Protagonists of War
Spanish Army Commanders and the Revolt in the Low Countries
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Leuven University Press
Published:1st Oct '21
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Julian Romero, Sancho Davila, Cristobal de Mondragon, and Francisco de Valdes were prominent Spanish military commanders during the first decade of the Revolt in the Low Countries (1567-1577). Occupying key positions in this conflict, they featured as central characters in various war narratives and episodical descriptions of the events they were involved in, ranging from chronicles, poems, theatre plays, engravings, and songs to news pamphlets. To this day, they still figure as protagonists of historical novels: brave heroes in some, cruel oppressors in others. Yet personal, first-hand accounts also exist. Archival research into the letters written by these commanders now makes it possible to include their perspectives and the way they describe their own experiences. Looking through the eyes of four Spanish commanders, Protagonists of War provides the reader with an alternative reading of the Revolt, contrasting the subjective experiences of these protagonists with fictionalised perceptions. Free ebook available at OAPEN Library, JSTOR and Project Muse
To a large extent, the malleability, contradictions, and diverse interpretations of
these figures are rightly presented by Fagel as inherent to the process of narrative appropriation and re-creation. Indeed, showing the numerous ways that the presentation of the
actions, motives, and reputation of these figures have been shaped through the hands of
chroniclers, historians, and playwrights is key to these accounts. Yet stressing this aspect of
the study would understate the extent that Fagel has also deployed a wealth of administrative and personal correspondence to set the anecdotes, interpretations, and assumptions
against a more substantive, verifiable account of the lives and actions of these men.
In consequence, while the book tells us much about their shifting historical reputations
from the sixteenth century to the present day, it also offers detailed evidence about the
dynamics of military service for these officers in the Army of Flanders. Parrott, D., Early Modern Low Countries, 6(2), 299–301. https://doi.org/10.51750/emlc13432
ISBN: 9789462702875
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 760g
388 pages