The Cambridge companion to the Dutch Golden Age Even today few people are unaffected by the term Dutch Golden Age. So commonly has the phrase been applied to the Dutch seventeenth century in for instance museums (art) history books and tourist guides that it seldom fails to conjure up a range of iconic associations. For many it will evoke pictures by Rembrandt Vermeer Hals or one of the many other only slightly less famous painters. Others associate it primarily with Dutch economic prosperity and the Republics trade empire and might envision the rich merchant houses along the Amsterdam canals Delftware or the great East Indiamen of the VOC. Some will think of one or two of the many wars fought by the Dutch Republic most likely the revolt against Habsburg Spain the three naval wars against England or the battles against Louis XIVs France. Grotius Huygens Spinoza and the great intellectual achievements of the seventeenth century Dutch Republic might be less prominent in the minds of most people as would be the rest of its immense textual heritage but still one can expect one or two mentions from that field as well. And that is only scratching the surface: evidently the Dutch Golden Age connotes a great many very disparate things that are nevertheless distinctive enough to be called Dutch. Introduction: Understanding the Dutch Golden Age Helmer J. Helmers and Geert H. Janssen Part1. Space and people Urbanization Maarten Prak Water and land J. L. Price Migration Geert H. Janssen Part 2. A State of War The armed forces Pepijn Brandon The cult and memory of war and violence Judith Pollmann Part 3. Political Culture The body politic David Onnekink Popular participation and public debate Helmer J. Helmers Part 4. Economy and Trade A market economy Danielle van den Heuvel Global trade Michiel van Groesen Part 5. Religious Culture Reformed Protestantism Charles H. Parker Religious tolerance Christine Kooi Spiritual culture Angela Vanhaelen Part 6. Art and Literature The markets for art books and luxury goods Claartje Rasterhoff Genre painting Wayne Franits The world of literature Theo Hermans Dutch classicism in Europe Stijn Bussels Part 6. Realms of Knowledge Education Dirk van Miert Science and technology Harold J. Cook Radical thought Jonathan Israel Epilogue: the legacy of the Dutch Golden Age Helmer J. Helmers and Geert H. Janssen During the seventeenth century the Dutch Republic was transformed into a leading political power in Europe with global trading interests. It nurtured some of the periods greatest luminaries including Rembrandt Vermeer Descartes and Spinoza. Long celebrated for its religious tolerance artistic innovation and economic modernity the United Provinces of the Netherlands also became known for their involvement with slavery and military repression in Asia Africa and the Americas. This Companion provides a compelling overview of the best scholarship on this much debated era written by a wide range of experts in the field. Unique in its balanced treatment of global political socio economic literary artistic religious and intellectual history its nineteen chapters offer an indispensable guide for anyone interested in the world of the Dutch Golden Age