Written against a background of the Thirty Years' War and first published in 1669, this renowned picaresque classic recounts with wonderful biting satire the vagabond adventures of a not-so-simple simpleton during one of Europe's fiercest, yet ultimately most futile wars. Simplicius is an earthy character; he humiliates the mighty, confounds the gods, ridicules the pretentious.
The translation uses the authoritative first edition for its text, and though it has been slightly abbreviated, no essential passages have been sacrificed. This unexpurgated translation reflects the linguistic turmoil and richness of German in the 17th century; it is ideal as the centrepiece for courses in German literature in translation and courses in the European Baroque.