The Netherlands - Softcover

A sweeping account from master history storyteller Mary MacGregor dealing with the tumultuous period of the Eighty Years’ War, or “Dutch Revolt,” and its main protagonists, the Spanish King Philip II, William I, Prince of Orange, the Duke of Alba, Don John of Austria, and the Duke of Anjou, all set against the dramatic and violent story of the establishment of the first modern republic in Europe.

Readers will discover the close relationship between the Dutch independence drive and the ongoing religious conflict of the time—and the brutal methods used by the Catholic Church, through the Spanish royal house, in its efforts to suppress the Protestantism which gripped much of the rebellious Dutch provinces.

Murder, betrayal, and calumny of unimaginable extent steadily dragged the rebellious Dutch into war with their Spanish overlords. The conflict was to exact a toll of countless lives—those of innocents and protagonists alike—before the revolt led to the formation of the independent Dutch Republic.

Cover image: The Siege of Breda by Pieter Snayers (1592–1666).

Contents

Chapter 1: The Early Struggles
Chapter 2: The Abdication of Charles V
Chapter 3: Philip, the Prince
Chapter 4: Philip in the Netherlands
Chapter 5: Philip Leaves the Netherlands
Chapter 6: Granvelle and Orange
Chapter 7: Orange Opposes Granvelle
Chapter 8: The Inquisition
Chapter 9: Granvelle’s Downfall
Chapter 10: The Inquisition Resisted
Chapter 11: Revenge Taken on the Image-Breakers
Chapter 12: William of Orange Pacifies Antwerp
Chapter 13: Orange Leaves the Netherlands and Alva Arrives
Chapter 14: Alva’s Reign of Terror
Chapter 15: William Defies Alva
Chapter 16: Alva Avenges the Victory of Heilger-Lee
Chapter 17: Orange Returns to the Netherlands
Chapter 18: A General Pardon Proclaimed
Chapter 19: Montigny’s Doom
Chapter 20: The Sea-Beggars
Chapter 21: The Capture and Surrender of Mons
Chapter 22: The Struggle Between Spain and the Provinces Grows Desperate
Chapter 23: The Siege of Haarlem
Chapter 24: The Patriots Win by Land and Sea
Chapter 25: The Grand Commander
Chapter 26: The Siege and Relief of Leyden
Chapter 27: The Grand Commander Dies
Chapter 28: The Spanish Fury
Chapter 29: Don John of Austria
Chapter 30: Don John’s Treachery
Chapter 31: The Prince of Orange is Invited to Brussels
Chapter 32: Don John’s Struggles and Death
Chapter 33: Alexander of Parma
Chapter 34: The Ban
Chapter 35: The Duke of Anjou’s Reception and Subsequent Treachery
Chapter 36: The Plot against Orange and Its Success
Index

Mary MacGregor (1874–1961) was one of the most important juvenile historical authors of the early twentieth century. She specialized in classic history and European myths, and achieved fame for her ability to convert complex themes into simple story lines.