This is a rather personal history of the Netherlands written not by a professional historian, but by a well-known author of fiction, and as such it is also a reflection on what he knows and feels about his country. It ranges from history as it was taught in his youth to the revisions made by recent archaeology, from the earliest known settlements to the latest political debates. The Golden Age receives the same attention as all other eras, which means everything is told briefly and in a rather impressionistic manner, but enlightening nonetheless. It whets the appetite for reading more and in depth. ( )