First Frankfurt edition of a history of the Dutch War of Independence from 1555 to 1590, the first edition to combine two earlier volumes into one. The Jesuit Famiano Strada (1572-1649) had composed this work at the request of Duke Ranuccio Farnese, whose father Alexander and grandmother Margaret had played an important part in the struggle. Starting with the abdication of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor in 1555, whereby the Dutch provinces passed to his son Philip II of Spain. Strada ended his first volume with the death of the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, Don John of Austria, in 1578. The second volume describes the campaigns of Alexander Farnese from 1578, when he succeeded Don John to his departure from the Netherlands in 1590. Due to opposition by the Spanish court, a planned third volume was never published.
In writing his panegyric account of the exploits of the Farnese family in the Netherlands, Strada was able to use primary documents from the personal collection of the Duke of Farnese. While clearly written to glorify Spain, the work presents many anecdotes from unpublished primary sources. These are combined with Stradas lively, moralising writing style and the illustrations by Jan Miel, Johann Willem Baur and others. This made Stradas history a highly popular work which went through numerous editions in multiple languages.
With the bookplate of Adolf Eberle (dates unknown) mounted on the front pastedown, a partially crossed out contemporary owner's inscription on the title page. A brown stain on the back board. The leaves and plates are browned and foxed, a stain on p. 755-756 (not affecting the text). Otherwise in good condition. De Backer & Sommervogel, 7, col. 1611; BM STC German S2875; VD17 3:310413T; USTC 2640857; cf. Neumann, Geschichtsschreibung als Kunst, pp. 201-264.