His living and truthful picture of events.—Quarterly Review (London), Jan., 1861.
Fertile as the present age has been in historical works of the highest merit, none of them can be ranked above these volumes in the grand qualities of interest, accuracy, and truth.—Edinburgh Quarterly Review, Jan., 1861.
This noble work.—Westminster Review (London).
One of the most fascinating as well as important histories of the century.—Cor. N. Y. Evening Post.
The careful study of these volumes will infallibly afford a feast both rich and rare.—Baltimore Republican.
Already takes a rank among standard works of history.—London Critic.
Mr. Motley’s prose epic.—London Spectator.
Its pages are pregnant with instruction.—London Literary Gazette.
We may profit by almost every page of his narrative. All the topics which agitate us now are more or less vividly presented in the History of the United Netherlands.—New York Times.
Bears on every page marks of the same vigorous mind that produced “The Rise of the Dutch Republic;” but the new work is riper, mellower, and though equally racy of the soil, softer flavored. The inspiring idea which breathes through Mr. Motley’s histories and colors the whole texture of his narrative, is the grandeur of that memorable struggle in the 16th century by which the human mind broke the thraldom of religious intolerance and achieved its independence.—The World, N. Y.