The Dutch Republic In The Seventeenth Century

Substantially revised second edition of the leading textbook on the Dutch Republic, including new chapters on language and literature, and slavery.

The Dutch Republic emerged from the epic revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule in the late sixteenth century and almost immediately became a major political force in Europe. Leslie Price - an acknowledged expert in the field - shows how this extraordinary new state, a republic in a Europe of monarchies, was able to achieve such successes despite the burdens of the Eighty Years War with Spain, which only came to a definitive end in 1648.

The Dutch are 'the envy of some, the fear of others, and the wonder of all their neighbours'. So wrote the English ambassador to the Dutch Republic, Sir William Temple, in 1673. Maarten Prak offers a lively and innovative history of the Dutch Golden Age, charting its political, social, economic and cultural history through chapters that range from the introduction of the tulip to the experiences of immigrants and Jews in Dutch society, the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt, and the ideas of Spinoza. He places the Dutch 'miracle' in a European context, examining the Golden Age both as the product of its own past and as the harbinger of a more modern, industrialised and enlightened society. A fascinating and accessible study, this 2005 book will prove invaluable reading to anyone interested in Dutch history.

This original, scholarly, and challenging analysis treats the reality of politics in the Dutch Republic from the ground up. J.L. Price explores the politics of the towns of Holland in detail, examines the province's political system, and assesses the ways in which Holland influenced the policies of the Dutch Republic in its Golden Age. He argues, controversially, that not only did the decentralized political system of the Republic work well, but that a more unified state would have been a failure. Price's novel approach to a complex and important subject sets politics in its economic and social context, and offers valuable insights into the practical politics of the Dutch during the period when they played a major role on the world stage.

The Dutch Republic emerged from the epic revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule in the late sixteenth century and almost immediately became a major political force in Europe. Leslie Price - an acknowledged expert in the field - shows how this extraordinary new state, a republic in a Europe of monarchies, was able to achieve such successes despite the burdens of the Eighty Years War with Spain, which only came to a definitive end in 1648.

The Dutch Republic emerged from the epic revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule in the late sixteenth century and almost immediately became a major political force in Europe. In this book, Leslie Price -- an acknowledged expert in the field -- shows how this extraordinary new state, a republic in a Europe of monarchies, was able to achieve such successes despite the burdens of the Eighty Years War with Spain, which only came to a definitive end in 1648. The engine behind these achievements was the phenomenal growth of the Dutch economy which, within a few decades, had become the most powerful in Europe. This book offers a concise but penetrating survey of the major features of Dutch history in this period, challenging previous interpretations and showing how the economic boom of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries produced a vigorous society that was able to combine religious pluralism with relative political stability and rapid social change with a remarkable vitality.