A Concise History of the Netherlands

James C. Kennedy is an expert in recent Dutch history. He has published widely in this field, including books on the cultural revolution of the 1960s and Dutch euthanasia policy. For eight years, he was Professor of Dutch History from the Middle Ages at the University of Amsterdam, before becoming Dean of University College Utrecht.

'In his sweeping and beautifully written history of the Netherlands, James C. Kennedy offers the reader a compelling story of Dutch history from the early middle ages to the twenty-first century. He highlights the diverse nature of Dutch society, the heterogeneous quality of its politics, and its ability to adapt and thrive in the rapid currents of change. It's the story of a small country with a big history, whose legacy is global in impact. This is the best single volume history in English on the Netherlands.' Peter Arnade, University of Hawaii

• Introduction; 1. From the margins to the mainstream: Dutch history to 1384; 2. Rise of the Northern Netherlands, 1384–1588; 3. A young republic's golden age, 1588–1672; 4. Diminishing returns and new hopes, 1672–1795; 5. Building a nation-state, 1795–1870; 6. Progress and crisis, 1870–1949; 7. A progressive beacon to the world, 1949–2016; Epilogue.