The Habsburg Way: 7 Rules for Turbulent Times

Amanda Lauer recommends Eduard Habsburg's new book to Catholics, parents, and history buffs alike.

As a lover of history and all-things royal, I thoroughly enjoyed The Habsburg Way: 7 Rules for Turbulent Times (Sophia Institute Press). Eduard Habsburg, Archduke of Austria and Hungary's Ambassador to the Holy See, has a clever way of writing that makes learning of his storied family's history so interesting yet quite entertaining. He has no issuing poking a bit of fun at his ancestors (everything from the fabled Habsburg jaw to the inbreeding between cousins in centuries long past). Talk about name dropping: the archduke has a myriad of historical figures in his family tree, from Holy Roman Emperors to Frederick III, Rudolph I, Queen Marie Antoinette and even Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination is said to have sparked the start of WWI.

All that aside, the book itself offers an in-depth presentation on seven rules that the Habsburg family has lived by essentially since their first historical mention from the year 950. These rules are simple enough and still guide the family all these years later:

• Get Married
• Be Catholic
• Believe in the Empire
• Stand for Law and Justice
• Know Who You Are
• Be Brave in Battle
• Die Well
  

If every family had a set of standards like this that they lived by, what a different world this would be. As for myself, it's an honor to be friends with Archduke Eduard Habsburg, who is a shining example of leadership with grace, not only as the head of his family, but in his public role as well. 

As a Catholic, as a parent, as a history buff, the book drew me in the moment I opened it. I enthusiastically gave The Habsburg Way a five-star review. 

Copyright 2023 Amanda Lauer
Images: Canva