Author: Hourly History
Publication: October 17th 2017
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 3/5★
The Dutch East India Company
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Once valued at close to seven trillion dollars by today’s standards, the Dutch East India Company, formed in 1602, became the world’s first multinational corporation. In the nearly 200-year reign of their empire at sea, the Dutch East India Company amassed unfathomable fortunes, laid the foundation of the modern globalized world, and built monopolies that controlled the economy of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe and the East Indies.
Inside you will read about...
✓ The Superstructure of the VOC
✓ The Growth of VOC’s Colonies and Trade Routes
✓ The Golden Age
✓ Reorientation and the Expansion Age
✓ The Great Wars and Conquests of the VOC
✓ Decline and Fall
And much more!
The rich history of the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie commonly referred to as the VOC, and its titanic exploits are as astonishing as the twelve labors of Hercules. Uncover the organization that in no small part built the world we live in from the ground up.
Before reading this book I knew absolutely nothing about The Dutch East India Company. I've always liked the age of exploration but I've always been told about countries like England, Spain and Portugal and not about Holland at all, which is really odd considering I live in Belgium. You'd think I'd have heard more about all that.
I was very surprised to learn that when The Dutch East India Company was at it's high point in its time it was more successful than companies like Apple in this time and day. If that doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will. So the little facts like that were interesting to learn and read about. The chapter of The Golden Age was my probably my favorite.
Overall, The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History was a short read that I easily read in 30-ish minutes. I think people who are particularly interested in this topic will enjoy it a bit more but I still thought it was a fascinating topic and good read.
Check out my other Hourly History reviews:
More Hourly History reviews to come soon!
This does sound like an interesting read, though I have to say I prefer documentaries over reading about history.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing,
~Brittany @ Brittany's Book Rambles
This sounds one interesting read. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI love documentaries! There just aren't many available to watch on tv or Netflix, at least nothing new. But these books by Hourly History are pretty great. Takes only 30-ish minutes to read them. Although I wouldn't mind them being longer either. :D
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty good and always interesting to read something about a topic I didn't know much about. :D
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy how successful that company was, especially given the time period!
ReplyDeleteWe used to learn about this company when I was in school in South Africa -- I can't say it was particularly good, I must admit. But still a big part ofhistory.
ReplyDeleteI actually studied the Dutch East India Company in secondary school history and we had a teacher who made the topic incredibly boring :( So boring in fact, that I remember everything because I just remember waiting for the time to end and all the facts stayed with me :P But I am glad you could learn through reading this one!
ReplyDelete