William III, From Prince of Orange to King of England tells the story of William of Orange before he became King of England, and tells of the clan, family, patron and client relationships across Europe on which the Prince's political and diplomatic influences rested. His skilful ability to put these at the disposal of the political elites in the Dutch Republic and later in England enabled him to rise to power in the Republic and to the throne of England. The drama of the clash of this regime with Louis XIV's governance of France is described in full. Besides this new approach, the book does not shy away from engaging in historical controversies and attempts to do so with intellectual vigour. The action that gives the story its impetus will be of equal interest to academics and general historians alike. The author has made full use of his bilingual command of English and Dutch to examine the sources and historiography that give the book it unique authenticity.
