The Origins of War in Early Modern Europe (Ed Jeremy Black for John Donald) Like the varnish adverts say, this book does just what its title says. Jeremy Black has hewn himself out an area of strength in the 17th and 18th centuries and this collection of essays contains some real gems. Steven Gunn deals with the French wars of Henry VIII. Henry can be seen trying a number of policies in line with Henry V (his hero) and Edward III's attempts to seize the French Crown. Stewart Oakley reviews the imbalances that caused wars in the Baltic from 1550 to 1790. David Parrott gives a splendid account of the beginnings of the Franco-Spanish War of 1635. I also enjoyed Paul Sonnio's exposition of the changing policy of Louis XIV over his long reign. There are other excellent essays on wars in the Balkans, the Spanish, Polish and Austrian Succession Wars and a very clever essay on the war that did not happen - the Anglo-French peace from Utrecht to the fall of Walpole. In fact I only detected one duffer, Karl Schweizer's leaden piece on the Seven Year's War. What is particularly good about these articles is the way they view matters in a contemporaneous fashion. Did you know that Peter the Great's Russia had a population of about the same as France and less than Poland-Lithuania? In considering the position of Richelieu and Olivares in 1635 the ultimate defeat of Spain is not considered. Rather we see a Spain fresh from the great victory of Nordlingen deciding to call the French bluff and obliging France to declare war, Richelieu having done quite nicely (thank you) until then from belligerent neutrality. Just because Henry VIII failed to establish an imperium in France does not prevent his attempts as being seen as they were -serious military activity treated in that fashion by both the French and the English. The movement of Louis XIV from a France where the power of Spain must be contained, to one of greater power than Spain had in one lifetime is well explained, and particularly effectively from his own Memoires. This one joins the design heap! More Book Corner: The Origins of War in Early Modern Europe The Battle of Hastings Infantry Warfare in the Early 14th Century The Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th Century Black Sea The Bayonets of the Republic European Warfare 1660-1815 The Austro-Prussian War Warfare Under Anglo-Norman Kings Empress Matilda -and- The Reign of Stephen Prince Eugene of Savoy The Medieval Archer The First World War: Germany and Austro-Hungary 1914-1918 Pallas Armata titles Back to Perfidious Albion #94 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com