William of Orange: The Silent Prince

Rating:
Summary: protestant propaganda
Review: First of all, this book isn't named correctly. "William of Orange" is William III. This book describes one of his ancestors. There were many Williams and Oranges, but WOO by historical consensus refers to the William who became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. That I'm annoyed at having bought it by mistake will therefore be reflected in the tone of this review.

Now, it's fine to write in defense of a belief so long as one makes this clear up front. The author didn't. He described this William as a wonderful Christian hero commissioned by God so that wrong might fail and right prevail.

I don't mind that the author believes this, but I certainly do mind the lack of objective narrative. True, the book is written for children (another point of annoyance, for it wasn't advertised as such), but all the more reason for at least acknowledging that the wonderful hero was seen--correctly--as an acute religious and political threat by the Catholics of his time. He was no saint; he was a shrewd politician not known for having a mild temper.

I would be happier were apologists of a faith to stick to why they find certain people and events meaningful instead of moving right into this "God willed it so" propaganda that rewrites history, blurs the real issues and increases the interfaith intolerance from which the world has suffered too much already. For that reason I certainly wouldn't recommend this book for children. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, except perhaps as a demonstration of how one can slant a point of view.

Was this review sharp enough? "Every bullet has its billet." -- William of Orange (the real one)

Rating:
Summary: The founder of a Nation and a Dynasty
Review: First of all, this book isn't named correctly. "William of Orange" is William III. This book describes one of his ancestors. There were many Williams and Oranges, but WOO by historical consensus refers to the William who became king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. That I'm annoyed at having bought it by mistake will therefore be reflected in the tone of this review.

Now, it's fine to write in defense of a belief so long as one makes this clear up front. The author didn't. He described this William as a wonderful Christian hero commissioned by God so that wrong might fail and right prevail.

I don't mind that the author believes this, but I certainly do mind the lack of objective narrative. True, the book is written for children (another point of annoyance, for it wasn't advertised as such), but all the more reason for at least acknowledging that the wonderful hero was seen--correctly--as an acute religious and political threat by the Catholics of his time. He was no saint; he was a shrewd politician not known for having a mild temper.

I would be happier were apologists of a faith to stick to why they find certain people and events meaningful instead of moving right into this "God willed it so" propaganda that rewrites history, blurs the real issues and increases the interfaith intolerance from which the world has suffered too much already. For that reason I certainly wouldn't recommend this book for children. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone, except perhaps as a demonstration of how one can slant a point of view.

Was this review sharp enough? "Every bullet has its billet." -- William of Orange (the real one)

Rating:
Summary: The founder of a Nation and a Dynasty
Review: I would like to respond to the previous review. William of Orange (also known as William the Silent) was a very prominent figure in the cessation of the Netherlands from the Habsburgian Empire. In Dutch history, he is the founder of the Orange Dynasty and a more important figure than any of his descendants William 2, 3, 4 or 5. The author tried to avoid confusion by adding a reference to his nickname "William the Silent".

This book is a typical example of "Orange propaganda" and the single star for this book is well deserved.

Rating:
Summary: An important tale to learn young
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Faithful rendering of history of the origin of the Dutch sta
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: Faithful rendering of history of the origin of the Dutch sta
Review: 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