OR A Military Journal OF The WARS in Germany, AND The WARS in England; From the Year 1632, to the Year 1648. Written Threescore Years ago by an English Gentleman, who served first in the Army of Gustavus Adolphus, the glorious King of Sweden, till his Death; and after that, in the Royal Army of King Charles the First, from the Beginning of the Rebellion, to the End of that War.
Published in 1720 this novel - in full online - tells the tale of a 17th century soldier from the Thirty Years War on to the Civil War. Another version here
I am not sure what the source for this book is - I remember reading somewhere that it was based on interviews conducted by Defoe - does anyone know more about this book?
First of all, your blog is beautiful! As far Defoe is concerned, the critical pages of my edition (translated in italian) claims that Defoe based the novel on the following sources: "The Swedish Intelligencer", the "Life of the Famous Cardinal Duke de Richelieu" (sic) for the French events and the Clarendon, Ludlow and Whitelocke memoirs. The whole critical story of the Defoe novel can be found in A.W. Secord "The Origins of Defoe's Memoir of a Cavalier" in "Robert Drury Journal of Other Studies" Urbana, Ill. 1961. See also the introductions of Boulton (1972) and Mullan (1991) the the Memoirs published by the Oxford University Press.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a Merry Christmas and an Happy New Year.
Fabrizio Davì, Rimini, Italy