The Habsburgs

Book categories: Habsburg Empire, Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire, Rudolf II, Maria Theresa, Joseph II, Franz Joseph and Sissi, Mayerling, Last Habsburgs, Miscellaneous, Fiction, Movies

The Habsburg Empire

The History of the Habsburg Empire: 1526-1918 by Robert A. Kann. A history of the numerous people who lived under the sceptre of this historic ruling house.

The Habsburg Monarchy, 1809-1918: A History of the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary by Alan John Percivale Taylor.

Limits of Loyalty edited by Laurence Cole and Daniel L. Unowsky. Imperial symbolism, popular allegiances and state patriotism in the late Habsburg monarchy.

The Remnants of the Habsburg Monarchy by John C. Swanson is about the Austrian and Hungarian governments after the First World War.

The Austrians: A Thousand-Year Odyssey by Gordon Brook-Shepherd. The author was given access to Habsburg family archives. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

The Habsburg Monarchy

The Habsburgs: Embodying Empire by Andrew Wheatcroft. A history of the rise to power and eventual decline of the Habsburg empire.

The Habsburg Monarchy: From Enlightenment to Eclipse by Robin Okey. Explores how the multi-national dynasty uniquely reacted to the same forces that were affecting Europe as a whole.

The Habsburg Monarchy 1618-1815 by Charles W. Ingrao. A highly acclaimed history of the early modern Habsburg monarchy. Includes genealogical tables.

The Habsburg Monarchy 1490-1848: Attributes of Empire by Paula Sutter Fichtner. Drawing upon modern theoretical perspectives on European expansion, the author argues that the Habsburg holdings constituted a form of European imperialism.

The Last Descendant of Aeneas: The Hapsburgs and the Mythic Image of the Emperor by Marie Tanner. Focuses on the importance of the Roman emperor's mythic image for the development of Western political thought.

Books About Charles V
Books About the Holy Roman Empire

Rudolf II

The Magic Circle of Rudolf II: Alchemy and Astrology in Renaissance Prague by Peter Marshall. Rudolf II -- Habsburg heir, Holy Roman Emperor, king of Hungary, Germany, and the Romans -- is one of history's great characters. His reign (1576-1612) roughly mirrored that of Queen Elizabeth I of England. He invited to his court an endless stream of geniuses, including Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, John Dee, and Francis Bacon, making Prague the artistic and scientific center of the known world.

Nature Illuminated: Flora and Fauna from the Court of Emperor Rudolf II edited by Lee Hendrix, Georg Bocskay, and Joris Hoefnagel. Beautiful illuminated calligraphy from Rudolf II's court.

An Abecedarium: Illuminated Alphabets from the Court of Emperor Rudolf II by Lee Hendrix and Thea Vignau-Wilberg.

Maria Theresa

In Destiny's Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa by Justin C. Vovk. An imperial mother determined to forge alliances through marriage, and the price her children paid for it.

Empress Maria Theresa and the Politics of Habsburg Imperial Art by Michael Yonan. Between 1740 and 1780, Empress Maria Theresa governed the Habsburg Empire. This book examines the role that paintings, architecture, porcelain, garden sculpture, and decorative objects played in her identity as a monarch.

Maria Theresa by Edward Crankshaw. Biography of the only woman to rule the Habsburg empire. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Great Lives Observed: Maria Theresa by Karl A. Roider. From Alibris.

The War of the Austrian Succession by Reed Browning. About the eight-year war that began with the accession of Maria Theresa. From Alibris.

Books About Marie Antoinette

Joseph II

Joseph II: Volume I, In the Shadow of Maria Theresa, 1741-1780 by Derek Edward Dawson Beales. A biography of the first emperor of the house of Habsburg-Lorraine. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Joseph II: Volume II, Against the World, 1780-1790 by Derek Beales. This second and final volume of Derek Beales's biography of Joseph II describes the period when he was sole ruler of the Austrian Monarchy. Available at Amazon.

Joseph II by T. C. W. Blanning. From Alibris.

Mozart at the Gateway to His Fortune: Serving the Emperor, 1788-1791 by Christoph Wolff. Mozart entered into the service of Emperor Joseph II of Austria as Imperial-Royal Chamber Composer -- a distinguished title with few obligations. This book includes eight pages of illustrations.

Franz Joseph and Sissi

Twilight of the Habsburgs: The Life and Times of Emperor Francis Joseph by Alan Warwick Palmer. Biography of the emperor of Austria and the history of Europe during his reign.

Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire by John Van Der Kiste. In 1848, Francis Joseph became king of Hungary and emperor of Austria. This book focuses on his life and family, examining their personal relationships against the turbulent decline of their empire.

Emperor Francis Joseph, King of the Hungarians by Andras Gero. Examines relations between the Habsburg ruler of Hungary and his subjects from the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1849 to World War I.

The Pomp and Politics of Patriotism: Imperial Celebrations in Habsburg, Austria, 1848-1916 by Daniel L. Unowsky. Examines the image of emperor Franz Joseph as a symbol of common identity in the Austrian half of the Habsburg Monarchy (Cisleithania).

Lonely Empress by Joan Haslip. Biography of Franz Joseph's wife, whose search for freedom was as legendary as her beauty.

Francis Joseph by Steven Beller. Considers the importance of Franz Joseph's reign on his times and its contemporary relevance. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Death by Fame: A Life of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria by Andrew Sinclair. Biography of the wife of Franz Joseph I. Sissi was the Princess Diana of her day. She married young, enjoyed great public popularity but was unhappy in her marriage, and eventually left her husband. She was assassinated in 1898. From Alibris.

