Maarten Prak is Professor Emeritus of Social and Economic History at the Department of History and Art History, Utrecht University. He has published extensively on Dutch social and economic history, the Dutch Golden Age, and is an expert on European craft history. His recent publications include Citizens Without Nations: Urban Citizenship in Europe and the World, c. 1000–1789 (Cambridge, 2018) and the co-edited volume Apprenticeship in Early Modern Europe (Cambridge, 2019). Diane Webb has translated a wide range of literature in the fields of art history and history, including, most recently, Johan Huizinga's Autumntide of the Middle Ages.

• Introduction: the Enigma of the Republic; I. War without End: 1. Turbulent beginnings; 2. A new country (1609–1650); 3. A world power (1650–1713); 4. The armed forces; II. Golden Age: Economy and Society: 5. A market economy; 6. Worldwide trading network; 7. Riches; 8. Toil and trouble; III. Unity and Discord: Politics and Governance: 9. Community; 10. The authorities; 11. A dissonant chorus; 12. Freedom against all odds; IV. An Urban Society: 13. The urban landscape; 14. A lettered land; 15. Religious pluralism; 16. A new approach to science and philosophy; 17. Paintings, paintings everywhere; Conclusion: the end of the golden age.

'This is simply the best book we have on the Dutch Republic in its Golden Age. For beginners, it offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the Republic's many achievements. For advanced readers, it provides insightful interpretations of the often surprising ways in which creativity was paired with constraint and liberty was paired with coercion.' Jan de Vries, University of California, Berkeley