Product Description

This thoroughly revised new edition of Geoffrey Parker's classic text incorporates the latest research about this central episode of early modern history. `Judicious, lively, enlightening.' - Times Literary Supplement

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #323880 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 92 pages

Review
'The best book we have on the Thirty Years' War.' - Eric Summers, History Teaching Review

'A judicious, lively, enlightening and, above all, highly serviceable work for which scholars, students and the general public will be grateful.' - Jonathan Israel, Times Literary Supplement

'All serious students of seventeenth-century Europe will want to read this book.' - Derek McKay, British Book News

From the Back Cover
The first edition of The Thirty Years' War offered an unrivalled survey of a central period in European history. Drawing on a huge body of source material from different languages and countries throughout Europe, it provided a clear and comprehensive narrative and analytical account of the subject. It has established itself as the classic text with reviewers, students and the general reader.
This second edition has been thoroughly revised to include the very latest research. The updated bibliographical information provides an invaluable resource, synthesising the major work in the field, in all languages, up to 1996.
Written with great clarity and liveliness, the book brings alive the period in all its aspects. It covers the horrors of the war and the contorted politics of the period. It deals with all the major figures, including Wallerstein and Richelieu, Gustavus Adolphus and Tilly, the Winter King and the Habsburg emperors. For range and depth of coverage there is no other work like it. It has become the definitive book on the subject.

About the Author
Simon Adams, University of Strathclyde, Gerhard Benecke, University of Kent, Richard Bonney, University of Leicester, John H. Elliott, Oxford University, R.J.W. Evans, University of London, Christopher R. Friedrichs, University of British Colombia, Bodo Nischan, East Carolina University, Geoffrey Parker, Yale University, E. Ladewig Petersen, University of Odense, Michael Roberts, Rhodes University

Customer Reviews

Better than most
When most people claim to have read something on the Thirty Years War this is the 'old chestnut' they usually refer to. Its not surprising that this should be the case, Parker wrote in a more scholarly fashion than C.V.Wedgwood and the book is less than half the size. Unfortunately a whole generation of History students whose entire knowledge of a large-scale subject is based on the work of one man is never a good situation - just look at Elton's dated Tudor landscape. Much as Elton would have us believe that Henry VIII was played like a 'fiddle' by Wolsey and then Cromwell, Parker attempts to subtely convince the reader that the Thirty Years War was manipulated by 'great men' like Richelieu, Olivares and Mazarin. Here, I feel, is a fundamental flaw. While Wedgwood envisaged a war based in Germany, in which Germany suffered, and into which external powers were 'sucked in' like some confrontational vortex, Parker sees the roots of conflict in Paris and Madrid. The Bohemian rebels are convenient for Spain, the 1620's a period of Spanish pressure for an alliance against the Dutch and the 1630s and 1640s an eventual smorgasbord of state manipulated violence and diplomacy. Germany gets the Wedgwood 'ravaging' without ever appearing to play an important part in the proceedings; a quite incredible idea when one thinks of the sheer scale and complexity of the conflict. That, in essence, is why I have not given Parker a score of 5 stars.

There are many plus sides to his work, don't get me wrong, his depth and insight are excellent and the book is exceedingly well researched. All those undergraduates and schoolchildren have not read it for nothing. However, one can't help thinking that it no longer has a place within the Thirty Years War literature; for example, if you just wanted to find out about the war in an afternoon why not read Asch who involves more complex and current ideas into a tight and balanced synopsis, or if you want depth and data why not read Wedgwood? Parker's own individual ideas - the military revolution for example - are much better covered in his other books. So I think I would have to advocating putting the 'old chestnut' to rest for a while unless the interest is in Spain and the Thirty Years War or one has time to spare to read it but not enough to read Wedgwood. Mind you the Second Edition must be recommended for a sound bibliographical essay to allow the average undergrad to pad out the reading he/she has really done.