THE DUTCH SEA-BORNE EMPIRE

by C.R. Boxer ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

The great Dutch society that was built between the 16th and 18th centuries was in many ways a masterwork. The beauty and order of their cities and the serenity of their art were the wonder of Europe. Yet they were not free from problems: the pressures of overpopulation; a precarious strategic situation; the difficulties of maintaining the farflung overseas empire. As a result the Dutch became a nation of supreme realists--their motto ""Trade, not crusade."" Their cautious, self-satisfied faces still eye us from the canvases of Rembrandt and Hals...This book is a scholarly historical study of that society, stressing the period 1578-1795. The title is somewhat misleading inasmuch as the work deals equally with the homeland and the colonies. It is a collection of essays rather than a factual narrative history, but the economy, society, art, science, education, etc. are carefully documented. Of particular interest is the detailed research relating to the life of the common man of the time.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1965

Categories: NONFICTION