Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: The Dutch Seaborne Empire

Found this book difficult to read and a bit deceiving in its contents. From the comments on the cover and the introduction, I was expecting at least in part a chronological history of the period. Although filled with facts, you never get a good sense of the big picture. For instance the first chapter is entitled "The Eighty Years War". But after reading it I hadn't learned what countries fought the war, where it was fought, or who won and who lost. I think the author presumed that this all was common knowledge and he didn't have to insult us with these basic facts. So if you want a general overview of this period of Dutch history go elsewhere. If you already have a grasp of the period, but just need more meat on the bones, this may be a suitable book.