Many of us know bits and pieces about the Habsburg dynasty—Mayerling, Sissi, Franz Ferdinand. Martyn Rady's sweeping historical overview of the family's rise to power, and their eventual tragic fall, gives us the context we need to understand the reasons why the Habsburgs captured the world's imagination so thoroughly. It's a serious historical tome that sometimes challenges the reader, but in a very thought-provoking way.

Really informative. The linear flow really served well in providing a cohesive sense of the Habsburgs and what they were about.

What did I know about the Habsburgs prior to starting this book? Shockingly little. I knew that they were famous for the "Habsburg jaw", inbreeding, and I knew a little about Charles V. I have read a few books about ruling dynasties (such as on the Tudors, Plantagenets, etc.) and have come to realize there are a few things I'm looking for in a book on such a subject: a narrative about the dynasties accomplishments (or failures) as well as an exploration of *who they were* - what sets them apart and how they saw themselves. This is where Rady's work really shines. His descriptions of how the Habsburgs helped me to understand how they constructed a familial mythology complete with paintings, sculptures, literature - even forgeries - to justify and reinforce their rule. 

I was provided this copy for review by NetGalley and the publisher, and it is a work I intend to later purchase for myself as I love to pore over the illustrations and maps in nonfiction works.

The sun never sets on the Habsburg Empire. While the average person has been raised to associate the phrase with the British Empire, Martyn Rady masterfully disabuses us of the notion that it was the first of the great global empires.

While many an empire was built by war, the Hapsburg miracle was one of marriage. Their dynastic history as rulers began with a probable plunderer of ecclesial property and ended with a Blessed of the Catholic Church. The House of Hapsburg was blessed with eligible male heirs from the eleventh to the eighteenth century and fortuitous marriages of daughters, who, in addition to securing alliances and producing title claims, often served as able administrators to boot. And when the male line of both the Spanish and Austrian lines exhausted themselves in the eighteenth century – Empress Maria Theresa of the Austrian line gave them a new lease on life (and Emperor Maximillian a rebirth in the Americas), if they could keep it. Of particular note was how Randy highlighted the Reformation’s restricting of eligible marriage partners for the devoutly Catholic Habsburgs, and the effects which followed. 

The reader will find in Rady and this work a dedication to a task well undertaken and brought to fruition. To cover so much in so brief a volume, while sacrificing little in narrative or detail, is quite the feat. This book focuses not just on wars or marriages, but brings out the myth, culture, science, religion, deviation, madness and accomplishment which became the Habsburg heritage. The Habsburg domains and drama are far greater than most know, and they do not fail to intrigue. Leaving aside points that one might contend in a more scholarly edition, the general reader is well served by this work.

An old-fashioned, straight-ahead, chronological history with huge sweep and a many-century timeline. (Yawn.) Not the way history can, or should, be written any more. A book like this should address the topic: Why do the Hapsburgs matter?  This book fails on that score.

I really struggled with this one.
It's a weighty subject and one that I am keen to learn more about, but was unable to concentrate on it.
Would be a great read for someone who enjoys reading a lot about small details

One of the things that continuously fascinates me about history is how so many things that must have been coincidence lead up to something that feels inevitable. For me, the Habsburgs have always been linked to World War I, which in and of itself felt both totally avoidable and inevitable. The Habsburgs by Martyn Rady gave me a chance to dig further into this family's history and realize once again how they pop up simply everywhere. Thanks to Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aaah the Habsburgs, who started as nothing and eventually had a finger in every pot and were inbred up to their ears. What a family! In The Habsburgs Martyn Rady runs the reader through this family's entire history, showing how they seemed to fail upwards consistently, until they ran the Holy Roman Empire, and then truly took the reins. You will find Habsburgs in almost every major European and global event or trend from the fifteenth century onward: the Reformation, the expansion to the New World, Freemasonry, Alchemy, and pretty much every single war or battle. They gave us the Empress Sissi and Marie-Antoinette, but also the Habsburg Jaw and many an atrocity. The Habsburgs is an expansion of Rady's A Very Short Introduction on the same topic and it is definitely expansive.

