Hugo Grotius, A Lifelong Struggle for Peace in Church and State, 1583-1643. Henk Nellen.
Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) is the most famous humanist scholar of the Dutch Golden-Age. He wrote influential works on the laws of war and peace, Dutch history and the unification of the churches. His plea for a freedom of the seas in Mare Liberum offered the Dutch East India Company a ready justification for the establishment of a trading empire in the East Indies. In his scarce spare time he penned confidential, learned and beautifully-written letters. This voluminous correspondence offers a trove of information on Grotius' life and works, and forms the basis of his newest biography which sketches a life caught in a fierce struggle for peace in Church and State.
The Dutch version of this book is available under the title 'Hugo de Groot: Een leven in strijd om de vrede - 1583-1645'.