Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-speaking Peoples Since 1500

WINNER OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON MEDAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY

A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022

"No one interested in the history of Europe can afford not to read this stupendous book."
— Simon Heffer, Daily Telegraph

Iron and Blood is a startlingly ambitious and absorbing book that spans five centuries of political, military, technological, and economic change. It tells the sweeping story of the German-speaking lands, stretching from the Rhine to the Balkan frontier, and from Switzerland to the North Sea.

Peter Wilson's narrative delves deeply into:

• Weapons development
• Recruitment practices
• Battlefield strategy

The military impact of Germans on the rest of Europe has been immense. A recurring theme is the sense of being beset by seemingly more powerful enemies—whether France, Russia, or Turkey—and the resulting need to deliver a rapid knockout blow to secure a favorable outcome. Yet, this has often led to protracted, relentless, and frequently unwinnable wars, culminating in the moral catastrophe of 1939–1945.

The author of definitive works on the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years War, Peter Wilson has created his masterpiece with Iron and Blood.

"Hugely impressive."
— Richard J. Evans, Times Literary Supplement