William of Orange, the Silent Prince

If not for William the Silent and the brave, heroic Dutch, the Reformation and the Enlightenment would have failed, the spark of Liberty would have been snuffed out, and darkness would have once again descended upon the West. For 80 years, one of the smallest countries in Europe fought against the mightiest empire in the world, and won. It is an important tale to learn young, to know that individuals like William the Silent lived, to know how they lived and how their lives made the dream of America possible.

This book is a must read for anyone who does not know European, and in particular, Dutch history. The author, a former schoolteacher does a very good job of narrating the history of the Dutch struggle against the Spanish Philip II under the leadership of the sovereign Prince of Orange who gave all his goods, and his life, for the benefit of the Dutch people. He was known as the silent prince because of his prudence in knowing when not to speak