Bronze Medal, 2016 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards: Best Regional Non-Fiction - Europe. Finalist, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Travel. An engaging and informative chronicle of a hiking and wildlife research expedition along the Carpathian and Sudety Mountains, from Romania to Germany, some 800 miles as the crow flies. (This volume, Part 1, covers the first half of the journey through Romania and Ukraine; the next volume, Part 2, takes us through Slovakia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.) On the trail of wolves, we are led deep into the misty hills, enchanting forests, and intriguing history of this fabled landscape, where encounters with wolves, bears, and lynx; werewolves, vampires, and witches; lumberjacks, shepherds, and outlaws; poets, tyrants, and saints; deities, demons, and sirens—and such ancient peoples as Proto-Indo-Europeans, Dacians, and Rus', and such imposing historical figures as Attila the Hun, Vlad the Impaler, and Volodymyr the Great—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 (including roots of the relationship between Ukraine and Russia that is violently erupting today). 63 illuminating color photographs also emblaze this memorable trek. (This is the Deluxe Color Edition; we also offer a Black & White Edition at a lower list price; to view, click on "See all formats and editions" above or search for ISBN 978-1633932425. The text is identical in both editions, as revised with minor corrections and clarifications in 2025.) Bronze Medal, 2016 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards: Best Regional Non-Fiction - Europe. Finalist, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Travel. "An engaging, evocative work... " - Kirkus Reviews The Carpathian Mountains--legendary land of Gothic castles, eerie accents, and the depredations of vampires and werewolves. But what are the Carpathian Mountains really like? Do Western readers know what really lurks in the dense forests blanketing the steep mountain slopes? (The most significant populations of wild animals remaining in Europe west of Russia.) Do they know what survives in the scenic valleys and on the lofty meadows? (The "old life" of rural Europe.) Do they know what diverse forms the craggy ridges have given to the many cultures and nations of Central and Eastern Europe, and to human imaginations the world over? (Too varied to summarize on a cover.) Do they know how it feels to explore the landscape's challenging contours? (Invigorating, rewarding, exasperating, enlightening...) Enter Into the Carpathians to discover a beautiful and enchanting world of adventure, history, mystery, and more! Alan E. Sparks is the award-winning author of Dreaming of Wolves and Into the Carpathians , and has written articles about wolves for International Wolf Magazine and other publications. A voracious student of the natural and cultural histories of the places he visits, he has supplemented his indoor studies with training in mountaineering, expedition leadership, and winter ecology/animal tracking from the Colorado Mountain Club, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and renowned ecologist and animal tracker Dr. James Halfpenny. As a writer, teacher of English as a second language, actor, and web designer--and as an avid hiker, backcountry skier, and wolf tracker and caretaker--he has lived, worked, and trekked extensively in the Carpathian Mountain region of Central and Eastern Europe.