Herald Van Der Linde

Asia Equity Strategist. Author. Bad cook. Indonesiaphile. Majapahit. Jakarta.

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

Majapahit was a 14th century Javanese empire that shaped Southeast Asia as it is today. It’s a fantastic story with eccentric kings, bloody family feuds and a war with Kublai Khan. Like SEA today, it had to navigate tricky geopolitics. And…available at bookstores now.

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

How come South Korea’s stock market tripled in a year? And who is still buying? What are locals doing? And its pension fund? A deep dive with BBC’s Asia Specific podcasters. https://t.co/yX2wI6LmWC

[Dr Ekaterina Netchitailova @Chitailova]

A few thoughts on the Netherlands 🇳🇱

After several years living here, I want to say it clearly: I really like this country.

The Dutch have a special kind of quiet decency — direct, practical, and often kinder than they give themselves credit for. I appreciate the freedom, the safety, the respect for personal space, and the way life feels organized without being oppressive.

This environment has also given me space to breathe and continue my journey with mental health — to manage my psychoses better and build a meaningful life.

I love the beautiful light on the canals, the bike culture (even if I still complain about the rain), and the simple pleasure of Friday mornings at the market. Most of all, I’m grateful for the good people I’ve met — normal, warm, down-to-earth people who value real life.

It’s not perfect, of course. No country is. But this place has given me space to grow, to heal in my own way, and to create. And for that, I’m truly thankful.

[William Dalrymple @DalrympleWill]

How did an extraordinary act of espionage open the way for the creation of the VOC, the Dutch East India Company?
What made the VOC the first ‘mega-corporation’ in history? And what was the horrific human cost of establishing a corporate colonial stronghold in the East Indies?

[William Dalrymple @DalrympleWill]

I am joined by Dutch historian Herold van der Linde to explore the staggering rise of the Dutch East India Company - a company so rich it eclipsed the modern valuations of Apple and NVIDIA combined. They discuss how high-stakes espionage, revolutionary cargo ships, and military ruthlessness allowed the Dutch to dominate the 17th-century global economy.
https://t.co/CvBe7MbMR6

[William Dalrymple @DalrympleWill]

What made the VOC the first ‘mega-corporation’ in history? And what was the horrific human cost of establishing a corporate colonial stronghold in the East Indies?
https://t.co/gEHgSFE7ZV

[William Dalrymple @DalrympleWill]

Dutch Galleons decorate Dutch VOC canon at Daulatabad

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@DalrympleWill Nice one. The letter “A” on top of the VOC sign at the bottom suggest that the canon was made for the Amsterdam chamber. “H” would have been Hoorn, “Z” Zeeland (the province that gave its name to New Zealand).

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@ProudSecular @DalrympleWill @EmpirePodUK Yep. World history in one sentence.

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

@DalrympleWill @tweeter_anita Who was “Peter Pepper”?

The man who smuggled stolen spice plants out of Dutch hands, helping end the VOC’s brutal monopoly over some of the world’s most valuable commodities.

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

@DalrympleWill @tweeter_anita At its height, the Dutch East India Company was the envy of Europe: rich, armed and dominant across the spice trade.

But as the English East India Company grew more powerful, the VOC began to buckle under debt, corruption and war.

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

@DalrympleWill @tweeter_anita How did one salute help ignite a war?

In 1776, the Dutch island of St Eustatius fired a salute to an American ship flying the new rebel flag.

Britain saw it as proof the Dutch were backing the American Revolution, helping spark the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

🚨NEW EPISODE🚨

The Battle of The East India Companies

How did the English East India Company rise into a corporate state, while the mighty VOC collapsed into bankruptcy?

@DalrympleWill, @tweeter_anita + Michael Bass explore one of history’s greatest commercial reversals...

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@saadisaeed26 @DalrympleWill @EmpirePodUK Thanks! Will put it on the list!

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

NL returns 1,000-Year-Old Chola Copper Plates to India. They mention Buddhist shrine & monasteries in Nagapattinam, some linked to Srivijaya. They bear Rajendra Chola I’s seal (11th c.), written in Sanskrit and Tamil https://t.co/meWk1rZOzV

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

🚨NEW EPISODE🚨

How One Tiny Nut Caused Untold Misery

Join @DalrympleWill and @tweeter_anita with Giles Milton for the brutal story of nutmeg, the Banda massacre, and the birth of New York.

Link below👇
https://t.co/thbGFLZE7x

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@SamDalrymple123 Fantastic news! Congrats! And keep those fingers crossed.

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@shyamsreekaram @ghazarika70 @DalrympleWill @EmpirePodUK I agree.

[Bert Hofman（郝福满） @berthofmanecon]

So wheels up on Air Force One. From an optics perspective, there is a lot to be pleased about. Substantially, the communications were rather diverse. The Chinese side mostly straight and historical, with “Constructive Strategic Stability” the main (agreed?) deliverable. On the

[Empire: World History @EmpirePodUK]

The wild story behind the phrase 'Dutch courage'...🤯

[Herald Van Der Linde @HeraldLinde]

@ColinDrewza @DalrympleWill Indeed. In “Franschhoek”, amongst others.