A Warrior Dynasty : The Rise and Fall of Sweden as a Military Superpower 1611-1721

There has been a recent trend in history to interpret the rise and fall of great powers in terms of economics, or demographics, or geography.This is not always true, as this book proves, because sometimes pure military skill can propel a nation to prominence, if it is simply able to crush all its opponents on a battlefield.No better example arises than that of Sweden beginning in the 17th century, which held supremacy over northern Europe for 100 years without any technological, geographic or demographic advantages at all. This fascinating book describes how the Swedes first arrived in continental Europe during the 30 Years War, under their king Gustavus Adolfus.Just in time to roll back the reactionary Catholic tide and buttress the Lutherans, the Swedes proved more innovative in battle than their opponents, using the new arm of artillery plus tactical formations to establish supremacy on the battlefield.This horrific war still exists in collective memory as the worst travail in Germa