Michiel de Ruyter

By the middle of the 17th century, the Dutch Republic is one of the most powerful seafaring nations in the world. After the death of the celebrated admiral Maarten Tromp, Michiel de Ruyter is looked upon as his natural heir and successor. The new admiral has already proved his strategic genius in a number of sea battles. Politically, the Dutch are a divided nation, with supporters of the House of Orange and the republican faction vying for control over the country. The superbly intelligent Grand Pensionary Johan de Witt, a staunch republican, is the mightiest man in the Dutch Republic, but his opponents are looking to install the insecure but highly ambitious young prince William III as the new stadholder.The republican party is desperate to win the war with the English, and De Ruyter more than fulfils their hopes of victory by annihilating the English fleet with an ingenious strategy. His popularity with the Dutch people rises to unprecedented heights, but on the political level, infighting and conspiracies lead to new conflicts between the ruling republican faction and the supporters of the Prince. The House of Orange is preparing to seize control and De Ruyter is caught up in a maelstrom of political events. The admiral and his family threaten to become the victims of a political power game when he is sent on an impossible mission.