Protagonists of War

Reviews / Votes

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 Obwohl eine vorgeschaltete Darstellung der Revolte sich gelohnt haette, sodass Wiederholungen in der Darstellung vermieden worden waeren, bietet Fagels Darstellung einen Zugang zum Aufstand in den Spanischen Niederlanden, der es auch dem interessierten Laien ermoeglicht, spannende Informationen zu gewinnen, ohne dessen eigentliche wissenschaftliche Fragestellung genauer verfolgen zu muessen. - Martin Meier, Militaergeschichtliche Zeitschrift, vol. 83, no. 2, 2024, pp. 562-565. https://doi.org/10.1515/mgzs-2024-0080