Kars's Reviews > Europe's Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War

If you think us Europeans are somehow ‘above’ sectarian war, think again.

For some reason I’ve developed a strong interest in the early modern era, and the thirty years war looms large in its history. This seemed to be the best single volume on it, and although I was daunted by its page count I decided to get stuck in regardless. I’m glad I did, although I would not recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t share my fascination.

This is a hugely complex conflict, and although it is told with huge skill, it will still require you to pay close attention. I particularly enjoy the way in which the author consistently debunks received ideas about the war, its causes and effects and the reasons why people did the things they did.

This war may have happened a long time ago but it can teach us a lot about international and sectarian conflicts still. And if all of that isn’t enough, there are also gripping blow by blow accounts of the major battles.

I’m taking a break from massive volumes after this one, but I am still glad I did stick with this.