A study of the emergence of modern Romanian identity in Transylvania during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Widely using contemporary published sources, Mitu approaches national identity from a variety of perspectives - from within the Romanian community itself and their reaction to the image others had of them. Seeking to shed new light on the problems of self-evaluation, Mitu uses a method he describes as "functional analysis" to examine a complex set of ideologies and propaganda. This approach helps the reader to understand the intricate web of contemporary Romanian nationalism.