Into the Carpathians: A Journey Through the Heart and History of East Central Europe (Part 2: The Western Mountains) - Paperback

by Alan E. Sparks (Author)

Finalist, 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Travel and Regional Non-Fiction categories.

The journey continues in Part 2 of Into the Carpathians: an engaging and informative chronicle of a 2005 hiking and wildlife research expedition along the Carpathian and Sudety Mountains, from Romania to Germany, some 800 miles as the crow flies. Still on the trail of wolves, we now explore the enchanting mountain landscapes of Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic, where encounters with wolves, bears, and lynx; lumberjacks, shepherds, and outlaws; poets, tyrants, and saints; nomads, nobles, and knights; sprites, spirits, and witches--and such ancient peoples as Neanderthals, Celts, and Quadi, and such imposing historical figures as Marcus Aurelius of the Roman Empire, Svatopluk I of Great Moravia, Stephen I of the Kingdom of Hungary, Boleslaw the Brave of the Kingdom of Poland, and Jan Sobieski of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth--provide broad insight into the natural, historical, and mythological forces that have shaped, and continue to shape, the nations, cultures, and psyches along the way. 72 illuminating color photographs also emblaze this memorable trek (this is the Deluxe Color Edition; we also offer an edition with the photos in black & white at a lower price; see ISBN 978-0578754475).