Holland: The History of the Netherlands

The book provides a chronological survey of the Low Countries from Roman occupation through medieval consolidation and into early modern upheavals, tracing tribal settlements, Frankish and Norman incursions, and the emergence of feudal counties and ecclesiastical principalities. It describes the reclamation and formation of coastal lands, the growth of towns, commerce, and guilds, and the shifting balance between counts, bishops, and monarchs leading to Burgundian and Habsburg dominion. Later chapters examine the social, religious, and political tensions that culminate in sixteenth-century conflicts and include a supplementary chapter summarizing more recent events.