Crown Prince Rudolf

Crime at Mayerling: The Life and Death of Mary Vetsera: With New Expert Opinions Following the Desecration of Her Grave by Georg Markus, translated by Carvel De Bussy. In 1889 Crown Prince Rudolf apparently killed his mistress, Mary Vetsera, and committed suicide, although some believe the two were murdered for political reasons.

A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889 by Frederic Morton. Tells the haunting story of Crown Prince Rudolf and his city.

Royal Rebel by John T. Salvendy examines the life and psychology of Crown Prince Rudolf.

The Road to Mayerling: Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria by Richard Barkeley. The 1899 murder/suicide of Crown Prince Rudolph and Mary Vetsera remains a mystery to this day. This biography examines the causes of the tragedy.

Clash of Generations: A Habsburg Family Drama in the 19th Century by Lavender Cassels. Using contemporary accounts, this book describes the clash of generations within the House of Habsburg between Emperor Franz Joseph and his heir Rudolf. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

The Last Habsburgs

The Last Habsburg by Gordon Brook-Shepherd. Biography of Charles I, the last Habsburg emperor, who died in 1922. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Imperial Twilight: The Story of Karl and Zita of Hungary by Bertita Harding. 1939 book about last emperor Charles I (Karl) and his wife. From Alibris.

One Morning in Sarajevo: 28 June 1914 by David James Smith. About the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. From Alibris.

Archduke of Sarajevo by Gordon Brook-Shepherd. The romance and tragedy of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, whose assassinations triggered the First World War. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.

The Archduke and the Assassin: Sarajevo, June 28th, 1914 by Lavender Cassels. Published in 1985. From Alibris.

The Desperate Act by Roberta Strauss Feuerlicht. About the assassination of Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo. Published in 1968. From Alibris.

Uncrowned Emperor: The Life and Times of Otto Von Habsburg by Gordon Brook-Shepherd. Biography. Born heir presumptive to an empire, the life of Charles I's son Otto von Habsburg has mirrored some of the most dramatic events of the 20th century.

More Books

Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe's Dynastic Rivals, 1550-1780 by Jeroen Duindam. Recreates the lives of courtiers and servants of the imperial court in Vienna and the royal court in Paris-Versailles from the 16th to the 18th century.

War, Religion and Court Patronage in Habsburg Austria: The Social and Cultural Dimensions of Political Interaction, 1521-1622 by Karin J. MacHardy. Selective court patronage changed the cultural habits of nobles in education, manners, and tastes, but failed to transform religious identities.

Queen's Apprentice: Archduchess Elizabeth, Empress Maria, the Habsburgs, and the Holy Roman Empire, 1554-1569 by Joseph F. Patrouch. Recounts the first fifteen years, early education, and marriage negotiations of Empress Maria's daughter Elizabeth. Describes court life, including tournaments, coronations, plays, music, travel.

Philip of Spain by Henry Arthur Francis Kamen. Biography of King Philip II of Spain, son of Emperor Charles V.

The Empress, the Queen, and the Nun by Magdalena S. Sanchez is about three powerful women in the court of Philip III of Spain -- Empress Maria, Margaret of Austria, and Margaret of the Cross -- who worked to advance the cause of the Habsburgs.

Empress Marie Therese and Music at the Viennese Court, 1792-1807 by John A. Rice. Empress Marie Therese, second wife of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (Francis I of Austria), devoted her life to music. This is a comprehensive survey of the empress as musician and patron.

The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke by Timothy Snyder. Biography of Wilhelm Von Habsburg, who repudiated his family to fight alongside Ukrainian peasants in hopes that he would become their king. Later he was an opponent of Hitler and a British spy against Stalin.

Books About Spanish Royalty
Dutch Royalty
European Royalty
German Royalty
Italian Royalty
American Royalty

Fiction

Love and Death in Vienna by Bunny Paines-Clemes. A novel about the tragic romance of Crown Prince Rudolf and Baroness Mary Vetsera.

An American in Vienna by Chip Wagar. Novel about a journalist who visits Austria in 1914 and witnesses the end of the Habsburg dynasty.

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Movies About the Habsburgs

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Fall of Eagles. In the late 19th century, three ruling houses dominated Europe: the Hapsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Romanovs of Russia, and Hohenzollerns of Germany. Lack of social reform and the First World War caused the vultures of revolution to start circling. This 13-part epic BBC drama features an all-star cast including Patrick Stewart and John Rhys-Davies.

The Crown Prince. A 2006 mini-series about Crown Prince Rudolf, shot on location in Austria. Stars Max von Thun, Vittoria Puccini, Omar Sharif.

Mayerling. A ballet about the tragedy of Crown Prince Rudolf.

Sissi. A three-part German drama about Austrian Archduke Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth (Sissi) of Bavaria. Sometimes available at Amazon in various versions and languages.

Mayerling. 1937 French film about the Rudolf tragedy, on videotape with English subtitles. Stars Charles Boyer as the prince and Danielle Darrieux as his mistress. Sometimes available on video.

Mayerling. This 1968 movie stars Omar Sharif as Prince Rudolf and Catherine Deneuve as his mistress. The cast also includes Ava Gardner and James Mason. Sometimes available on video.

More DVDs About Royalty