Berliner Zinnfiguren/Books & Media/Books/17th & 18th centuries/General products

Buckles, Peter: Crisis and Resilience in the Bristol-West India Sugar Trade, 1783-1802 32,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

How did merchants deal with crises? From warfare to financial upheaval, from political machinations to the abolition of the slave trade, merchants and their networks in the eighteenth century faced a range of challenges. But they also demonstrated remarkable resilience. Providing new levels of detail on Britains sugar trade, this authoritative account explores how Bristols sugar merchants embodied cogs in the plantation machine, using their position of influence in Britain to maintain the production of sugar and violent systems of enslavement. It demonstrates how, as shipowners, these merchants protected their shipping, led the organisation of convoys, and took advantage of cheapening insurance. It reveals the inner workings of the sugar market and the strategies merchants used to remain profitable, showing how merchants navigated the transitions between peace and war. Finally, it uncovers their methods for managing credit and safeguarding their investments. Throughout, the nature of commerce in the eighteenth century is analysed in detail, from business networks to bills of exchange. Demonstrating meticulous, interdisciplinary research and thorough analysis of merchant business records, this book speaks broadly to the nature and experience of crisis in the eighteenth century and what this meant for the burgeoning systems of capitalism.

O'Hanlon, Michael: Looking for Longitude 44,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

Why make a joke out of a niche and complex scientific problem? That is the question at the heart of this book, which unearths the rich and surprising history of trying to find longitude at sea in the eighteenth century. Not simply a history on water, this is the story of longitude on paper, of the discussions, satires, diagrams, engravings, novels, plays, poems and social anxieties that shaped how people understood longitude in William Hogarths London. We start from a figure in one of Hogarths prints a lunatic incarcerated in the madhouse of A Rakes Progress in 1735 to unpick the visual, mental and social concerns which entwined around the national concern to find a solution to longitude. Why does longitude appear in novels, smutty stories, political critiques, copyright cases, religious tracts and dictionaries as much as in government papers? This sheds new light on the first government scientific funding body the Board of Longitude established to administer vast reward money for anyone who found a means of accurately measuring longitude at sea. Meet the cast of characters involved in the search for longitude, from famous novelists and artists to almost unknown pamphleteers and inventors, and see how their interactions informed the fate of longitudes most famous pursuer, the clockmaker John Harrison.

Wilkinson, S.: A Prelude to the Study of Napoleon: The Defence of Piedmont 1742-1748 34,95 €

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 07:00:08 +0200

This fascinating study draws parallels between this campaign and that of Napoleon, highlighting the defensive dilemmas in Northern Italy that depended essentially on which great power Piedmont aligned itself with. The campaign was largely defined by the defense of fortresses and offers a fascinating insight into warfare in mountainous regions.

Badone, Giovanni Cerino: You Have to Die in Piedmont The Battle of Assietta, 19 July 1747 36,95 €

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:40:07 +0200

Volume 82 in the series "From Reason to Revolution 17211815." The Battle of Assietta took place on June 19, 1747, and was not only the bloodiest single-day battle of the War of the Austrian Succession (17401748) fought on Italian soil, but alsoin terms of casualtiesthe most costly engagement in the entire military history of the Alps and of mountain warfare in general. The strategic objective of the French offensive was the siege and capture of the Fort of Exilles, a stronghold situated in the Susa Valley on the route from Briançon to Turin. In a murderous three-hour firefight, five thousand soldiers out of a total force of 27,000 were killed, wounded, or went missing; even the French commander, the Chevalier de Belle-Isle, lost his life in the fighting. From that day forward, the Battle of Assietta became something of a military legend for the Sardinian forcesand later for the Italian Armyyet no serious attempt was ever made to reconstruct the event. Only the French, in the late 19th century, attempted to produce a more detailed examination of this engagement by publishing a manuscript authored by Lieutenant General de Vault in the second half of the 18th century. This publication therefore represents the first comprehensive study dedicated to the history of this battle.

