Customer Reviews

Redefining William III (Politics and Culture in North-Western Europe 1650-1720)

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I found this collection of essays both informative and interesting. The collection is divided into four parts. The first part examines William III's impact first in the United Provinces, then in his three kingdoms and finally in Europe as a whole. The second part contains essays justifying his invasion of England in 1688 while the third is made up of essays covering opposition to his rule. The fourth part deals with William's courts as stadholder and as king and the final essay deals with visual representations of William during his lifetime.

To my surprise, the essay I enjoyed the most was "The Dual Monarchy in Practice," which examines William's reorganization first of the Dutch and then the British army. I was surprised because normally I have little interest in military history, but I was engrossed from the beginning to the end of the essay. "William's Court as King" was another essay I found particularly fascinating primarily because it contradicted nearly everything I'd read before about William and his relationship with the Court. Finally, I particularly enjoyed "William in Contemporary Portraits and Prints". These two sentences in the essay struck me: "What might appeal today is suggested by the obverse side of the medals of 1691, showing William III in profile with his highly distinctive physiognomy--the long thin face and the prominent aquiline nose, both of which became more pronounced with his advancing age. It is a profile that cries out for the art of caricature. . ." I remember thinking Poor William, but how true!

I highly recommend this collection of essays. Redefining William III (Politics and Culture in North-Western Europe 1650-1720)