Review of the unabridged edition: "There is, to my knowledge, no other book of this sort in English. . . . Helfferich has done a remarkable job in assembling texts that convey the sweep of the war, the religious and constitutional questions involved, the international involvement of especially Denmark, Sweden, and France, and the turbulent misery that the war produced, especially in the Holy Roman Empire. Helfferich has done a fine job of accurately translating from German and other languages . . . and she has chosen rather large documents for inclusion instead of snipping out small paragraphs from many more documents. One thus has a chance to settle into an author's main points and to appreciate his or her style and point of view." --Erik Midelfort, University of Virginia

Review of the unabridged edition: "[E]ach section is prefaced by a very helpful introductory overview of that particular phase of the War. These overviews, along with the general introduction to the book provided by Helfferich, contextualize the sources effectively and also provide a concise narrative history of the War for any student new to the subject." -<i>-European History Quarterly</i>

Review of the unabridged edition: "[A] remarkable collection . . . provides a riveting eyewitness account . . . superb." --<i>Times Literary Supplement</i>