"In this twenty-first volume of The Centers of Civilization Series, the Amsterdam of tulips and windmills and wooden shoes gives way to the little-known Amsterdam that during the life span of the artist Rembrandt was perhaps the wealthiest, most cosmopolitan city in the world. Here is told the story of how a city literally rose from the sea to become at her height the queen city of Europe. The reader is presented with a rich tapestry of the cultural, economic, political, artistic, and religious factors which made Amsterdam a great creative center."--Publisher's description.