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Gustavus Adolphus [Paperback]

Theodore Ayrault Dodge (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632), King of Sweden, has been rightfully hailed as the father of modern warfare and as the most outstanding commander of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). Forming the first national conscript army in modern Europe, he emphasized officer education, strict discipline, rigorous training, and the combination of firepower and mobility, until he had forged a formidable fighting force that stands unrivaled between Caesar's legions and Napoleon's Grande Armée. In 1630 Gustavus rescued the beleaguered Protestant cause in Germany from the Catholic League of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II militarily, led by the era's two other great captains, Tilly and Wallenstein. Gustavus triumphed against them (twice defeating Tilly) in battles that are tactical masterpieces, but he was killed while leading a cavalry charge at Lutzen.Illustrated with nearly 250 drawings and maps, Dodge's brilliant work (1895) not only examines the life, battles, and military innovations of Gustavus Adolphus but continues beyond the end of the Thirty Years' War to 1712, discussing his influence upon the great captains who followed—Turenne, Condé, Eugene, and Marlborough. The result is a clear, comprehensive study of a neglected but crucial period in the annals of warfare.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best military studies available!, Mar 26 2008
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Eric Carriere (Otterburn Park, QC Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gustavus Adolphus (Paperback)
Not only does this book give one of the only and best military account available on the great Swedish King, but it also covers all military aspects of Sweden during the Thirty Years War as well as the general European military history until the beginning of the 18th century (the wars of Louis XIV, the War of the Spanish Succession, etc.). It also specifically deals with the most famous generals of the time such as Turenne, Prince Eugene and Marlborough (to name a few), as well as the military innovations of that time. Truly, a must read for any lover of military history of that era.
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Amazon.com: 4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensible Classic!, Aug 17 2001
By Leif A. Torkelsen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Gustavus Adolphus (Paperback)
When I first took this book out of the Amazon.com box, my first thought was, "What have I gotten myself into?" It was a massive tome, covering a century of European warfare in considerable detail. Not only was it huge in size and scope, but I was worried about the prose, given the age of the text.

Fifty pages into the book, I could not put it down. This is quite simply an extraordinary military classic. T.A. Dodge is an exceptional military historian. Unlike many of those who ply that trade, Dodge was a veteran officer and possessed of exceptional military judgement. This is no chairborne commando, but an insightful and experienced soldier whose wealth of practical military experience brings the reality of 17th Century warfare alive.

Any understanding of military history from 1618-1815 (yes, that's 1815, even though the book stops in 1712) will be deficient without this book. Dodge tells the critical story of how armies evolved from relatively disorganized and short-term field armies to vast, professional military establishments controlled by the monarchs of Europe. The evolution of the modern state cannot be fully understood if one does not appreciate this facet of the military revolution of the 1600s. Dodge is equally adept at bringing the battlefield tactics of the time to life, and illustrating their development. He skillfully guides the reader along the path of military evolution which ultimately sets the stage for Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte.

The caveats of this book are that it is long on text and short on maps. The lack of maps makes following the course of marches and counter-marches somewhat difficult. Furthermore, a basic knowledge of the geopolitics of the time is helpful.

For anyone with the fortitude, this book will bestow upon them a deeper understanding of a seminal period in European history.


29 of 35 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but Tedious, May 30 2000
By Brad Shorr "Brad Shorr" - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: Gustavus Adolphus (Paperback)
I read this because I really enjoyed Dodge's military biography of Hannibal, but this book, possibly due to the period covered, was episodic, and without knowledge of European political history during the reign of Louis XIV, hard to follow. The first section, covering Adolfus's campaign in the Thirty Year's War, was quite entertaining, mainly because his efforts were dramatic, innovative, and successful against overwhelming odds. However, once into the military exploits of Conde, Turenne, Cromwell, Eugene, and Marlborough, the narrative becomes rather monotonous, describing one siege after another, one uneventful campaigning season after another. (This, too, no doubt reflects the time: the whole period of the post-Adolfus Thirty Year's War and the War of the Spanish Succession was one vast war of attrition.) Dodge does describe the important battles quite well, and offers incisive assessments of the character and abilities of the period's leading military figures. The book is long (about 850 pages), and long on military facts and figures. Dodge, a veteran of the American Civil War, writes in a rather formal and technical style, adding to the difficulties in wading through the text. I would give the book an "A" for information, but a "C-" for readability. If the subject matter really interests you, I'd say give it a try. If not, pass.
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