Scan barcode
trizhaster's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
how to find Dutch partner so I too can live this utopian-esque life?????
If that Fil-Am author from the Bay Area can do it, then so can I goddamn it 😭
elly29's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Wow. I felt like I was back in Ms. Sorenson’s AP European History class, where the events were absolutely wild - and I could follow the “story” of European history, and I felt smart.
I thought this was a fabulous history of a city and the ideas behind it, and I’m sold. From the discussion of the polders and water boards, reclaiming land from the swamp, to Spinoza and moving away from religion, to the Dutch East India company and trade, to the Nazi occupation and challenges with current multiculturalism, I thought this book was so informative and well-written. Loved it.
I thought this was a fabulous history of a city and the ideas behind it, and I’m sold. From the discussion of the polders and water boards, reclaiming land from the swamp, to Spinoza and moving away from religion, to the Dutch East India company and trade, to the Nazi occupation and challenges with current multiculturalism, I thought this book was so informative and well-written. Loved it.
lizee59402's review against another edition
2.0
I thought the introduction was amazing, but lost interest further along.
renatevanderveen's review against another edition
4.0
Prachtig portret van Amsterdam, mijn geboortestad. Eindelijk lezen wat dat Amsterdamse, dat liberale is en hoe lang het er al is.
In 1566 sprak Willem van Oranje al over religievrede en het tolereren van geloofsverschillen: diversiteit, pluralisme, burgerrechten, de opvatting dat alle mensen gelijkwaardig zijn.
De bijzonderheid daarvan zie ik nog beter nu Shorto vergelijkt met omliggende landen in die tijd. Voor mij is het zo vanzelfsprekend dat ik het nu pas meer kan waarderen. En grappig genoeg speelt het een rol in taaie gesprekken met mensen uit andere landen, waarin ik me sterk maak voor een bredere meer inclusieve kijk. Dus ook nog erg actueel!
In 1566 sprak Willem van Oranje al over religievrede en het tolereren van geloofsverschillen: diversiteit, pluralisme, burgerrechten, de opvatting dat alle mensen gelijkwaardig zijn.
De bijzonderheid daarvan zie ik nog beter nu Shorto vergelijkt met omliggende landen in die tijd. Voor mij is het zo vanzelfsprekend dat ik het nu pas meer kan waarderen. En grappig genoeg speelt het een rol in taaie gesprekken met mensen uit andere landen, waarin ik me sterk maak voor een bredere meer inclusieve kijk. Dus ook nog erg actueel!
stevenyenzer's review against another edition
4.0
Really wonderful. Shorto is a terrific writer and a solid narrator. My main criticism is that I wish it had been longer!
riotsquirrrl's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very easy to read history of Amsterdam provided that you can ignore the author's relentless need to prove his thesis that Amsterdam grew as a uniquely liberal city and that it's always been a good thing.
But maybe it's because I also went to the Rijksmuseum which has a number of wall displays about the Netherlands and slavery that I can't help but notice what Shorto isn't talking about: the legacy of the slave trade and how that figures in with the idea of a liberal Amsterdam. All I can assume is that it doesn't, given that Shorto also glosses over Dutch South Africa and the legacy of apartheid. All of which lead me to believe that whatever unique freedom Amsterdam developed, they systemically prevented that kind of freedom in the places they colonized. Which of course makes me wonder if, given how often this book tries to drive the point home, and given how often I heard in Amsterdam about how liberal and free they were, makes me instead wonder what they're looking to cover up or gloss over.
Shorto does include a brief section about how Amsterdam's multiculturalism/siloing in the early 20th century made it much easier to deport Jewish people after the Nazi occupation, but yeah I think that topic deserved more than a few paragraphs about how dissenting viewpoints and tolerated minorities were isolated from the rest of Amsterdam society.
So all in all there were some good points, especially in the first half talking about the rise of Amsterdam, the 80 years war, and the rise of the VOC, but I could have gone without the relentless boostering of the idea of Amsterdam liberalism that made an honest appraisal of Amsterdam values impossible to assess.
But maybe it's because I also went to the Rijksmuseum which has a number of wall displays about the Netherlands and slavery that I can't help but notice what Shorto isn't talking about: the legacy of the slave trade and how that figures in with the idea of a liberal Amsterdam. All I can assume is that it doesn't, given that Shorto also glosses over Dutch South Africa and the legacy of apartheid. All of which lead me to believe that whatever unique freedom Amsterdam developed, they systemically prevented that kind of freedom in the places they colonized. Which of course makes me wonder if, given how often this book tries to drive the point home, and given how often I heard in Amsterdam about how liberal and free they were, makes me instead wonder what they're looking to cover up or gloss over.
Shorto does include a brief section about how Amsterdam's multiculturalism/siloing in the early 20th century made it much easier to deport Jewish people after the Nazi occupation, but yeah I think that topic deserved more than a few paragraphs about how dissenting viewpoints and tolerated minorities were isolated from the rest of Amsterdam society.
So all in all there were some good points, especially in the first half talking about the rise of Amsterdam, the 80 years war, and the rise of the VOC, but I could have gone without the relentless boostering of the idea of Amsterdam liberalism that made an honest appraisal of Amsterdam values impossible to assess.
christineee's review against another edition
4.0
Good overview of the history of Amsterdam just in time for visiting
lindseysparks's review
3.0
I learned a lot from this, but I wish some of the history had been more clear. The author didn't always provide dates, or didn't clearly attach them to events, and sometimes it was like he was trying to build suspense by describing someone and not providing their name for a while. The flow and organization just didn't work for me. But, I did like how he focused on the idea of Amsterdam as a liberal city and how it's impacted the world. (Liberal in the classic sense, not modern liberal politically) Amsterdam is adorable and I enjoyed learning things like how the canal houses came to be, I addition to things like how the Dutch helped populate America, promote birth control (and not in a creepy eugenics way), influence England's constitutional monarchy and increase trade.