In the historiography of the period of Dutch rule in the Cape of Good Hope, from 1652 until 1795, Cape burghers are represented as the perpetual underdogs bristling against the rule of a restrictive Dutch East India Company (VOC). But was this relationship really so antagonistic?

The author places Cape colonial society in the wider context of the Dutch Republic and, in doing so, compares the political structures, institutions and dynamics of the Republic and its overseas settlement. He shows ...

This new and now unabridged English translation of Huizinga’s Autumntide of the Middle Ages (Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen) celebrates the centenary of a book that still ranks as one of the most perceptive and influential analyses of the late medieval period. Its wide-ranging discussion of fourteenth and fifteenth century France and the Low Countries makes it a classic study of life, culture, and thought in medieval society.

The translation of the original text captures the impact of Huizing...

In October 1740, a tragedy unfolded in Batavia, the Asian headquarters of the Dutch East India Company on the island of Java. Faced with a spontaneous Chinese peasant uprising, Batavia’s vengeful inhabitants carried out a bloody massacre of their fellow Chinese within the city walls. The murderers marched from house to house, looting and pillaging, not even sparing the hospitals and prisons.

How could such a slaughter take place in the prosperous Queen of the East? Drawing on a wealth of Du...

Military historian Andris Kursietis' new book Under Three Flags is his latest work covering the military history of the first part of the 20th Century. The book provides an analysis of the German Navy under the Kaiser, the Republic, and the Third Reich, with information about the major commands and ships of the navy, as well as a biographical dictionary section that covers the careers of all of Germany's admirals during the period 1914 - 1945. Whilst much of this information is contained in f...

Since its foundation in 1425, Leuven University has always been a transnational institution. Decentering Leuven University explores how this transnational character has shaped the university across six centuries, with cross-border ties emerging as a recurring theme throughout its history from the Middle Ages to the present day. However, these ties are more than just a recurring theme: they provide an innovative approach to writing university history. Taking the myriad cross-border ties as a m...

For centuries, Maastricht has been a leading place of pilgrimage, whose Pilgrimage of the Relics, held every seven years, attracts over a hundred and fifty thousand visitors. The veneration of Saint Servatius, the sacred treasures of the Basilica of St. Servatius and the Basilica of Our Lady, and the four extraordinary devotions of Maastricht give the city a unique role in an ancient tradition of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage to Maastricht brings the city’s rich religious history to life with stor...

The geopolitcal relations between the West and Eurasia are going to change drastically the coming years. From Shanghai to Rotterdam a modern infrastructure is being developed by China in a rapid pace. China will connect 2/3 of the world's population on the biggest landmass. It is expected that China will surpass the US in an economical sense and this can lead to economic and serious militairy conflicts because the US doesn't want to play a second fiddle on the worldstage after being a hegemon...

Arnhem after Arnhem.

Why this reissue? As a child I experienced the first week of the Battle of Arnhem. On September 25, 1944, our family was granted refugee status. For nine months we and many others roamed the country from haystack to farm, from chicken coop to cowshed, from guest house to paper mill. Travelling on farm carts, handcarts and on foot. And as bonus the bombing, shelling and V-1 missiles.

Returning home to the ruins of the city of Arnhem, the burning and smelly waste in the onc...

'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' PETER FRANKOPAN'This book is a revelation ... both original and important' MISHAL HUSAINA history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it.

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR What is the nature of things? Must I think my own way through the world? What is justice? How can I be me? How should we treat each other?