Stoye, Martina/Panarut, Peera: In the Serenity of the Himavanta Forest 34,00 €

Thu, 14 May 2026 07:00:09 +0200

The "Book of the Three Worlds" ("Traiphum"; Inv. No. II 650, Museum of Asian Art, Berlin) is one of the most beautiful, oldest, and most magnificent manuscripts on Buddhist cosmology from Thailand. This 33-meter-long leporello manuscript was commissioned in 1776 by King Taksin of Thonburi from four royal painters and four royal scribes. In 2023, the Berlin museum program CoMuse facilitated the collaborative research of the images and texts. This book is the result of the two authors' joint research. It focuses on a six-meter-long section of the manuscript: the idyllic and secluded world of the Himavanta Forest with its beautiful lakes, animals, and plants; the course of the southern stream from the Himavanta Forest to the human world; and the many jatakas (narratives from the time before Buddha's birth) contained within it. The authors not only analyze the interplay of text and image in the manuscript, but also explore the connections between what is depicted and other textual traditions of Thailand.

Orbán, Gábor: 1866 - At the End was the Battle of Königgrätz 39,95 €

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:30:06 +0200

The scholarly inquiry of the 'causes' of Austria's defeat in 1866 is almost as old as the war against rising Prussia itself. Already in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, considerable energy was devoted to identifying the sources of failure. At the time, responsibility was attributed to the misjudgements of the high command, and above all to the commander-in-chief of the k.k. North Army, Feldzeugmeister Ludwig von Benedek. This one-sided interpretation, together with the broader debate surrounding the so-called 'question of guilt' (Schuldfrage), was later treated with increasing nuance. During the twentieth century, historians sought the origins of the defeat at both political and military levels. From a military perspective, research has primarily examined developments in armaments technology, the (strategic-) operational miscalculations of the campaign, and the structural deficiencies of the k.k. Army, which stemmed in large part from severe budgetary restrictions. By contrast, comparatively little attention has been devoted to battle tactics. In 1866, Austria entered the war against Prussia with a tactical doctrine nearly sixty years old, based on an overestimation of the historical tradition of military values.
This volume examines precisely this neglected aspect. Within the broader context of armed conflicts since the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars against France, it introduces and systematically analyses Austrian military doctrine, with particular emphasis on tactics. The study critically examines the outdated systems of recruitment and training, while also considering the related fields of uniforms and equipment, soldiers' daily life, and military communication. The investigation, however, focuses primarily on two main themes: first, the Austrians' disdain for the employment of firearms; and second, their unshakeable belief in the invincibility of their own close-order battle formations. The bayonet charge, in particular, was accorded a special and almost emblematic status. The volume further explores the interaction between the various arms in wartime and highlights the complex interrelationship between strategic and tactical concepts. It becomes clear that the k.k.. Austrian Army was among the very last of the truly 'Napoleonic' forces; an army whose admirable courage could no longer compensate for hopelessly outdated infantry tactics in the age of industrialised warfare.

Contents
Foreword
Introduction
State of research

The army
The Austrian army spirit
Impact of the financial crisis

The clash of arms
The long road to war an overview
The Schleswig-Holstein Question 1863-1865
Mobilisation and deployment
The war begins
All quiet in the south
The invasion of Bohemia
The North Army in crisis
Königgrätz
Retreat to Olmütz
Formation of the k.k. Danube Army
Conclusion of peace
Forgotten fronts: Tyrol and the Main Campaign

The theatre of war
The terrain
Fortified defensive positions and entrenchments

The tactical level
General considerations
Army organisation
Conscription and length of service
Drill manuals
The firefight
Hurrah and charge the Austrian shock tactics
Morale, discipline and panic
Transport, march, and rations
Uniform and equipment of the soldier
Colours
Cooperation between the branches

Excursus: The strategic level
Theoretical starting point
The operational plans in 1866
Command and control
Intelligence

