Leopold I of Austria

Men in Office

by John P. Spielman

This is the first biography of the Habsburg Emperor Leopold I (1640-1705) since 1709. It provides a detailed story of the Austrian monarchy in its heroic age of expansion and a study of a monarch not destined, as a younger son, for the high offices he had to fill at a critical point in Austrian history.

Genres: History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

John P. Spielman, Jr. was a professor of history at Haverford College. He received his B.A. at the University of Montana and his M.A. and Ph.D. in history at the University of Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Demetri Zacharakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive biography of Leopold as a ruler that provides a great overview of his reign, its events, and the other people who played large roles in it. The biography is lacking in detailing Leopold as a person and in its discussion of his family. There are also some slight historical inaccuracies at points about moderately important events and people. The book also definitely has a pro-Austria slant, which is to be expected. Still, the book covers a lot of information in a relatively coherent and concise matter.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it doesn't go into great detail about the man himself, it provides good information of the major events in Europe during his reign.

[Doria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific and humanizing biography of Emperor Leopold I, well-rooted in documented evidence, but not particularly fusty. All delivered with a dry and stately yet witty tone, which seemed eminently suitable to the subject. Leo never rose to greatness - definitely not more than the sum of his rather modest parts - but neither was he an insignificant factor in the tumultuous and dangerous times which he bore witness to. One gets the impression that he viewed his more brilliant and dynamic contemporaries with the baffled concern of a teenaged assistant manager at a Pizzeria Uno, overseeing a raucous children's birthday party. He more or less knew how to respond, and had a blueprint for behavior based on those who preceded him, yet he could never truly grasp what drove the chaotic forces and personalities in his continental ambient.