Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [194]
J.C.H. Blom (ed.) History of the Low Countries. Books on the totality of Dutch history are thin on the ground, so this heavyweight volume fills a few gaps, though it’s hardly sun-lounge reading. A series of historians weigh in with their specialities, from Roman times onwards. Taken as a whole, its forte is in picking out those cultural, political and economic themes that give the region its distinctive character.
Mike Dash Tulipomania. An examination of the introduction of the tulip into the Low Countries at the height of the Golden Age – and the extraordinarily inflated and speculative market that ensued. There’s a lot of padding and scene-setting, but it’s an engaging enough read, and has nice detail on seventeenth-century Amsterdam, Leiden and Haarlem.
Pieter Geyl The Revolt of The Netherlands 1555–1609 and The Netherlands in the Seventeenth Century 1609–1648. Geyl presents a detailed account of the Netherlands during its formative years, chronicling the uprising against the Spanish and the formation of the United Provinces. First published in 1932, it has long been regarded as the classic text on the subject, though it is a hard and ponderous read.
A.C. Grayling Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius. One of the greatest philosophers of all time, René Descartes (1596–1650) was a key figure in the transition from medieval to early modern Europe. He also made key contributions to optics and geometry and, among his miscellaneous travels, spent time living in Amsterdam (see "Westermarkt"). This crisply written, erudite biography deals skilfully with the philosophy – Grayling is himself a philosophy professor – and argues that Descartes was almost certainly a Jesuit spy acting on behalf of the Habsburg interest during his time here in Amsterdam.
Christopher Hibbert Cities and Civilisation. Includes a diverting chapter on Amsterdam in the age of Rembrandt. Hibbert, one of the UK’s best historians, is always a pleasure to read.
Lisa Jardine The Awful End of Prince William the Silent. Great title for an intriguing book on the premature demise of one of the country’s most acclaimed heroes, who was assassinated in Delft in 1584. At just 160 pages, the tale is told succinctly, but – unless you have a particular interest in early firearms – there is a bit too much information on guns.
Carol Ann Lee Roses from the Earth: the Biography of Anne Frank. Among a spate of publications trawling through and over the life of the young Jewish diarist, this is probably the best, written in a straightforward and insightful manner without sentimentality. Working the same mine is the same author’s The Hidden Life of Otto Frank – clear, lucid and equally as interesting.
Geert Mak Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City. First published in 1995, this infinitely readable trawl through the city’s past is a simply wonderful book – amusing and perceptive, alternately tart and indulgent. It’s more a social history than anything else, so – for example – it’s here you’ll find out quite why Rembrandt lived in the Jewish Quarter and why the city’s merchant elite ossified in the eighteenth century. It’s light and accessible enough to read from cover to cover, but its index of places makes it easy to dip into. Highly recommended.
Geoffrey Parker The Dutch Revolt. Compelling account of the struggle between the Netherlands and Spain. Quite the best thing you can read on the period. Also