Author: (BELINFANTE, J.J.).
Title: Het leven van Michiel Adriaanszoon de Ruyter. 1607-1676.
Description: 's Gravenhage, A.F. van Langenhuysen, 2 volumes. Original embossed cloth, with gilt decoration on front covers, spines richly gilt (spines discoloured). With 130 lithographed plates (mostly depicting 2 scenes on one leaf) and many woodengravings after C.A.A. Last. (30),XIX,480; 747 pp.The Duch admiral Michiel de Ruyter (1607-1676) was born in Vlissingen (Flushing) and went to the sea for the first time at the age of 11. He was mate on the whaler Groene Leeuw from 1633 to 1635. In 1636 he became captain of a privateer ship owned by the Lampsins brothers. Then he went to work for them as a merchantman. In 1641 and 1642 he served under Admiral Gijssels. With the rank of rear admiral, he was captain of the merchant vessel De Haze, which had been converted into a warship. In 1644 De Ruyter bought his own ship, the Salamander. He then sailed as an independent captain-merchant, mainly on the West Indies and Barbary (North Africa). He became admiral-in-chief of the Dutch fleet and his achievements with the Dutch Navy during the Anglo-Dutch Wars earned him the reputation as one of the most skilled naval commanders in history. He captured the English flag-ship Royal Charles at Chatham. De Ruyter was fatally wounded in a battle against the French fleet at Messina near Sicily in 1676. His body was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. - Except foxing as usual a fine copy.Cat. NHSM II, p.849.

Keywords: Dutch maritime history maritime history