Windmills and Giant Waves: A Family's Golden Age

Geographical setting: From Amsterdam's canals to the spice coasts of the East Indies, from storms in the North Sea to the sunlit waters of the Caribbean Historical timeline: Rise (1570–1648): The Eighty Years' War, independence from Spanish rule, and the founding of the Dutch East India Company Golden Age (1648–1672): The height of the Dutch seaborne empire, with flourishing arts and sciences Turning point (1672–1713): The Year of Disaster, the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and the gradual shift of maritime supremacy Decline (1713–1795): The collapse of the tulip bubble, defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, and occupation by France