Review: The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Posted August 30, 2018 by Stephanie in 3 Stars, History, Hourly History, Nonfiction, Review, The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End / 7 Comments

Title: The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End
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.

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.

Check out my other Hourly History reviews:


More Hourly History reviews to come soon!





7 responses to “Review: The Dutch East India Company: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History

  1. I 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. 😀

  2. I 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 😛 But I am glad you could learn through reading this one!

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