Dutch Culture in a European Perspective: 1650, hard-won unity

This ambitious study presents the latest views on Dutch society during the famous Golden Age. Philosophy, religion and the arts are treated at length, and particular attention is paid to the institutions and media responsible for the dissemination of culture, including language, education and the printed word. Although 1650 is the central year, the subject is examined in a much broader time-frame, which makes the book an excellent introduction to seventeenth-century society in general.