Was Michiel de Ruyter the greatest military leader of all time? Or a great 17th-century military commander? Others see him as the one who saved the Dutch Republic and guaranteed its independence. You could do a sea battle on a very large scale. He was also able to play a shrewd Dutch businessman, winning the release of Hungarian priests from Spanish captivity and Dutch sailors from pagan prisons. The controversial Louis XIV dubbed him a 'man who respects humanity'. In this book, nine prominent historians from seven different countries study his outstanding career.