Siege of Breda, 1624-25

Expertly introduced and contextualised by Paul Arblaster, this book presents Herman Hugo’s The Siege of Breda (1626). Hugo’s text is a classic of Latin Baroque historical writing that elegantly describes a nine-month military campaign in the Low Countries (1624-25), one that was a showcase of early 17th-century siege warfare and which attracted the attention and involvement of almost every country in Europe. Providing a modern-spelling edition of Englishman Henry Gage’s 1627 translation, Arblaster shines a light on Hugo’s first-hand siege account and his considerations of every aspect of the military operations and their human consequences. Hugo, a military chaplain, took part in the campaign himself as confessor to the general who conducted the siege, Ambrogio Spinola, and so had privileged access to the decision-making process, as well as close familiarity with the various events and incidents that he recounts. Hugo also devotes attention to the moral and material state of the soldiery and of the besieged; describes individual actions, lapses, feats of heroism, duels, ambushes and stratagems; and considers the wider propaganda war that surrounded the siege. As a result, book offers a contemporary commentary on the role of honour, reputation and image in 17th-century warfare, as well as vital insights into the perspective of one of the first and foremost celebrity generals of the time.