I have recently read the book by Christian Pantle on thirty years’ war (click here). This war started in 1618 and ended in 1648. It is an interesting work that narrates the war through the diaries of a soldier and a monk: Pantle goes over the most important events of the war, but the narration is enhanced by the point of view of the humblest characters who witnessed or experienced first-hand those situations.

In this way, the author shows the same episodes from two different perspectives: on the one hand, the description of the history of this war from the “defenestration of Prague” (1618) to the “peace of Westphalia” (1648); on the other hand, the narration of the war with the words of the soldier Peter Hagendorf and the monk Maurus Friesenegger.

This technique makes the reading of the book very interesting and enjoyable. I would strongly suggest reading the work of Pantle: it is useful to know and deepen this significant part of the history of Europe.

Giovanni Covino