The Wind blows and blows. Leaves fall off trees, ships sink, the animals are frightened. Surely nothing can top this. But does the Sun know something the Wind doesn't?

    Soldier of 30 campaigns and the survivor of fourteen wounds, Prince Eugen fought against the French with Marlborough in a glorious brotherhood that Winston Churchill praised in glowing terms as without peer.

    He shows Puritanism as a living faith, answering the hopes and fears of yeoman and gentleman, merchants and artisans.

    Dealing with the growth of absolutism, the author traces the founding of the Hapsburg empire and the rise of Bradenburg-Prussia, culminating in the conflict between Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great. Professor Holborn explores the impact of the French Revolution on Germany, its part in the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, and the subsequent reorganization of the German states. In his section on the Congress of Vienna, he shows the struggle between the conservatism of Metternich and the incipient liberal and national movement. Students of German history will appreciate the attention given religious, intellectual, and social developments, colorfully presented in chapters on Baroque civilization and the age of Kant, Goethe, and Beethoven.

    Among the selections are a Gregorian hymn, an English lute piece, operatic arias, instrumental and vocal motets, a French ballad, as well as works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Buxtehude, and other masters. Commentary evaluates style, form and historical setting, and complete compositions or sections of compositions are supplied when possible.