The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 30: 1579-80

Motley, John Lothrop, 1814-1877Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2

Word count: 115K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 30: 1579-80 by John Lothrop MotleyAuthor: Motley, John Lothrop, 1814-1877,Language: English, Class: DH: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Release Date: Jan 1, 2004

Editor's review

This volume is Volume 30 of Motley's The Rise of the Dutch Republic, covering 1579–1580, and stands as a fragmentary installment within the larger historical work. Its value lies not in offering a complete general history but in allowing readers to observe up close how Motley handles the sources and narrative of key years in the Dutch War of Independence: diplomatic maneuvering, religious divisions, the deliberations of provincial assemblies, and the political tensions of the Republic's formative period all emerge in this volume's details. Motley's prose carries the eloquence and moral judgment of a nineteenth-century historian, making for a strongly dramatic read, though readers should also maintain a critical awareness of the sources. As a public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg, the English original is freely available, making it suitable for research reading or comparative reading. In terms of reading context, it is better suited to readers who already understand the basic framework of the Dutch War of Independence and wish to delve into a particular period, rather than serving as an introductory text. Reading this volume alone easily loses the broader context, so it is advisable to use it alongside the general historical narrative of the complete work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have already read a general history of the Dutch War of Independence and wish to delve into the details of 1579–1580
History students studying early modern European political and religious conflict
Learners who wish to train their historical reading skills by comparing the English original
Readers interested in Motley's historiographical style and nineteenth-century narrative history

Not a good fit for

Readers with no background knowledge of the Dutch War of Independence seeking an introductory general history
Casual readers who prefer concise overviews and are unwilling to read long passages of English original text
Readers expecting this volume to stand alone and be fully understandable without surrounding context

Reading tips

First read the general introduction or general history chapters of the complete work, then return to this volume to locate the events of 1579–1580.
While reading, note the people and places involved in diplomatic treaties, religious factions, and provincial assemblies for easy cross-reference.
Treat it as a sample of historical narrative: observe how Motley selects materials and evaluates figures, rather than simply accepting his conclusions.
If reading English is difficult, read alongside a Chinese general history to lower the threshold of comprehension.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this volume be read on its own, or should I read the earlier volumes first?

It can be opened on its own, but comprehension will suffer. This volume covers only 1579–1580; the people and events were set up in earlier volumes. It is advisable to first understand at least the basic outline and main figures of the Dutch War of Independence before reading this volume, otherwise one may mistake a fragment for the whole.

Is the book in English, and how difficult is it to read?

According to the source, the book is in English and is a public-domain ebook released by Project Gutenberg. Motley's nineteenth-century English features long sentences and considerable rhetoric, so non-native readers may need a dictionary and background materials; it is of above-average reading difficulty.

What is the difference between this volume and the complete The Rise of the Dutch Republic?

This volume is one installment of the complete work, covering only the period 1579–1580; the complete edition covers the general history narrative from around 1574 to 1584. To build an overall framework, one should first read the complete edition; to examine the narrative treatment of a particular year in detail, choose this volume.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Motley, John Lothrop, 1814-1877 Author

John Lothrop Motley (1814–1877) was an American historian and diplomat, known for his historical works on Dutch independence and the Dutch Revolt. His major work, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, narrates in detail how the Dutch provinces threw off Spanish rule and established a republican government, combining rigorous scholarship with a strong narrative drive. His History of the United Netherlands continues the account of political and military developments from the death of William the Silent to the end of the sixteenth century. The collection here contains 103 of his works, mostly different volumes and editions of these general histories. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted; his works show a respect for primary sources and a talent for portraying major historical turning points, and they have had a lasting influence on the study of Dutch history in the English-speaking world.