the occasional understated joke. Tim's picked the right style: rich enough to delight, but spare enough to let the story shine through. Did I mention said prince liked to dress as a woman, consort with sailors, and slum in Montmartre? Tim's picked the right voice: witty, knowing, and ironic, but never sarcastic. How'd he do it? Well, Tim's picked the right subject: an Eastern European prince with dreams of uniting a "nation" that didn't exist. He's written a serious history book that is enjoyable to read. We expect all this from a top-notch historian working in a field he knows like the back of his hand. The book is about empires becoming nations, an ongoing process in Russia, China, and India. Tim's told a story that no one has told before. Tim's read all the literature and visited all the archives. It's called The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of A Habsburg Archduke (Basic, 2008).
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