Hansa Towns by Helen Zimmern, originally published in 1891. The Hansa is a remarkably poorly covered area of history in the English language and Zimmern's narrative history is a good introduction to it. Zimmern breaks up her history into two phases - pre-13th century trading alliances that form the basis of the Hansa, and post-13th century where the history is slightly better recorded. The formation of Hanse or guilds was a relatively loose development and not one designed with any particular strategic ambition but merely as a way of better protecting personal trade interests in a dangerous world.