Stylistically, this is quite possibly the best book I've read on the subject. Grierson's prose is often worth reading for its aesthetic merits alone. Indeed, the beauty of the language is superceded only by the beauty of the subject matter.

It's also as much a narrative of the revolt in the Netherlands as it is an analysis of and introduction to J.L. Motley's classic text on the same subject, from which the author quotes shamelessly. Unlike with Motley, however, there is no bias, no gross misinterpretation of the (amply provided) facts to suit some outdated ideological purpose. The tone is that of a civilized liberal British historian -- somewhat arrogant, full of pompous-sounding references and formal eloquence, but pleasantly so. There is, as I've mentioned, no shortage of obscure facts, original sources and reasonably penetrating analysis, yet the book never becomes overwhelmed by it, never loses sight of the very human drama that lies at its core.

If ever a book has embodied the idea of history as a work of art, this (rather than Motley, Prescott, etc) is it.