Description:The role of the trade and shipping in the Dutch economy during the 17th and 18th centuries has not been given due recognition of its importance, argue Postma (retired, history, Minnesota State U. at Mankato, US) and Enthoven (maritime history, Royal Netherlands Naval College, Netherlands). They present 14 papers that describe the impact of Dutch shipping on the country's economy and beyond, describing the network of commercial and financial connections in Caribbean and North American trade, the slave trade, and in commerce with the Guiana settlement colonies