This a classic, and has not aged. Of course, there is new research, etc, (check out Wilson's "European Tragedy"), but if you want a vivid story which is also accurate and modern in its approach, this is the book to read. The book was written around the time of WWII, so some passages are stunning in their reflective sadness: apparently, on the battlefield of Breitenfeld (1631, Gustavus Adolphus more famous victory) in the 19th century a monument to human freedom was erected (the battle stopped the spread of Habsburg Catholic absolutism short in its tracks). C.V. Wedgewood (Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgwood - a great historian and intellectual) reflects in her book that this is "a monument of a bygone age" where freedom mattered in Germany. It makes me think about our age and the fragility of freedom. The book abounds in little gems like this.
The history conveyed in the book is mostly political, dynastic and personal (great descriptions of personalities), but the military and social-economic aspect is not neglected, and without major errors. I am myself a fan of military history and find the narratives of battles and campaigns sufficient and vivid. The human suffering of the war is well-depicted, but this is not a work of modern cliometrics - which is perhaps for the better, because the descriptive stories convey the details of human tragedy of the war differently than numbers.
I also think that the book can be great backdrop for understanding today's "religious wars." Without being conceptual Wedgwood offers a great empirical backdrop for discussing how "religious" this so called religious war really was. Through her narrative we can get a completely schizophrenic notion: the 30 year war protagonists were mostly religious, religious mattered for them and explains some crucial turning points in the war, but religion also DID NOT matter in that conflict to a stunning degree (like for the Pope Urban VII who constantly plotted against, well, the Catholic side of the war as he did not want to see the Austrian Habsburg power too elevated, as it would threaten the secular power of papacy - total realism here). In fact, realism and power balances explain the lineup and constant switching of alliances in the war far better than religion. Another important insight from Wedgewood's story is her notion that religious indifference spread as a result of the war - I guess, that will always result when religion is used as a prop of politics in all its natural ugliness.
A great book, highly recommended. Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgwood was a great historian....
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
