This pioneering history of the Dutch Empire provides a new comprehensive overview of Dutch colonial expansion from a comparative and global perspective. It also

Background essays on the rise and fall of the Netherlands' expansionist society, both at home and in its global domain overseas.

Placing slavery in the mainstream of modern history, the essays in this survey describe its transfer from the Old World, its role in forging the interdependence

Presents an overview of early modern Dutch history in global context, focusing on themes that resonate with current concerns.