He is called Alexander Farnese (English, Dutch, and German), Alessandro Farnese (Italian), Alejandro Farneseo or Farnesio (Spanish), Alexandre Farnèse (French), and Alexandrum Farnesium (Latin), Governor of the Netherlands (1578-1592), Prince, then 3rd Duke (1586), of Parma. Referred by some as the “forgotten Farnese”, if you are reading this, you have likely heard of him and are seeking to learn more. Adventurer and warrior extraordinaire who conspicuously distinguished himself with valor at the Battle of Lepanto and the Battle of Gembloux. Brilliant strategist who saved the Catholic army from being wiped out in France. Underappreciated diplomat, considered the founding father, or, at the very least, having laid the initial cornerstone for the foundation of what is today called the Kingdom of Belgium, through negotiations with the Wallonian provinces. Military genius who, as part of the siege of Antwerp from 1584-1585, orchestrated the blockade of the Scheldt river, touted by historians to be a remarkable feat of engineering. To date, there are six published biographies about this notable historical figure; two in French, two in Italian, and two in Spanish. Furthermore, none of these biographies have been translated into any other languages. For decades, historians, be they respected scholars or casual enthusiasts, have been clamoring for a biography written in English. The appeals from Anglophone has been answered at last. Done in the style of Léon van der Essen’s Alexandre Farnèse , this magnum opus consists of more than 1,550 pages in five volumes detailing Farnese’s life. Out of economic consideration, the 8 illustration plates contained within are in black & white, however, a sixth volume, the addendum, features all illustration plates and more from all five volumes in full-color. As the subtitle states, this volume concerns the siege of Antwerp. Vol. I, ASIN: B08JDTN3G1 Vol. II, ASIN: B08JF5KMQK Vol. III, ASIN: B08JV9VMXZ Vol. IV, ASIN: B08JLHQN44 Vol. V, ASIN: B08JMGH7NV Addendum, ASIN: B09KN652RK The siege and fall of Antwerp in 1585, to which the present volume is devoted, cannot be fully discussed in a volume of 148 pages. The author has refrained from mentioning in detail the negotiations carried on between the city of Antwerp and the governments of France, England, and the Dutch Republic. But he has given an excellent account of the military operations of Alexander Farnese, basing his narrative upon the best original sources available, especially Spanish and Italian documents. It is to be regretted that a subject of such great importance has been treated adequately only from one angle. For example, the appeal made by the States-General of the Dutch Republic to the king of France for aid, his refusal, and the desire on the part of the Dutch to conclude a treaty with Queen Elisabeth are dismissed in one paragraph, with only one footnote, which refers to the preface of the Calendar of State Papers, Foreign Series, for the year 1584-1585. Nowhere in this volume is there a reference to the indispensable Dutch source, Resolutien der Staten-Generaal van 1576 tot 1609 (vol. V, 1921), covering the years 1585-1587. -- A. Hyma, University of Michigan , The American Historical Review ,vol. 41, № 2, 1936, pp. 370-371.