Invention of Amsterdam - great book/walking tours - make sure to 'walk with Ben Coates'

Ok, so here's a straight up book and walking tip for anyone who visits Amsterdam and enjoys walking. Since a month you are lucky to be able to buy the book: The invention of Amsterdam: A History of Europe’s Greatest City in Ten Walks by Ben Coates to get to know Amsterdam better. From the first pages onward he draws you into how he got to come to the Netherlands, appreciate Amsterdam and appreciate walking in Amsterdam.

Now, we do walking tours on financial history in particular, but finance is always embedded in the bigger history picture. And Coates does a great job at telling this bigger picture about Amsterdam in the form of a range of walks through neighbourhoods. His writing style is great, amusing and contains fun lines where he compares what he describes about Amsterdam of course not to be a big secret. 

'Amsterdam and its glory years can only be considered 'unknown' or 'unexplored' n the same way that Tenerife might be described as a 'secret island' or the Rolling Stones as an 'undiscovered new band'.

Having lived in Amsterdam now for almost forty years, having worked at some of the offices in the Canal for over 6 years and having done so many walking tours for guests myself, it is fun to walk with Ben through my own town and enjoying his outsider/insider view. He remains the outsider in some ways, but is the insider in another way. 

His chapter on the second world war, the walk in the Jewish quarter covers very delicate ground and I was curious to see how he would discuss this very complex topic on very dark days in our Dutch history. Let me say I was deeply impressed. By combining facts, quotes and background information he also walks/navigates the reader towards a nuanced understanding of our history. 

The balance to be struck here is complex. Dutchies may not like the book or its writer and view it as a someone who is 'import', not from here and thus discount his findings/writing as being incorrect beforehand. But to me what the book demonstrates is the delicacy and care of Coates in dealing with the very harsh reality of our world war days. 

This is truly a very balanced, enjoyable and craftfully written book/walking tour guide that, to be fair, no true Dutch author could have written. Most Dutch are far more straightforward and lack his kind of delicacy and humour. 

So, it's a delight to see Amsterdam through Coates eyes and the book truly deserves a wide audience. And we will propose to the author to perhaps join hands and cooperate to turn one or two walks ino IziTravel tours. 

Ah, course, where to buy? You can find the book at the Guardian Bookshop or our local Dutch bol.com.

Enjoy the book and enjoy your stay in Amsterdam !