Třicetihlavá saň aneb Ve službách mocných – Prokop Josef Bernard (2020)

Once a page to Emperor Rudolf, later a diplomat and colonel of the imperial army, he left behind a captivating narrative and interesting testimony about his time, its personalities, and himself. Against the backdrop of an exciting, dangerous, and uncertain era, Baron Filip experiences adventures, duels, battles, missions, love, betrayal, victories, and defeats. His fate intertwines with historical events, such as the war games of Emperor Rudolf, the events in Passau, the Prague Defenestration, the uprising, the Battle of White Mountain, and the Old Town execution of 27 leaders of the uprising. They form a captivating theater in which famous personalities of the time also appear: Rudolf II, Matthias Habsburg, Ferdinand II, Richelieu, Concini, Mazarin, Albrecht von Wallenstein, Frederick of the Palatinate, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, as well as Kryštof Harant of Polžice, Jindřich Matyáš Thurn, Johannes Kepler, Jan Jessenius, Petr Vok of Rosenberg, and many others. The narrative proves that even then, the powerful toyed with ordinary people as they pleased. The uncertain life of a soldier and diplomat taught Filip two things: humility before human life and respect for what we have, what is given to us. This is an extremely important realization. Otherwise, we merely live our earthly journey but do not experience it or fulfill it.