Customer Reviews

The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun (Making History)

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Lisa Jardine has another home run! Her histories are the most readable and clear and obviously very well researched. The wheel-lock pistol had a very great influence on warfare and weapons development. And the influence and interaction of French, Dutch, English, German and Spanish interests is clearly depicted.

If weapons history is of interest try "Of Arms and Men" by Robert L. O'Connell.

Book of a very unusual title, the author Lisa Jardine make her case in her short but informative study of the assassination of Prince William the Silent of Orange, one of the moving leaders of the Dutch Protestant rebellion against Imperial Catholic Spain. The book covers both the major events of William's life that led up to his death as well as the development of the wheel lock pistol which made such an assassination so easy. Influence of wheel lock pistol went beyond the military uses and civilians began to used themselves for protection as well as for other uses.

It was interesting to note that this was the second effort on William's life by a pistol but considering how rare such an event was the first time, I don't think William took proper precaution against a second effort. In some way, this would make a great movie, a Spanish double agent worming his way into William's trust and confidence before blowing him away. Of course, the assassin's fate wasn't too pleasant but he seem to to bear it well.

The author states that now that one of the leaders of Europe can be assassinated by a pistol, this make all leaders equally vulunerable. This was especially true for William's close ally, Queen Elizabeth of England which had her own Cold War with Spain going at that time and she herself, victim of many assassination plots.

Book proves to be well researched and well written. Its a short book but it don't waste any pages. I did wish there was a good photo or a drawing of type of wheel lock pistol that the assassin used to killed William as well as Spanish reaction to his murder which was strangely absent.

You would think that no matter who the enemies may be, foreign head of states would refained from using assassins on other foreign head of states since this will lead to copycat policies. But obviously, Hapsburgs leadership weren't thinking that way.

The book come well recommended to anyone interested in the tidbit of history that had a long lasting impact. A new trend of assassination was born when William the Silent was murdered, it will be replayed in history as the author stated, in murders of Lincoln or Archduke Ferdinand (which launched the murderous World War I).

A small, but eloquently written study, dealing with the assassination of William of Nassau, Prince of Orange. Some will expect to read about the birth and evolution of the wheel-lock pistol here, others - extremely detailed information about the deed announced in the title. Don't want to spoil it for you, but on the evolution of the "dag" the information is not very detailed. There are a few paragraphs speaking about the pistoleers and the change of tactics, but its mostly about the diplomatic background and the diplomatic gains and losses of the potentates of the period. A large part of the book deals with the impact of the Prince's violent death on English society and diplomacy, and also gives an overview of the English intervention in the Netherlands. The account of the killing itself is not very extended, yet it doesn't seem to lack anything important to the common reader. A small part is dedicated to the assassin himself, but personally I would like to read a more detailed analysis of the man's character, psychology, ideology, of his connections, political, religious. The book remains silent on this, providing little information about any subsequent investigation, no depositions of the various witnesses, etc. The general impression is that this book is more about the diplomatic "game" around the the Prince's assassination and especially its aftermath and its results on the English policies in the Netherlands. Not a lot of information on the Spanish though, nor indeed on the French. The pistol (the wheel-lock "dag" specifically) is treated more as a revolutionary new tool of the potential assassin than a new weapon which played a part in the transformation of warfare.

In all a pleasant read, generally educative, not boring, in some ways very informative. However it lacks some details which would be very useful and interesting. In two words: not bad. In another three: could be better.

Well researched book, however good the story might be, the author makes it more convoluted than necessary. She jumps back and forth making it hard to follow at times. Interesting bit of unknown history, makes it a worthwhile read.

This is a very short book about a very obscure ruler who death sent shock waves thru the ruling class of Europe with his death with a handgun,and it took two try by two different men to get the job done,you would think that after the first attempt he would have forbid guns to be in his presence,but no and that was his downfall the second try did him in and every since then assassination have plauged the famous and not so famous. Not a great way to go done in history as a trivia fact.