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For God or The Devil: A History of The Thirty Years War (When Diplomacy Fails) Paperback – August 11, 2020

by Zachary Twamley (Author)

4.7 19 ratings

Presenting a new and thoroughly researched book on the Thirty Years' War by Zack Twamley, the creative force behind the "When Diplomacy Fails" podcast.

The year is 1618, and representatives of the powerful Habsburg's have just been thrown out of the windows of Prague Castle. What happened next took virtually everyone by surprise, as a conflict unparalleled in its intensity, cost and of course in its duration. The Thirty Years War would not end until 1648, and in those three decades of conflict, new empires would rise, dynasties would crumble, incredible new innovations would be tested in murderous battlefields, and the religious makeup of Europe itself would be forever altered.

As this great European conflict spread from the Atlantic to the Black Sea, the mastery of the entire continent was at stake, as were opportunities for glory, influence and absolute power. As the war raged on, those individuals that participated within it - be they Princes, Emperors, Kings or mere subjects - would be forced to pick a side. Would they choose the side of God, or of the Devil?

With this new study, Zachary Twamley examines the Thirty Years War in its entirety, following the conflict through its different phases, as new, dynamic, ambitious actors, like King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Cardinal Richelieu in France, and even the Tsar of Russia became involved. Twamley's narration covers several watershed moments, including the rise of the Dutch Republic, the terminal decline of Spain, and the arrival of France under King Louis XIV. It was a period of profound development and change, and upon its conclusion at the famed Peace of Westphalia, Europe would never be the same again.

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About the Author

Zachary Twamley began history podcasting in 2012 with his podcast When Diplomacy Fails, and since then, he has completed a BA and an MA in history at University College Dublin. He then lectured in Irish Politics and European Union affairs at the Technological University of Dublin. Always eager to learn more, in 2019, Zachary began a PhD in History at Trinity College Dublin, and intends to reassess Victorian foreign policy for his thesis. He remains dedicated to releasing regular episodes on his podcast, and with what little spare time he has he enjoys running, reliving history in epic strategy games, and engaging in further reading. Zack is a self-professed history nerd, and his website can be found at www.wdfpodcast.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Winged Hussar Publishing (August 11, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1120 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1945430095
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1945430091
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 2.1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,786,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,874 in German History (Books)
- #72,338 in Military History (Books)
- #75,794 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 19 ratings

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Zachary Twamley

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Dr Zack Twamley (32) is an Irish author, podcaster and academic. He is also obsessed with history.

He got his Bachelor of Arts and Masters in history in University College Dublin, then acquired his PhD in History in 2024 - but all these letters being added to his name don't mean he's an academic historian through and through - oh no!

Since 2012, Zachary (also goes by Zack) has run the history podcast When Diplomacy Fails, and in that time, recorded over eight million downloads. His mission with the podcast was simple - to examine wars throughout history and explain why they happened. This mission led him to conflicts and events as varied as the First World War, the Wars of Louis XIV of France, the Korean War, the Treaty of Versailles, the Boer War, the Thirty Years' War, and many more conflicts besides.

In fact, Zachary's fascination with the Thirty Years' War led him to explore it on another level - through historical fiction, and thus, the Matchlock series was born. The adventures of Matthew Lock became a new obsession, and Zachary has a wide range of sequels planned for the Matchlock series, in addition to many others.

Above all, Zachary loves to create historical content. He loves to delve deep into his topics, drawing on his academic chops to really research the heart of what's going on. Then, he breaks it down, removing the dry, academic style of his source material, and bringing it to life. To escape into eras of history long forgotten has been Zachary's greatest privilege, and he'll keep doing it for as long as he possibly can!

Zachary lives in County Wicklow, Ireland, with his wife and a strong longing for several dogs.

You can connect with Zachary Twamley via Twitter (@wdfpodcast) in his When Diplomacy Fails Podcast Facebook group, and by listening to his podcast, which is released every second Wednesday, and is available on Spotify, Apple and anywhere else you like to listen to podcasts. If you can't remember his podcast's name, just search 'Zachary Twamley.' Nobody else can pull off such a name, so his podcast will be bound to come up!