I kinda just always wanted to read a book like this, because when you read about the history of European countries, inevitably the Habsburgs are going to pop up, so I personally ended up with this really random eclectic knowledge of the Habsburgs, primarily around the era of Maria Theresa, so this book was a good antidote for that, especially as it goes quite deep into most of the Habsburg rulers.

For that reason, some parts of the book were quite dry, and could be a little bit of a struggle to get through, but it was worth it.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book is an incredibly detailed, comprehensive account of the Habsburg empire. Although I was aware of a few of the Habsburg rulers, this book provides a fascinating overview of the major players who ruled as part of the Habsburg empire. I would recommend it to anyone interested in European history and how the Habsburgs helped to shape it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange a my honest opinion.

A fine journey through the long history of the Habsburg family, from one among many, through to the very top of the European royal families, and finally into obsolescence. By no means a complete history, which would surely run to thousands of pages, this book is nonetheless a comprehensive account of an series of actors on the European stage for centuries.

This book offers an incredibly detailed and fascinating account of the history of the Habsburg empire. I would recommend it to anyone interested in history and particularly those jaded by the excessively Britain-centric focus on the bookshelves of most bookshops these days.
The Habsburgs were a fascinating ruling house, whose power and impact resonated throughout Europe for centuries. This excellent work really enlightened me and I would recommend it highly.

Who were the Habsburgs? Well they weren't the Hapsburgs - which is a mistake I have made from the moment I heard of them, so if this book does nothing else it has corrected my spelling. That is what this book wants to get to the heart of, and it is on one hand a ruler by ruler set of potted biographies of this voiraciously ambitious European monarchy. On the other hand it tries to take a big picture view, was there an underlying drive and philosophy handed down by the family, is there a Habsburgian style and drive. The answer to that is a little trickier, as Rady intimates, the were the Royal family that their part of Europe created, their Empire stretched and wavered and in particular was multinational in a way other European Royal families weren't, England, France you knew where the seat of power was. But even when consolidated in Vienna, the Habsburgs weren't really Austrian. They sort of created Austria.

This is a handsome book, the photos do a great job of illustrating the decadence and gaudiness of the latter years, and frequent maps show how the Empire grows (there are points where they don't even bother listing various sub territories it makes their name too long). Rady takes a broadly chronological view, which makes sense in this case as we meet each Habsburg they are the product of their predecssor and often rule in direct continuation or opposition to their parents. If gets a little overwhelming by the sixteenth century, as Europe slowly starts to configure itself towards something a little more recognisable, but the history of the Habsburgs is basically a history of the creation of modern Europe. He also brings out the fear around European revolutions (and how it takes chunks out of the Empire), 18th and 19th Century war and is particularly good at bringing us to the end - showing how whilst WWI wasn't inevitable, something like it was going to happen. It perhaps stays a little niche in places and it revels in proving received wisdom wrong a little to much for me to completely trust, but it gave me an in depth reference tool to something I only knew dribs and drabs about, and is very pretty in doing so,

[Netgalley ARC]

In this fascinating study of one of the most powerful European dynasties, Martyn Rady tells their story like no one else before him. Scholarly yet accessible, this book concentrates on centuries of history. Rady sheds light on the Habsburg rulers, adding colourful details that make their story come alive. I enjoyed this book and will be waiting for more titles from this author.

Seriously impressive history of the Habsburg dynasty. It manages to cover 900 years in 330 or so pages – a great achievement in itself considering that Habsburgs ruled not only Central Europe but also Spain and its New World possessions for several centuries and served as elected Holy Roman Emperors. There’s so much history here – just think of the 17th and 18th century wars alone: 30 Years War, Spanish Succession, Austrian Succession, 7 Years War… Yet Rady’s book is engaging, gripping and very entertaining too. It is accessible and scholarly at the same time, engaging with historiography and recent scholarship.

What I particularly liked is the balance of narrative and context and the inclusion of art, society and culture. Rady is excellent on Baroque and Secession art and architecture for example but also on creating intimate portraits of the various emperors, princes and archduchesses in a few sentences. The blue stocking, Archduchess Maria Anna is fascinating. Another highlight was The Magic Flute chapter, where Rady discusses the popularity of hero plays and their structure as an introduction to Mozart’s opera. Having seen it in full for the first time last year, I was baffled by the odd mix of speaking and singing as well as all the Freemasonry within it and grateful to Rady for putting everything in context.

There is plenty here too for anyone interested in political or military history. The rise of nationalism and nationalities within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the lead into First World War, Rady’s assessment of Prince Metternich are all very good as is the chapter on the 30 Year War. However, it feels like I’m doing Rady disservice by highlighting specific chapters when the whole book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in history of Europe.

Easily the best book I’ve read this year, highly recommended.

My thanks to Penguin, Allen Lane and Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Habsburgs.

As someone that is doing a Ph.D. on the 15th Century Netherlands, where the Habsburgs achieve power in Brabant, Netherlands, and Spain after the Dukes of Burgundy, this was an interesting read. It was useful in giving me some peripheral knowledge for my studies while also being extremely readable and not as dry as much of the academic articles and books I read on a daily basis.

This book tracks the Habsburgs, a fascinating family that grew to be one of the most powerful dynasties in the world for centuries: from controlling the Holy Roman Empire in the 15th century, gaining control of most of Europe (including the Netherlands and Spain as previously mentioned) and beyond. Although I had heard their name mentioned in regard to different periods in history, this book meant that, for the first time, I realised just how long this dynasty was in power. Martyn Rady is clearly very knowledgable on the subject, a professor of Central European History. However, unlike many professors, he is able to convey his erudite wisdom in an accessible and readable way. I also appreciated the breadth of scholarship that he incorporates from so many languages, and not necessarily from a Eurocentric perspective, meaning the reader is allowed a much wider image.

This is one of those great history books that spans multiple time periods, so you are able to peripherally get a bigger picture of the historical context of multiple generations. The only issue I found, as a medievalist, was that the Renaissance was noted as a “time of learning” in contrast to the medieval period in the introduction. Having studied the Medieval period for almost 10 years, I know that the middle ages were a time full of learning and the search for knowledge. But this was a very minor detail, and, given the Habsburg’s grew in power with the advent of the Renaissance, it did not become an issue for me.