Summary
Answering the research questions
Recap and outlook
Concluding words

List of sources and references
Picture credits
Index of places and persons

Stauss, Thomas: Magic Metamorphosis 265,00 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:30:23 +0200

The historical roots of picture transformation books can be traced back almost 500 years to the early 16th century. They are extremely rare and belong to the rarest and most bizarre book objects known today. Only four hand-painted copies from before 1750 can be found in libraries and private collections worldwide. This may be why they have been largely ignored by book and manuscript researchers and have hardly been the subject of adequate scientific investigation. The publication "Magic Metamorphosis. The Secrets of a Rare Italian Picture Album Revealed aims to fill this gap. A transformation book is a kind of trick book" with repeating sequences of images that enable an optical illusion or the performance of an astonishing magic trick. For this purpose, a finger register with several tabs (or indentations) that is barely visible from a distance is attached to the front of the book block. Each of these tabs correlates with a specific image motif. When leafing through the transformation book, the performer can use his thumb to select one of the tabs and thus show the audience a desired image motif or make it disappear again. Since several pages are unpainted, the transformation book can also be presented as seemingly unprinted a magical effect. Where were transformation books performed in historical times? In historical times, this feat was performed as part of a magic show in all social circles: at festive occasions in royal and princely houses, at soirées (evening parties) so popular in aristocratic circles, at fairs, markets, in taverns, or on the street. What is the cultural and historical significance of transformation books? Their significance within cultural history is repeatedly attested to by numerous mentions in historical sources: the Indian Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627) enthusiastically reports in his memoirs about the performance of this feat at his court. The well-known German writer and Baroque poet Hans Jakob Christoph von Grimmelshausen (1622-1676) also made the transformation book the subject of his narrative three times in his novel Der Seltzame Springinsfeld and described it in all its facets over eleven pages. Even in mathematical and physical literaturee.g., in the works of the two famous polymaths Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) and Caspar Schott (1608-1666)the transformation book found its way in as a mechanical curiosity. Today, transformation books are also available for children as an educational toy, so to speak, to practice presentation and public speaking skills. What prompted the research into transformation books? The impetus for this research was a globally unique picture album made in Italy around 1650, which Thomas Stauss discovered in Paris in the late 1990s and although this picture album lacked an index was able to clearly identify as a picture transformation book. Thanks to fortunate circumstances, the author finally succeeded in acquiring this rare object for his collection in 2018 and has been researching it intensively ever since. Of particular importance for the analysis of this album was and is its historical connection to the history of Swiss natural history research. The painter used the famous work Historia animalium by the Zurich naturalist and city physician Conrad Gessner (1516-1565) as a model for the depiction of the land animals, fish, and birds in the picture album. Nearly 40 percent of all illustrations in the album are taken from Gessner's work, which laid the foundations for modern zoology as we know it today.

Stevens, John: Shorncliffe Archive. Volume 7: Fortification and Military Discipline 39,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

In 1688, Jacobite John Stevens translated Allain Mallet's The Works of Mars or Art of War, thereby providing an important English-language study of military technology and military discipline as applied in the early years of Louis XIV's reign. This was a crucial transitional period from the old tactics of the pike and shot era to the new methods of warfare of the cavalry and musket era, but also an era in which fortifications played an important role in military campaigns.

Lapray, Olivier: Campagne de 1757 en Westphalie 24,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

The Seven Years' War brought new alliances and military operations in several theatres simultaneously. This is where military strategy and tactics really began. With an army of 100,000 men, the campaign of 1757 was characterised by large-scale manoeuvres and the necessary operational measures for supply and resupply. It also demonstrates the difficulty of exercising command over a court and a government for whom short-term results take precedence over the means. This campaign by the French armies in Westphalia culminated on 26 July 1757 near the village of Hastenbeck. The author wanted to provide a vivid and human account of the campaign and therefore gave considerable space to the memoirs and letters of officers, both generals and non-commissioned officers, of the cavalry and infantry regiments. Four months earlier, they had left their garrisons and, after a journey of more than six hundred kilometres through Austria and Germany, had gone into battle at the gates of Hanover.

