<p>The 17th century belonged to the Dutch and was an exciting era of commerce discovery and conflict-above all else adventure. This first book of the Dutchman Trilogy is about adventure triumph conquest failure fighting-pirates rioters Christians and Muslims. <em>The Dutch Century</em> is also about young love that became timeless bonds of friendship that persisted lifetimes and a raw exposition of what 17th century life and times were really like.</p>