The King Of Spain rules the Netherlands, and wants to introduce the Inquisition, from Spain, known as the Spanish Inquisition and the Dutch do not expect this. 'Nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition' they say. There follows a lot of oppression and revolt, told mostly through the eyes of a brother and sister, the brother fleeing to sea and piracy against the Spanish. 'Nobody expected the Dutch piracy,' the Spanish say. The sister hangs around in Antwerp before taking the road to Germany. William Of Orange bumbles around rather ineffectually, but earnestly. This is a very good book about ordinary, practical, even dull, people deciding they're not putting up with that sort of thing.