Understanding oil is essential for understanding modern history. The 20th century has rightly been called the century of oil, and the importance of this most strategic of commodities shows now sign of abating in the 21st century. From its creation in 1907 Royal Dutch Shell has played a key role...

The Dutch economy has relied on trade for centuries. During the seventeenth century the Netherlands experienced a Golden Age built largely on commercial enterprise, and trade continues to be the golden link in the supply chain from producers to consumers. Yet we know very little about the...