Plassmann, Max: Stadtgesellschaft und Militä 39,00 €

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:50:12 +0200

Even though the city of Cologne avoided being drawn into conflicts in the early modern period, the military played an often underestimated role in everyday life. A large part of the male population served in the citizen's militia, and the recruited soldiers and their families formed a military population that was closely interwoven with their civilian neighbours. In addition, there were foreign military forces, especially numerous recruiters who helped themselves to Cologne's violent market. The mayor and council used the threads of military organisation that ran throughout the city to stabilise rule and administration. At the same time, they developed mechanisms of authoritative control over armed power, which represented an alternative to the development of large armies in territorial states.

Blanning, Tim: August der Starke 34,00 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

A total political and military failure, but a cultural and historical legacy of world renown this is how British historian Tim Blanning sums up the life of Augustus the Strong in his illuminating and entertaining new biography, transporting his readers into the opulent world of the Baroque. A historical coincidence gave the Saxon elector Poland in 1697, where he henceforth reigned as Augustus II. He could have used this opportunity to create a powerful European state, a bulwark against Russia and Prussian expansion. But politically and militarily, Augustus missed no opportunity to fail. At the same time, he indulged in the pleasures of life as a ruthless spendthrift and libertine, and promoted the arts just as excessively. For more than 35 turbulent years, August played a role in the concert of European powers. When he died in 1733 at the age of 62, Poland was finished as a European power and the once-rich Saxony was bankrupt. Tim Blanning takes a stern yet forgiving look at the contradictory life of this Baroque prince, who found fulfilment in his love of art and architecture. At home in Dresden, he erected a monument to himself that shows this excessive character from his most brilliant side.

Exelby, Alan: No More Time to Lose 49,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:00:09 +0200

Volume 131, Century of the Soldier 1618-1721, is a detailed account of the historic liberation of Vienna from the Ottoman siege in 1683 by an allied army led by Johann Sobieski, King of Poland, and Charles V, Duke of Lorraine. The Ottoman army advanced from its bases in occupied Hungary and laid siege to Vienna. The imperial government called on its allies for help in liberating the city, and many responded to this call, notably the Poles, but also Bavaria, Saxony and contingents from various parts of the empire. A joint army overcame the rivalries between the commanders, crossed the difficult wooded hills around Vienna and, with the cooperation of all the elements that played an important role in the action, defeated the Ottoman army and pushed it back to Hungary. No More Time to Lose begins with a summary of the operations outside Vienna while the relief army was gathering, with details of all the units, followed by a detailed account of the arduous march through the forests and the battle of 12 September. It includes comprehensive battle orders for both sides (such information about the Ottomans is extremely rare). It concludes with a summary of the subsequent campaign in Hungary, which marked the beginning of a successful Christian counteroffensive against the Ottomans, as well as a discussion of why the rescue of Vienna was a decisive event in history. No More Time to Lose is based primarily on a careful review of published sources in French and German, earlier archival studies, mainly in German, and the works of Polish historians, in particular the renowned study by Jan Wimmer and the current book by Michal Paradowski.

Pöcher, Harald: Das letzte Lebensjahr von Zrínyi Miklós (1663–1664) 34,90 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:30:23 +0200

Zrínyi Miklós is revered today as a hero in Hungary and Croatia. Throughout his life, he fought for Hungary's liberation from Ottoman rule. The last year of his life, 1663/64, was the year of his greatest triumphs but also his most bitter defeat. The book not only provides a deep insight into this period of Zrínyi Miklós' life, but also attempts to make social life in the 17th century comprehensible. One focus is the analysis of the armed forces of the time in all their facets. In a special chapter, the author lets Zrínyi Miklós speak for himself in a series of dialogues with renowned military commanders of his time.