The Habsburg empire was a fascinating amalgam of different countries, cultures, histories, languages, traditions and faiths. The fact it held as long as it did is almost miraculous, but I think part of the reason why it continues to fascinate is because we find ourselves in the situation where we need to try something similar. The world is so interconnected now that we need to face every problem if not as one, then at least united in an understanding of each other. The Habsburg empire is not an example but it is a lesson of history it is worth learning. I will not go into every single thing Rady covers in The Habsburgs otherwise I would have to re-type the book, but a big focus lies on their rise to power as well as their loss of that very power.

Martyn Rady doesn't set out to share any opinions or win any arguments in The Habsburgs which means that those expecting scandalous stories about  the inbreeding and madness of the family will be disappointed. But so will those be who were expecting him to come down harshly on the imperialistic tendencies of the family. In many ways The Habsburgs is a perfect introduction, a primer of sorts, that runs you through all the major characters and happenings with just the right balance between fact and interest to make you want to do further research yourself. For me this means that Rady strikes the right tone, since no one book can cover hundreds of years and events and crises and do everything justice. Rady will make you want to pick up further books to learn more, and I couldn't ask anything more from a history book.

Although I'm willing to accept The Habsburgs won't be for everyone, it is exactly the kind of book for those who are interested in history. Well written and full of information, The Habsburgs is both a fun reading experience and a valuable resource.

***I was granted ARC of this via Netgalley from the publisher.***

There have been many ruling dynasties in Europe but none so interesting, for me at least, than the Habsburgs. In the book, The Habsburgs: To Rule the World by Martyn Rady, the author explores the history of the family as they go from a small noble family to becoming the leaders of the Holy Roman Empire thru to its evolution into the Austro-Hungarian Empire to its final dissolution of the empire in the early 20th century. Rady provides an intriguing look at the interworkings of the family and how political acumen, marriages, and luck helped keep the family in power when at times it looked like their hold on the throne was precarious. But the author just doesn't focus on the military and political and achievements and failures of the family but also looks at their cultural achievements as well in the sciences and the arts. I liked this because it helped make for more interesting reading and gave context to the wider influence of the Habsburg family. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in European history as it is a fascinating read.

Rating: 4/5 stars. Would recommend to a friend.

The author wrote this book because his previous book was too short. In my opinion, it is still too short. I hope the author goes back and writes a series of books on this family. Looking forward to more from this author.

The research is an amazing effort and it shows. Having links to Czechia I had a personal interest learning more concerning the Habsburgs. thanks for an informative read. A little repetitive at times.
An independent review

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 
Prior to picking up this book, I primarily knew the bare facts of their genealogy and history, with particular emphasis on big-picture events and phenomena, most notably their peak of power in the 16th century (and the cycle of inbreeding that began during that period, resulting in the wiping out of the Spanish branch) and the ill-fated events leading up to and during World War I. But while Rady’s approach could sometimes be a little dry, I appreciated how he contextualized things around the family’s rise and fall over the centuries. One of the things I was most fascinated to learn (although it should have been obvious to me) was how the inbreeding was in large part due to the religious schism between Protestants and Catholics limiting options for suitable mates, and not entirely some insane twist on keeping things “in the family.” This is generally a solid book providing a great overview of this notorious royal family’s history, and one I think historian and history buffs alike will enjoy.

*Many thanks to Martyn Rady, Perseus Books, Basic Books and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A solid non-ficiton about one of the most famous dynasties. Mr Rady begins with the 10th centrury and coninues until Franz Ferdinand. Very informative and insightful. I am interested in history but actually this was my first that comprehensive book on the Habsburgs, and I learnt a lot. The book reads smoothly and I would recommend it to anyone willing to expand their knowledge on the dynasty that ruled one thousand years in Europe.

