Germany Under The Old Regime

Germany under the Old Regime 1600-1790 by John Gagliardo, 406 pages

This is a history of the "Old Regime" in "Germany", with the former being defined as the order forged in the crucible of the Thirty Years War and broken by the French Revolution, and the latter as the German-speaking portions of the Holy Roman Empire, though Gagliardo unfortunately favors northern Germany to the neglect of the south.  This was the fabled Age of Absolutism, when personal, aristocratic government was gradually replaced by princely despotism enabled by rational bureaucracy.  The Empire struggled with external invasions by the French and the Ottoman Turks as well as internal disunity culminating in the War of Austrian Succession.  In spite of political and religious fragmentation, a distinctively German culture of art, letters, and especially music emerged during this period, enhancing the desire for a united German state even as the rise of Prussia seemed to make that impossible.

A good overview of the subject, the book incorporates lengthy sections on economics, culture, and political administration into its loose narrative.  It is by design an overview, and lacks much detail.  Indeed, overall it is rather bland and colorless.  A worthwhile read, but nothing that makes me want to seek out more of Gagliardo's works.