The once-in-a-generation chance to write a history of the Netherlands should not have been wasted on a Flemish-centred economic history, no matter how good it is. Blockmans’s point of departure is mapping and understanding the internal dynamics of the Netherlands, originating in and concentrating on the south, i.e. Flanders. That entails a rather specific characterisation and delineation of the medieval Netherlands. The Prometheus Geschiedenis series calls for a wellbalanced book that also discusses the northern, eastern and southern parts of present-day Netherlands and pays due attention to religion, art and culture. This review makes allowance for trends in national, trans-national and regional history and suggests alternative book plans. This review is part of the discussion forum 'Four Golden Ages' (Wim Blockmans).