Mann, Manfred: Soldatenleben 75,00 €

Sat, 02 May 2026 07:40:06 +0200

The 18th century was marked by far-reaching upheavals and changes. The class-based state lost its contours and the guild-regulated labour markets dissolved. During this period, the standing army was also established, with its soldiers permanently under arms. In the 1780s, soldiers were recruited through subsidy contracts in the new military labour markets and placed in the service of England and Holland to support their troops in their colonial wars in Africa and Asia. Michael Mann describes the everyday life of these soldiers, from recruitment, training, transport and the few overseas military operations to weddings, family life, leisure time and death. In the 18th century, it was indeed desirable not only to join the military, but also to sign up for foreign service.

Pile, John: The Age of Firepower 31,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

A study of the military and the military revolution in the decisive 17th century in the context of the Thirty Years' War, depicted through dramatic battle scenes, personal, heroic and tragic for all social classes, and all brought to life in an impressive manner. The first world war in Europe was a global conflict that shows that early modern warfare, despite the Enlightenment thesis that contrasts the military brutality of the Middle Ages with modern customs, was full of horror and innocent suffering, exacerbated by modern weapons and state support. With impressive quotations from commanders to foot soldiers, readers feel involved, and the story moves from battlefield tactics to strategy and grand strategy to international relations. Here, the modern military state is at the centre of 17th-century military development and revolution, which led to modern and contemporary international warfare.

Querengässer, Alexander: The Pirates of the Caribbean Sea 29,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:55:08 +0200

No other era has determined our concept of piracy as much as the Golden Age of the Caribbean buccaneers and filibusters in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Entire pirate fleets roamed the Atlantic trade routes on the lookout for both the great Spanish treasure galleons ad the small merchantmen travelling between the islands and the continent. Even strongly fortified cities were not safe from attack. During a time when the European colonial powers had not yet established a firm hold on their possessions in the New World, well-organised violent communities of privateers played a significant part in local military conflicts but remained difficult to control in times of peace.

This volume seeks to provide an overview of the development of piracy in the Caribbean Sea between 1600 and 1725 and describes the diverse composition of many pirate bands and crews. Using contemporary sources and archaeological finds, this book describes the pirates' weapons, clothes, and ships. Wreck finds such as the Queen Anne's Revenge, the notorious Blackbeard's sunken flagship, have broadened our knowledge about how the pirate crews lived and fought. Based on this knowledge and supplemented by contemporary illustrations and modern reconstructions, this work provides a valuable source of information on the famous Golden Age of piracy.

Contents

Chronology
Introduction

A golden age on silver trade routes
A band of brothers? Universal equality?
The Pirate Code
Female pirates
A return to a quiet life?
Pirate strongholds
Dress

Weapons
Small arms
Bladed weapons
Ordnance

Pirate Ships
Three-masters
Sloops, brigs and brigantines
Flags and symbols
High seas tactics
The treatment of captured ships
Amphibious operations

Conclusion

Sources
Bibliography

Querengässer, Alexander: 1719. Hochzeit des Jahrhunderts 16,80 €

Fri, 22 May 2026 07:00:11 +0200

In September 1719, Dresden celebrated what was probably the grandest wedding of the Baroque era. Augustus the Strong spared no expense in his efforts to show the powers of Europe that his son Frederick Augustus was a worthy groom for the Habsburg emperor's daughter Maria Josepha. At the same time, the festivities were intended to demonstrate the unbroken power and prosperity of Saxony and the Wettin dynasty. For a whole month, magnificent parades, spectacular fireworks displays, grand hunts, artfully staged operas and theatre performances, tournaments, banquets and costume balls came together to form a celebration that was virtually unrivalled. This volume places the wedding celebrations in Dresden in the broader context of Augustus the Strong's foreign policy. Based on contemporary reports, the individual festivities and celebrations of the wedding are described day by day and their symbolic messages deciphered. In addition, the author analyses the reception of the ceremony by the European public and also the dynastic opportunities that arose from the union. Was this union a Constellatio Felix a happy constellation, as one of the ceremonies announced?

