A review by nathanschumer
The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire by Bart van Loo

3.0

It is a history of the dukes of burgundy, following the lineage through its extinction and the Habsburg takeover. I think it is in many ways too rich and elaborate; there's perhaps a little too much focus on their personal lives and thoughts, and doesn't really get at some of the structural innovations of the burgundian dukes and their sort of proto-modernity. But it is definitely quite detailed and I have a better sense of the role of different claims and regions played in the creation of the duchy. There's also some really interesting chapters on the interactions between the dukes and their cities, and the role that trade with England played in shaping Burgundy's ambivalence to French politics. Lots of descriptions of art as well. The author is kind of interested in the shaping of the Netherlands, so some focus on the emergence of Holland and Dutch identity here as well.