How did the House of Orange become rulers of the Netherlands.

I apologise that this isn't, strictly speaking, alternate history, but I want to pick the brains of the forum.

I want to buy a book for my father, which will explain how the family from a principality in southern France became rulers of the Netherlands. My dad is old and not computer literate, so I'm looking for a basic but decent history book about William the Silent, and preferably some more history of the family.
 
You want a book about it? In English? Hmm, that is probably hard. I know there are various examples of Dutch books, but English books? Well, there probably are some. The problem though is that Dutch history isn't populair in English speaking countries, so books about it are relatively rare.
 
I apologise that this isn't, strictly speaking, alternate history, but I want to pick the brains of the forum.

I want to buy a book for my father, which will explain how the family from a principality in southern France became rulers of the Netherlands. My dad is old and not computer literate, so I'm looking for a basic but decent history book about William the Silent, and preferably some more history of the family.

A quick Amazon search of him netted me this: http://www.amazon.com/William-Silen...1388413448&sr=8-1&keywords=William+the+Silent

It seems to be good, but it's expensive.
 
No mystery about how they got Orange. It was bequeathed to WtS in the last Prince's will.

However, the family also had extensive lands in the old Duchy of Burgundy (which had included the Netherlands) so WtS renounced his rights in Nassau after inheriting Orange, in favour of his younger brother, and himself became a purely "Burgundian" nobleman.
 
Ironically the House of Orange is related to Trastamaras...
You know something that is realy ironic? A decendant from William of Orange, the aunt of the current king is married to a direct decendent from the Duke of Parma, the leader of the Spanish troops that fought in the Netherlands in the early stages of the Eighty year war.
 
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