ÉPUISÉ - The Prehistory of the Netherlands, 2005, 844 p., 2 vol. -

Since the middle of the 20th century, archaeological fieldwork in the Netherlands has provided an abundance of material on the prehistoric societies that once inhabited these lands. This large, two-volume set makes much of this evidence, and associated research, available in one place for an English speaking audience. The 31 chapters and 19 `features' which consist of shorter essays on specific subjects (such as flint tool manufacture, stone axes,research on barrows and palynology, Bronze Age war and peat farmers) are well written and clearly presented, accompanied by lots of illustrations. This superb work certainly achieves its goal of providing a `comprehensive survey of Dutch prehistory' with contributions from some of the Netherlands foremost scholars. The essays, which cover the period from the earliest hunter-gatherers to the Roman invasion, cover a wide range of subjects, including those that focus on settlement, natural resources and subsistence, landscapes and the environment, crafts and industries, monument-building and burying the dead, early farming and metalworking. A great source of rference on the prehistory of the Netherlands.