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The Habsburgs

To Rule the World

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The Habsburgs

Written by: Martyn Rady
Narrated by: Simon Boughey
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The definitive history of a powerful family dynasty who dominated Europe for centuries—from their rise to power to their eventual downfall.

"A feat of both scholarship and storytelling." —Wall Street Journal

In The Habsburgs, Martyn Rady tells the epic story of a dynasty and the world it built—and then lost—over nearly a millennium. From modest origins, the Habsburgs gained control of the Holy Roman Empire in the fifteenth century. Then, in just a few decades, their possessions rapidly expanded to take in a large part of Europe, stretching from Hungary to Spain, and parts of the New World and the Far East. The Habsburgs continued to dominate Central Europe through the First World War.

Historians often depict the Habsburgs as leaders of a ramshackle empire. But Rady reveals their enduring power, driven by the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Roman Catholic Church, guarantors of peace, and patrons of learning. The Habsburgs is the definitive history of a remarkable dynasty that forever changed Europe and the world.

17th Century Europe Germany Historical Medieval Modern Middle Ages Colonial Period Royalty War Imperialism Inspiring Military Latin America Italy Africa Self-Determination Interwar Period Austrian Empire
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What the critics say

"Martyn Rady's history of this peculiar family is deeply informed, elegantly written and a joy to read."—Evening Standard (UK)
"Rady is a lucid and elegant writer... It is impossible to imagine a more erudite and incisive history of this fascinating, flawed and ultimately tragic dynasty."—The Times (UK)
"A Rolls Royce of a narrative that motors through ten centuries of history with an effortlessness that belies the intellectual horsepower beneath the bonnet."—Literary Review (UK)
"Probably the best book ever written on the Habsburgs in any language.... Lucid, comprehensive and witty, it is not merely a pleasure to read but a complete education. Students, scholars and the general reader will never find a better guide to Habsburg history."—Times Literary Supplement (UK)
"This admirably compact, exceptionally well-written survey will probably be the standard one-volume history of the Habsburg dynasty for years to come."—Library Journal
"This comprehensive account provides an insightful overview of seven centuries of European history."—Publishers Weekly
"A sweeping chronicle of the rise and fall of the Habsburg dynasty."—Kirkus
"The Habsburgs is gripping, colorful, and dramatic but also concise, scholarly, and magisterial. Martyn Rady recounts the story of Europe's greatest dynasty that ruled an empire, on which the sun never set, from Peru to the Philippines. Revealing a key player in world history for almost a thousand years, The Habsburgs is a chronicle of high politics and family intimacy involving religion, murder, incest, madness, suicide, assassination. History on an epic scale!"—Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs
"The Habsburgs were once Europe's foremost royal family. Rady tells their story with verve and authority, casting a curious eye over their eccentricities and peccadilloes while all the time revealing their extraordinary influence and global vision. A fascinating read."—Alexander Watson,author of The Fortress and Ring of Steel
"This is a first global history of Europe's most famous and durable dynasty, chronicling its exploits with great panache over nearly a millennium of rule across wide swathes of the continent and beyond. Martyn Rady writes incisively and judiciously, drawing on much recent international scholarship in a range of languages to illustrate multiple facets of Habsburg governance in theory and practice. At the same time his text is accessible and entertaining, his ready wit providing a delectable counterpoint to the notorious humourlessness of so many of the dynasts he examines."—Robert Evans, University of Oxford
"A tour de force. Thorough, accessible and resolutely erudite, this is the volume that this vitally important subject so desperately needed. Rady should be congratulated."—Roger Moorhouse, author of Poland 1939
All stars
Most Relevant
Thoroughly enjoyed the listen but it was more a political overview of the history of the Hapsburgs than a military one. It may not fill the void for military geeks. Some elaboration on other key conflicts with the Turks besides that of Lepanto, and the second siege of Vienna would have added a good pace to otherwise dry and dull passages.

Informative book but lacking

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I will for sure listen the book again! What a convoluted story.
I recommend keeping pen and paper handy to make sense of the lines of succession.
I really like it!

WOW! What a Story!

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I knew nothing about the Hapsburgs so I was glad to get a nice overview.

However, he focuses too little on important events like the war of the Spanish Succession and too much on describing architecture and artistic projects.

I would recommend this book to someone, like myself, who wanted an overview of the Habsburgs but would recommend reading more beyond this text to get a fuller picture.

I enjoyed it despite its flaws

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This is an excellent and very well-organized story of not just the Habsburgs, but of the many places they ruled. Although mention is made of the New World, the main focus is naturally Europe. I found the descriptions of the Habsburgs in central Europe particularly fascinating, both because I was more familiar with western European history, so much of the material was new to me, and because the author shows how Habsburgs rule affected the politics of the 20th century, and even how we in the 21st century are dealing with political forces that they also engaged with. Before I started the book, I doubted that the author could make such a complex story comprehensible, much less interesting. I was wrong.

Excellent History

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Let me share at the outset that my favorite historian is Dan Jones. I have heard/read all his chiefly British histories. They are authoritative, literate, and elegantly written. Also, he engagingly reads his own works on Audible. He sprinkles his history with anecdotes of the characters which breathes life into what could be a dull recital of facts.
This history rather plods on. I do give it four stars to acknowledge a champion achievement, but I suggest that the general reader with no personal stake in the events may bog down and not finish. (My parents were Austrian. My grandmother saw the Empress Elizabeth, and I was at age 13 in the Vienna chapel with the urns containing the hearts of emperors. I only share this to demonstrate what impelled me through.)

Definitive text on subject, perhaps, but rather dull.

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