Mugnai, Bruno: Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV. Volume 8: The Armies of Denmark-Norway, Courland and Danzig,1655-1690 46,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:55:08 +0200

Volume 130 of the series Century of the Soldier 1618-1721. Regardless of how historians have described the conflicts between Sweden and Denmark-Norway, and despite all the battles, sieges, winter campaigns and guerrilla warfare, these events were often regarded as peripheral in the larger European context. The struggle for supremacy in Europe was not decided in a remote Hyperborean land, but in Flanders, the Rhineland and the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the wars also left deep scars on society in Northern Europe and had an impact on the economy, domestic politics and diplomacy throughout the region. After devastating wars against Poland, Russia, the Holy Roman Empire, Brandenburg and the Netherlands, Sweden became an important ally of Louis XIV. Both France and Sweden had an interest in curbing the Netherlands' supremacy as a maritime and trading power, while Denmark-Norway always found itself on the opposing side in this rivalry. The Swedish army was still considered an exemplary military force by contemporaries. Even after Gustav Adolf's reforms, Swedish generals continued to develop new military doctrines with the support of a state administration capable of waging protracted wars. Equally significant was the political and military development of Denmark, which during this period was at the forefront of the struggle against the Lion of the North more than any other power. This volume brings together the history, organisation, equipment, uniforms and flags of both armies and also contains chapters devoted to the Duchy of Courland and the royal city of Danzig.

Boeri, Giancarlo u.a.: The Spanish armies in the War of the League of Augsburg (nine years war 1688-1697) 38,95 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:05:14 +0200

This book provides an overview of the composition of the armies of the Spanish monarchy during the War of the Augsburger League. The term armies is used in the plural because each kingdom, province or principality within the monarchy had its own armed forces, militias and budgets, despite constant interaction between these territories. Each territory was ruled by a viceroy or governor appointed by the king, who also served as captain general, i.e. commander-in-chief of the armed forces in that region. However, financing and strategic decisions remained partly dependent on the king, who alone had the power to transfer troops between territories as necessary. This power was exercised by various councils, where political intrigue and factional struggles were the order of the day. The most important of these councils in military matters was the War Council. The book focuses on the War of the League of Augsburg, also known as the Nine Years' War (1688-1697), which marked the end of the 17th century. In Spain, this conflict culminated in 1697 with the siege and fall of Barcelona, effectively ending the war. The geographical scope is limited to Europe and the Mediterranean region. Wherever possible, the succession of commanders and colonels of various military units has been reconstructed, a crucial element in tracing their actions, as historical sources often only mention their names at specific points in time. Finally, a special emphasis has been placed on the study of uniforms and flags an aspect of military history that has been largely overlooked by previous authors.

Maskenball und Kanonendonner 10,00 €

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:05:14 +0200

The Seven Years War (1756-1763) is a forgotten military conflict in Württemberg. Unlike the Thirty Years War or the War of the Palatinate Succession, Swabia was not the scene of sieges and battles during this war. Nevertheless, the south-west of Germany was severely affected by the effects of this global war. The war had a direct or indirect impact on all areas of life in Württemberg. Printed orders issued by Duke Carl Eugen impressively document how many young Württembergers were forced into the army against their will. The most important domestic consequence of the war was a sharp confrontation between the Duke and the estates of the realm. In the course of these disputes, the important imperial publicist Johann Jacob Moser was imprisoned in July 1759 and held captive on the Hohentwiel for five years without trial. While the country suffered from the economic consequences of the war, court life in Württemberg flourished. Many renowned artists worked in Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg around 1760, including the composer Niccolò Jommelli, who came from Naples. Duke Carl Eugen also attempted to achieve his political goals territorial consolidation and the title of Elector through the development of courtly splendour. Carl Eugen's policies failed completely.