The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End (The East India Companies)

I very randomly decided to read this book because I needed something short to read on the train while commuting and I'm glad I did so. I can't say it's my favorite Hourly History book because this isn't the kind of history that interests me the most or that I know a lot of but I did think it was a decent read and some aspects were very fascinating to read about.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.

Somewhat interesting but, didn't have the "wow factor" most of the "Hourly History" books have. It is interesting that the Dutch East India Company was the first major international business company. Their violent expansion by force is just another example of greedy men trying to take over and monopolize the world.

This is a company name I've heard about since elementary school. However, no one really explained who they were or their importance. This book explains the beginning underpinnings, their 200-year reign over trade and their eventual decline. While England, Spain, Portugal, and France were dividing up the New World, the ingenious Dutch decided to take over the seas (trading).This is a well-written explanation of how Dutch trade created massive wealth in Europe (generally) and the Dutch nation (specifically). It also explains how trade creates wealth the more it is done, for each of the trading partners.

This is a useful little book for people with little or no previous knowledge about the VoC. It gives you a layman's broad-brush abbreviated potted history. But if you are an ardent student of the topic and already know a lot about the subject matter, this book is unlikely to add to your knowledge. That said, it is well written, quick and easy to read, flows nicely, and presents a reasonable introduction to the subject. Personally, even at that level, I would have preferred more 'real details', more names, dates, places, statistics, to give more context and appreciation to the scale and scope of the VoC. It depends what you're looking for …

Some reviewers of this series seem to miss the point that a complex situation is deliberately condensed into an hour's read.This one: even more complex than most.That said …. I'd have liked some more brief information on: the need for spices in Europe and the resulting high prices, how much it cost to build one of their ships (and how long did it take), how many in a crew, how much cargo they carried in one ship, etc....?There seems to have been some in-depth research but the story does not really flow as much as it could.STILL - another interesting look at a very involved enterprise.

It's not bad for what it is -- a very short introduction of about 25 pages of normal book print, with few facts and no graphics -- and is often well-written but sometimes not, and requires editing. You learn much, much more about the VOC from Wikipedia, which doesn't cost $12.95 like this almost worthless book.

Hourly History gives us a very readable history of a Dutch company formed in 1602, became the world’s first multinational corporation, controlled the sea for some 200 years, controlled many businesses, amassed an extremely large fortune, and was responsible for the formation of many nations, until 1780 when it went bankrupt. Hourly History describes five reasons for its decline, including that which had caused the decline of most nations, corruption.

The Dutch East India Company was quite the impressive Global Enterprise, arguably the template for the modern Global Traders in existence even to this day. This book gives a pretty decent overview of its founding, history and eventual downfall of what many might say was the largest and most profitable in history. Thank you for an expanded view of just what made up the Dutch East India Company, its early importance and its demise due to things that ensnare many large successful companies; being top-heavy, corruption, changing markets and just living past its own usefulness. A nice read for those history buffs and people curious about how business was done in an age gone by.

Seriously, this has been printed by a history enthusiast and is something you would pick up as a guide to a museum. £9.99 for this? Unbelievable. Rather than send back this is the ice breaker funny present that gets us through Xmas awkward family moments! But don't buy this if you are expecting more paper than a cheap toilet roll.

A bit vague, not much information really however we normally only think of the English East India Co

Well laid out , easy to understand, like any good book should be...

If you like history enjoy.

Good reading