The 'Defenestration of Prague', the coup d'etat staged by Protestant Bohemian nobles against officials of the Hapsburg Emperor triggered the Thirty Years War. When Habsburg Spain intervened in support of their Holy Roman Emperor relative, what had started as a localised political and religious dispute in Germany, transformed into a European and global conflict. In seeking to exploit the Bohemian revolt, Spanish Habsburg revanchist ambitions directed by the Spanish Count of Olivarez at the ...

"…offers an interesting insight on his (the author's) two protagonists, namely their (differing) experience of conflict in Eastern Europe." - The Journal of Military History The conflict, personal rivalry and contrast in personality, generalship and command, between the two iconic commanders in the Thirty Years War, King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden for the Protestant powers, and Albrecht von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland. More than just commanders at the tactical level they were statesmen...

"…what Pike reports in the book remains intriguing and suspenseful… an excellent, eye-opening book." – The VVA Veteran A forensic study of war, imperial history and international relations, following the Second World War and leading into the Cold War and defeat of Western imperialism in Asia. And above all, the story of the pivotal battle and French defeat at Dien Bien Phu. It shows France's revanchist attempt to regain imperial 'glory' in her former Asian empire following humiliation in t...

An immersive account of 17th-century warfare during the Thirty Years War.A graphic study of military and military revolution in the pivotal 17th century in the context of the Thirty Years War, shown by dramatic battle scenes, personal, heroic and tragic for all levels of society, and all strikingly brought to life. The first 'world war' in Europe was a global conflict, showing that early modern war, despite the Enlightenment argument which contrasts medieval milita...

In this irreplaceable guide, award-winning artist and instructor John Pike shares with artists at all levels of experience the expertise gained through a lifetime of perfecting his craft. All the information watercolorists could possibly want is here — choosing a brush; selecting and composing subject matter; producing a variety of washes, brush strokes, and textures; making corrections; and discovering the properties of common watercolor papers.The author's personal style and his m...