Not too much to say here, this was a solid historical nonfiction book about the Habsburgs. It was dry in a few places, but most historical books are to people. Even though I have a history degree, I still get bored reading certain things. I thought that Rady did a great job of taking a really in depth look into the beginnings of the Habsburgs and to the end of that dynasty. For those who don't know, the Habsburgs officially were over when on November 11, 1918, a proclamation was issued marking the formal dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy. I found it interesting that the "last emperor" was Karl I and how he refused to abdicate and went into exile after the 1918 proclamation. Also going to add until this book, I had no idea how long lived this dynasty was and how much reach they really had. I can see someone turning this into a very impressive series someday on HBO. Forget dragons and incest (looking at you Game of Thrones) but bring on no dragons and incest (look this made me laugh, I had a hard week).   

"The Habsburgs" itself gives you a pretty big overview of this dynasty that spanned several hundred years and had a lot of fame and infamy among its family members. Due to this book of course I got nosy and found some great resources online to read up more about the historical figures that are discussed in this book. And honestly, I do recall reading about the Habsburgs during college, but my school tended to consolidate major historical events and focus more on wars. The book has a nice flow I thought, though at times I did get bored here and there (why the 4 stars).

Book kicks things off and goes into Rudolf I, the first king of the Romans of the Habsburg dynasty (his reign started in 1273). Things that I found interesting though were reading about Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and the first who was the ruler of so many countries, they said the sun did not set on his empire. Rady goes into the fact though that they realized that the empire was going to have to be broken up cause you know, rebellions and all that. And then we get into the squicky part of the book (to me at least) when Rady relays facts about the intermarriages that went on in order to keep the land/countries in the family. Of course, nothing good comes from interbreeding (see Romanovs and Queen Victoria) and soon the babies born to these marriages kept dying and any infants that lived had some deformities. 

What I thought was a bit weird though (in a history way) was that once the empire split it seemed like bad things seem to befall the descendants. Rady goes into Marie Antoinette, Mary Louise, Franz Joseph, Emperor Maximilian, and of course Franz Ferdinand. 

This book includes maps and photos which were much appreciated. I think this would make a fine coffee table book for those out there who want to know more about The Habsburgs and also are historical buffs.

Well written and comprehensive. The author did a particularly nice job of putting the Habsburgs into the larger historical context. Contained information and anecdotes that were new to me and would be useful in the classroom. A very good read.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Without knowing it, my first exposure to the Habsburgs was with Marie Antoinette when I was a kid. Didn't know it, but that was it. And then I became more familiar with them as I read about the Tudor dynasty and all of the interactions with Charles V. So, when I saw this book on Netgalley, I had to have it. And it's excellent. It takes you from the start to the end of the dynasty. Each ruler gets a chapter or two and it takes you through it. Very easy to read and I definitely need this book on my shelf!

The author has written a superb book on the history of one of the most famous European dynasties, that of the Habsburgs. I have always been interested in the subject so this book provided me with a lot of information and suggestions for further reading. Martyn`s writing is soulful and scholarly but never dry.

This was an extremely detailed, meticulously researched book covering over 900 years of the Habsburg family dynasty, and the rise and fall of the extended family.  It was rather overwhelming and hard to keep any of it straight for more than a few pages.  Definitely a book more for the serious scholar than a popular, casual history for the lay reader interested in history, it dragged for me and I had trouble making it all the way through.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

In The Habsburgs, Martyn Rady depicted the empire created by the Habsburgs, it's impact on the world, and the lasting legacy. He provides an insightful look into these rulers and how their legacy shaped Europe.

I think this is one that is hard to digest in one go. I will frequently revisit parts. Overall an exhaustive study of a dynamic family but I did have to slog through at times due to the events this year has brought.

Before I read this book, I knew very little about the Habsburg dynasty. What a fascinating family they were, influential in and beyond Europe for hundreds of years, engineering advantageous marriages into numerous other royal lines and powerful families - Napoleon himself married a Hapsburg.

This well-written book is very accessible to a non-historian and not only gives a history of the Habsburg line but also a great overview of events in Europe during their time. The author certainly knows how to communicate in addition to being an expert on his subject. Overall, whilst reading this I have enjoyed learning without feeling I had to work hard at all!

With many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.