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Bart van Loo

Burgundians: A Vanished Empire Hardcover – April 1, 2022

by Bart Van Loo (Author)

4.5 364 ratings

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"A sumptuous feast of a book." —The Times, 21 Best History Books of 2021

A publishing phenomenon in Europe, where it has sold 230,000 copies in hardback, Bart van Loo's epic history of the dukedom of Burgundy has the grip of a great historical novel and the fascination of a wonderful factual narrative.

At the end of the fifteenth century, Burgundy was extinguished as an independent state. It had been a fabulously wealthy, turbulent region situated between France and Germany, with close links to the English kingdom. Torn apart by the dynastic struggles of early modern Europe, this extraordinary realm vanished from the map. But it became the cradle of what we now know as the Low Countries, modern Belgium and the Netherlands.

This is the story of a thousand years, a compulsively readable narrative history of ambitious aristocrats, family dysfunction, treachery, savage battles, luxury and madness. It is about the decline of knightly ideals and the awakening of individualism and of cities, the struggle for dominance in the heart of northern Europe, bloody military campaigns and fatally bad marriages.

It is also a remarkable cultural history, of great art and architecture and music emerging despite the violence and the chaos of the tension between rival dynasties.

Rightly compared to great narrative historians like Barbara Tuchman, Bart van Loo has written a popular and scholarly masterpiece.

Print length

608 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Apollo
Publication date

April 1, 2022
Dimensions

6.25 x 2.25 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1789543436
ISBN-13

978-1789543438
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Blending dogged research with striking imagery and energetic prose, this is a rewarding introduction to a powerful, yet lesser-known, empire." —Publishers Weekly

"Bart Van Loo's pacy history The Burgundians revives the forgotten duchy that had a northern powerbase mightier than kingdoms – then vanished... The Burgundians is history told – and well told, too – for those who value narrative at least as much as the finicky details of economics or treaty-making. While Van Loo amiably admits to not being a specialist, he is as fair an inheritor of the Burgundian legacy as you could hope to find: a Dutch-speaking Belgian Francophile born into a country whose cultural mish-mash is, as he puts it, “a Burgundian invention”." —Telegraph

"THE BURGUNDIANS is a cracking read.... I can't recommend it too highly." —Dominic Sandbrooke,Historian

"lively, anecdotal unpicking of this fascinating but nebulous entity" —Michael Prodger, New Statesman

About the Author

Bart Van Loo has developed a rare twin talent over the years. While drawing big crowds in the theatre, he is also the author of the universally praised France a Trilogy and the bestseller Chanson. Friend and foe alike have to admit that Van Loo is a born storyteller, with a unique ability to combine enthusiasm, humour and expertise. The Burgundians, his most recent book, takes the reader on a fascinating journey through a thousand years of European history.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Apollo (April 1, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1789543436
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1789543438
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 2.25 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #282,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,641 in European History (Books)

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4.5 364 ratings

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The Raven Summons

An Interesting History with a breezy, snarky writing style

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 1, 2023

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An Interesting History with a breezy, snarky writing style that clearly some people find off-putting. Lots of detail but not overwhelming. Worth a read.

Helpful

Duke of the Hill

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 3, 2022

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This monumental work almost cured me of my obsession with the ruling houses of the Middle Ages. It tells the story of the House of Burgundy, an ambitious but second-tier player on the European continent from the 9th through the 15th centuries. These dukes held lands that were not contiguous and they wielded influence mostly though family alliances, trade, taxes and brutality and not by divine right.

Although they were far wealthier than their French and English cousins, their vassal status impeded their territorial ambitions or monarchist dreams. Yet this fact did not deter successive dukes from acting like kings. That hubris gave rise to their power before leading to their spectacular downfall. So why resurrect a family of entertaining but conquered poseurs?

What hooked me was how the high-living Burgundians used their enormous wealth (from trade in wool – and taxes) to hire court artists such as painters Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, and sculptor Claus Sluter. Their outsized patronage launched the Northern Renaissance. What’s ironic is that the Burgundians are remembered for their patronage of the peaceful arts and not their battlefield campaigns. You’ll read more about the latter than the former, in this deeply researched book.

But author Bart van Loo takes the reader on such a vibrant tour of this strange and largely forgotten dynasty that I kept turning through the 600-plus pages. His writing style is colloquial and congenial, which makes the huge and redundant arc of the story more accessible and engaging.

