Was Michiel de Ruyter the greatest sea commander who ever lived? Or simply the greatest sea-commander of the 17th century?
Some people see him as the man who saved the Dutch Republic, and ensured its independence. He knew how to fight a sea-battle on the grandest scale. He could also haggle like a canny Dutch merchant, achieving the release of Hungarian clergymen from Spanish captivity and that of Dutch sailors from barbarian imprisonment. Louis XIV, often his opponent, called him 'a man who did honour to humanity'.
In this book, nine leading historical authorities, from seven different countries, examine his astonishing career.

Praise for De Ruyter: Dutch Admiral

"The visual and scholastic quality of the publication, which is accessible to undergraduates and valuable to scholars, should lead anyone interested in early modern maritime and naval affairs, as well as culture to consult this fine book"
- The Northern Mariner, Edward M. Furgol, Silver Spring, Maryland

"The editors and authors have produced a book, rather than a collection of essays, that will be essential reading for students of seventeenth century navies, states, commerce and warfare"
- Mariner's Mirror, Andrew Lambert (Kings College London)

"In contextualizing De Ruyter, [this book] provides insightful information on aspects of the broader early modern world. Michiel De Ruyter is worthy of such treatment, and the book is certainly deserving of readers' attention"
- Naval History, August 2012

"A rich and instructive book with nicely reproduced illustrations, a lovely calling card for this new publisher"
- NRC Handelsblad

Includes the following chapters:

1. The Maritime World of the Dutch Republic (Jaap R. Bruijn)
2. Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter and his Biographer Garard Brandt (Ronald Prud'homme van Reine)
3. Merchants, Diplomats, and Corsairs: The Dutch in Barbary in De Ruyter's Time (Karim Bejjit)
4. The Dutch Republic as a Great Power: Political Interaction and Armed Forces (Jan Glete)
5. Navies, Strategy, and Tactics in the Age of De Ruyter (John B. Hattendorf)
6. The Good Enemy: British Perceptions of Michiel De Ruyter and the Anglo-Dutch Wars (J.D. Davis)
7. Danish Perspectives on De Ruyter's Role in the Nordic Conflicts (Niels M. Probst)
8. Michiel de Ruyter's Expedition to West Africa and America, 1664-1665 (Henk den Heijer)
9. De Ruyter versus Duquesne: A Battle to the Death (Michel Vergé Franceschi)
10. De Ruyter and his Flag Officers (Jaap R. Bruijn)
11. De Ruyter in Paint (Ronald Prud'homme van Reine)