Books in English
Congress of Westphalia
(Most of these books are linked to Amazon. If you purchase something by clicking on this page, I earn a small commission. At this point I don’t know how small, since no one has ever done it. 🙂 )
Conflicting Words: The Peace Treaty of Münster (1648) and the Political Culture of the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Monarchy by
A look at the what problems rebels and leaders have when they negotiate with each other. Review.
The Peace of Westphalia, 1648-1948 by Leo Gross
This article by Gross, originally published in 1948 and reproduced in this collection, is often the starting point for English speakers. (The full text of the article is available online, for free, here.)
International Relations
World Order by Henry Kissinger
Kissinger puts Westphalia at the foundation of the international state system, and devotes a few pages to it. See my comments here.
The States System of Europe, 1640-1990, by Andreas Osiander
This book covers four peace conferences, devoting considerable attention to the Congress of Westphalia, and is probably the lengthiest English-language treatment of the negotiations at Westphalia prior to 2013.
Holy Roman Empire
Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, by Joachim Whaley
Books on the Thirty Years’ War
The Thirty Years’ War by Geoffrey Parker et al.
For background on the war that preceded the peace, this is the standard work in English. About half the chapters were written by Geoffrey Parker, the other half by specialists in various fields.
The Thirty Years War: Europe’s Tragedy, by Peter Wilson
The Thirty Years War: A Documentary History, by Tryntje Helfferich
A document collection with narrative. Also available in an abridged version as The Essential Thirty Years War
The Thirty Years’ War, by C. V. Wedgwood
For many years, this was the standard English-language text on the Thirty Years’ War. Now also available in an audio version.
The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648, by Richard Bonney
In Osprey Publishing’s “Essential Histories” series, which means it is only 96 pages and contains numerous illustrations.
Experiencing the Thirty Years War: A Brief History with Documents, by Hans Medick and Benjamin Marschke
In the Bedford Series in History and Culture.