30 people found this helpful

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George

It was delivered one week before promised date.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 8, 2023

An excellent read

GREAT BOOK...NICE PEOPLE

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

TOOK A WHILE TO GET. A GREAT STORY,POST ROMAN TRIBE MIGRATED TO NW GAUL BECAME A HIGH MEDIVAL POWERHOUSE OF WEALTH & AMBITION. THEY PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN THE BIRTH OF MODERN FRANCE,BELGIUM & THE NETHERLANDS.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2022

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Learned a lot about a region that I thought I already knew a good deal about. Well written and enjoyable.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 26, 2021

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You think it might be a book about the Franche-Comte and it is strictly the lowlands and specifically Belgium. If you think WWI and WW2 the worst thing the Belgian people could face, read this book about their remarkable courage and standing power. Makes me very clear on why the Reformation started!

10 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Burgundy deserves better!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 7, 2022

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Is the constant barrage of clichés in The Burgundians the style of its translator? Or is this book’s appearance in English an accurate presentation of the author’s original narrative? The rich history of Burgundy deserves better!

Andrew Laurie Stangel, PhD
Professor of History and Civilization

8 people found this helpful

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Arthur Simcox

Superb

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 2, 2022

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Awesome amount of historical research combined with a great story-telling ability make this a superb introductory overview of the subject. Highly recommended.

6 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

D. Harley

Terrible writing undermines an important engaging subject in European History

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 31, 2023

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Burgundy is fascinating and important and played a pivotal part, both geographically and politically in late mediaeval and early modern Europe, foundational to the development of France and the Low Countries and influential to the development of the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburg possessions in Spain, Austria and beyond. I bought these book to hopefully provide soon context and background to the magisterial 100 years war series by Jonathan Sumption but sadly this falls way short and is like the work of a child in comparison. I am not sure whether it is entirely the fault of the author, the English translator or one has magnified the other but the language in English is terrible like that of a pretentious fourteen year old. Totally given over to slang, exaggeration and preposterously hyperbolic phrasing. Claims are repeatedly made that aren't evidenced or credibly argued and there seems to be as much imagination as history on display and some of the errors are absolutely shameful such as referring to "rebellious Scots" when Scotland was a proud country that maintained its independence by force of arms and importantly its alliance to France. "Rebellious Scots" which disgracefully is a line in the UK national anthem refers to the 1715 and 1745 risings against the Hanoverians after the union of Scotland with England. There are some insights particularly on the origin of the Burgundians and how the seignouries of the low countries came together through dynastic alliance, but overall this is poor. Don't buy full price.

Amazon Customer

How many clichés can you fit on a page?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 16, 2023

Verified Purchase

I gave up on this book about two-thirds of the way through which was sad. The subject is fascinating and the story of the Burgundians needs to be told. It has been hugely overwhelmed by France and its ‘glorious’ history. But if there were a literary prize for the greatest number of annoying, plodding and gratuitous clichés per page, this would be the winner. I suspect that English is not the author’s native language and that he thinks the way people speak is the way they write. That might be true of comic books but it doesn’t work with what is supposed to be a serious but engaging history/biography. What on earth happened to that essential breed, the publisher’s editor?

Kindle Customer

Highlights Burgundy's place in European history.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 19, 2023

Verified Purchase

As an English woman this book has given me a very clear in sight of European history from another side. It is very well and humorously written and puts Burgundy back where it belongs. The reason I have only given four stars is personal. I found the pages of detailed description of the feasts and banquets tedious but others may like them. Well worth reading despite this. I would like to see more translations of European historians work too.

One person found this helpful

"tpurcell9"

A very personal history

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 20, 2023

Verified Purchase

THe problem with a history such as this is the danger that the reader is unable to identify with the subject however, this is not the situation here. You are brought through the generations and movements of history and empires showing how much changes baseon the whims of a few.

Well worth the read.

One person found this helpful

Rob Mallows

Wonderful history and storytelling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 12, 2023

Verified Purchase

Bart Van Loo tells the story of one of Europe's 'missing' countries, Burgundy, and its pivotal role in not just the formation of Belgium and the Netherlands but in the wider history of Europe and western civilisation. Stuck between France and the Holy Roman Empire, the Burgundians had to be smart and fearless, and each of the Dukes Van Loo highlights each played their part in shaping this Duchy, and created a legacy the impacts of which continue to resonate up to the present day. Beautifully written and illustrated, it's an absolute triumph.

One person found this helpful

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