Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe

Danubia is a personal history of Habsburg Europe by Simon Winder, author of Germania. For centuries, the Habsburg family—described as an unstable mixture of wizards, obsessives, melancholics, bores, musicians, and warriors—ruled much of Europe and the Holy Roman Empire from their principal seats along the Danube. Through luck, guile, and determination, they outlasted numerous rivals until 1918, governing most of Central Europe and Germany while interfering across the continent. The history of Europe is difficult to understand without the House of Habsburg. The book covers the dynasty and the diverse peoples they ruled—those who spoke many languages, inhabited varied landscapes, held different religions, and often resented their Vienna-based ruler. Winder's account includes alchemy, royalty, skeletons, jewels, bear-moats, unfortunate marriages, and a guinea-pig village, alongside music, piracy, religion, and warfare. The narrative combines storytelling with exploration of this strange dynasty and their world.