Reddit reviews The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806 (Oxford History of Early Modern Europe)

Oh, great! Don't know all that much about American colonial history, but I do know a thing or two about early modernity in Europe.

• A great book on English literature/ cultural history is Stephen Greenblatt's Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare. It's a very influential study that propelled the 'New Historicism' approach. Tremendous effort!
  
  
• A historian who's work I truly admire is Jonathan Israel. He made an incredible study on the Dutch Republic, but a more general and interesting study is Enlightenment Contested: Philosophy, Modernity, and the Emancipation of Man 1670-1752
  
  
• Another book I really enjoyed was Stephen Nadler's A Book Forged in Hell: Spinoza's Scandalous Treatise and the Birth of the Secular Age. In this book he's analyzing Spinoza's writings and tying them to the modern age. A very interesting study, also in light of American history as Spinoza's writings (through Locke and Hobbes) were a great influence on the Declaration of Independence.
  
  
• Another author I truly admired, but has unfortunately recently passed away, is Kevin Sharpe. With his Image Wars he researched the importance of images, paintings, portrayals, ... for the leaders / opposition. It primarily focuses on England, but it's a great book that shows the tactics involved that are also used throughout Europe at that time.
  
  
• Lastly, I'd like to suggest Lisa Jardine's Worldly Goods: A New History of the Renaissance, which gives a provocative and challenging account of early modernity. Her thesis is not always that convincing, but it's thought provoking to say the least.
  
  I hope some of my suggestions may be useful to you!

Mij is verteld dat het beste boek op dit gebied "The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806" is. Staat zeker op mijn lijst om ooit nog te lezen.

>Edit: Is er iemand geshadowbanned hier?

Unfortunately, as a small country, The Netherlands' film industry isnt large enough to make movies that can portray the 80 years' war realistically, and film industries from other countries are not really interested in it.

Which is a shame, because the 80 year's war is a quite epic war, and feautured crucial developments in the evolution of warfare.

Unfortunately I dont know of any good works that specifically deal with the 80 year's war. I support loveandpolitics's mention of "The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806" by the English professor and expert in Dutch history Jonathan Israel. This book is a massive tome that thoroughly covers the history of the Dutch state in the time period mentioned. Israel focusses on the late 16th and 17th century, which is the exact period the 80 years' war took place, and thus his work is an excellent choice for people who want to read about the 80 year's war. I would like to note, however, that this book is meant as an academic work, which, combined with Israel's writing style (which might take some getting used to), sometimes makes it a bit hard to read through for the casual reader. But it is one of the best and most thorough works on the subject out there.

>You want to substantiate a claim of how capitalism caused navies?

The history of, for example, the growth of dutch shipping and how it preceded, then enabled, the netherlands' status as a great power is well known and completely uncontroversial. Are you really so completely ignorant of the period in history we are discussing? I can't say I am surprised after the absurdities you have already uttered, but I am definitely dismayed. I'm not sure why, though, I should know better.

>So now mineral wealth does have value?

and here, more rank ignorance. Value and wealth are not the same. something that potentially could become wealth has value, but that does not make it wealth, just like a plowed field is not food in your belly. that you seem to need me to explain such basic concepts simply displays your rank ignorance of which we speak. ANyhow, I give up. You should read history before pontificating about it.