An Economic and Social History of the Netherlands, 1800–1920: Demographic, Economic and Social Transition

An Economic and Social History of the Netherlands, 1800–1920 provides a comprehensive account of Dutch history from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century, examining population and health, the economy, and socio-political history. The Dutch experience in this period is fascinating and instructive: the country saw extremely rapid population growth, awesome death rates, staggering fertility, some of the fastest economic growth in the world, a uniquely large and efficient service sector, a vast and profitable overseas empire, characteristic 'pillarization', and relative tolerance. Michael Wintle also examines the lives of ordinary people: what they ate, how much they earned, what they thought about public affairs, and how they wooed and wed. This book will be of central importance to Dutch specialists, as well as European historians more generally.

Table of Contents:
List of plates; List of figures; List of tables; Acknowledgements; General introduction; Part I. Demography and the Health of the Nation: 1. Demographic indicators; 2. The condition of the people: public health, diet and nutrition; Part II. Economic Transition: Introduction; 3. Economic performance and industrialization: the Dutch debate; 4. Factor inputs: labour, capital, materials; 5. Economic influences: entrepreneurship, technology and government policy; 6. Sectoral analysis; 7. Features of demand; 8. Economic transition: conclusion; Part III. Social Transition: State, Society, Individual and Nation: Introduction; 9. Authority and representation: the citizen and the state; 10. Education and welfare: empowerment and protection; 11. Loyal subjects: state formation and nation formation; 12. Social groups; General conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Review :
'Michael Wintle's 'splendid and thought-provoking synthesis' will undoubtedly attain ... canonical status.' Martine van Ittersum, Business History Review '... stands out above all comparable work.' (trans.) Maarten Duijvendak, Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis '... this book admirably meets the urgent demand for a single narrative of the socio-economic history of the Netherlands in the nineteenth century and as such represents an extraordinary feat.' Wim Mellaerts, Dutch Crossing '... an important work of revisionist scholarship ... Wintle's book should go a long way toward returning the 'disappeared' nineteenth-century Netherlands to the annals of history.' Business History '... this book meets the urgent demand for a single narrative of the socio-economic history of the Netherlands in the 'long' nineteenth century.' History '... a work of reference in English on Dutch economic and social history from the Napoleonic wars to World War II ... Wintle's book is lucidly written. It supplies the reader with the relevant information and references in a succinct manner. And Wintle aptly demonstrates his mastery of the literature and the published statistics. Yes, this is the book I needed.' International Review of Social History