Exercise of Arms:
Warfare in the Netherlands
1568-1648

Book Review

Reviews by "Old Duffer"

Ed. Marco van der Hoeven for Brill

Written by a number of Dutch academics in passable English this is a book that will prove very popular with Dutch War fans. To date the much-debated essay by Michael Roberts on The Military Revolution has penetrated the brains of boardgame designers, but the many counter-arguments have not yet done so. Of course Roberts' argument of dozy Spanish and Austrians meeting snappy Swedes with the best kit and working practices appeals to those who look for this in their East Front game or their ACW. If Gustavus was part of a revolution it was one started by Maurits van Nassau and this book dwells in detail on that sagacious prince. De Moor takes us into the military developments of the period.

Zwitzer covers the military outline of the Eighty years War. Doedens covers the battle of Heiligerlee, and Puype the battle of Nieupoort (the latter is especially good). Van Nimwegen covers Maurits' style of siege-warfare. There are then essays on Dutch public finance, the foundation of the Dutch navy, Dutch privateering to 1609, arms production in the Netherlands and the waardgelders of den Haag. As ever some essays are better than others are but these are strong on analysis and will be of great interest to gamers of the period.

More Old Duffer's Book Corner (book reviews)

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