The Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century: The Golden Age
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 9/22/2005
EAN 9780521604604, ISBN10: 0521604605
Paperback, 332 pages, 22.8 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm
Language: English
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.
List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
Chronology
Introduction
the enigma of the Republic
1. A turbulent beginning
Part I. War Without End
2. An independent state (1609–50)
3. A world power (1650–1713)
4. The armed forces
5. Financial might
Part II. Golden Age
Economy and Society
6. A market economy
7. A world-wide trading network
8. Riches
9. Toil and trouble
Part III. Unity and Discord
Politics and Governance
10. Community
11. The authorities
12. A dissonant chorus
Part IV. An Urban Society
13. Religious pluralism
14. A new approach to science and philosophy
15. The Dutch school of painting
16. The urban landscape
Conclusion
the end of the Golden Age
Further reading
Index.