Can anybody recommend a good book about the 17th Century?

[Utgardloki]

I am finding that my local library does not have much on the 17th Century, and forget about the local book store. This means I'll probably have to order books online.

Does anybody know of good books to read about the 17th Century, especially the 30 Years War and its aftermath?

[pobbes]

There is a book called Renaissance and Reformation which deals with the underlying political and religious issues which caused the beginning of the thirty year's war, but it is much more general. I am not aware of a text specific to that era. You can do a google on the subject and often find good books through their listed reference materials. If you are interested more in setting information with a mystical hint, then there is no better take in my mind then the Eisen nation and history in the Seventh Sea roleplaying game.

[David Haller]

Utgardloki wrote:

I am finding that my local library does not have much on the 17th Century, and forget about the local book store. This means I'll probably have to order books online.

Does anybody know of good books to read about the 17th Century, especially the 30 Years War and its aftermath?

The authoritative work on the 30 Years' War is Victoria Wedgewood's "The Thirty Years' War", followed maybe by Peter Wilson's book "Europe's Tragedy".

The really interesting aspect of that period is the Peace of Westphalia, and I highly recommend reading the relevant chapters regarding that in Kissinger's "Diplomacy" - Kissinger is both a masterful historian and diplomat, and has an interesting realpolitik take on the Treaty and its lasting impact in Europe (even setting the political stage for WWI 250 years later).

I will point out (disclaimer: I have not read this yet) that Neal Stephenson's "Baroque Cycle" takes place in the aftermath of the Thirty Years' War, so if you're a fan of his dense prose style that might be a nice adjunct to historical works.

[Bwang]

David Haller wrote:

The authoritative work on the 30 Years' War is Victoria Wedgewood's "The Thirty Years' War", ...

Seconded!

Read in the last few years and had a lot of misconceptions trashed. Check the various online bookstores.

[Jeff de luna]

From a gaming perspective, TSR published a historical supplement for 2.0 called A Mighty Fortress. It's remarkably useful.