We've ranked the best amsterdam books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
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1
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
5.0
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
@johngreen You should not be. It is a great book. Was recently in Amsterdam and walked some of the scenes with your huge fan, my youngest daughter. Loved hearing from you and meeting you at Kenyon. [source]
In Everyman’s Library for the first time—one of the most moving and eloquent accounts of the Holocaust, read by tens of millions of people around the world since its publication in 1947. The Diary of a Young Girl is the record of two years in the life of a remarkable Jewish girl whose triumphant humanity in the face of unfathomable deprivation and fear has made the book one of the most enduring documents of our time.
The Everyman’s hardcover edition reprints the Definitive Edition authorized by the Frank estate, plus a new introduction, a bibliography, and a chronology of Anne Frank’s life and times.
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Recommended by Alice Little, Catalina Penciu, and Tim Fargo.
Alice Little
I remember being a fourth grader and trying to check out this book and being told it was grossly inappropriate and going so far as to have my parents take it to the school board and petition for me to be allowed to read this book. [source]
Catalina Penciu
I'm a huge fan of personal stories and biographies like this one. [source]
Tim Fargo
@Quixoticnance Good point, Nancy. The museum is a powerful experience, esp. when you've read her book. [source]
100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens.
How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come?
In Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical – and sometimes devastating – breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, paleontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Have we become happier as history has unfolded? Can we ever free our behaviour from the heritage of our ancestors? And what, if anything, can we do to influence the course of the centuries to come?
Bold, wide-ranging and provocative, Sapiens challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our power ... and our future.
Both Melinda and I read this one, and it has sparked lots of great conversations at our dinner table. Harari takes on a daunting challenge: to tell the entire history of the human race in just 400 pages. He also writes about our species today and how artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and other technologies will change us in the future. Although I found things to disagree with—especially Harari’s claim that humans were better off before we started farming—I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species. [source]
A young New Yorker grieving his mother's death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this "extraordinary" and beloved Pulitzer Prize winner that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review).
Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by a longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into a wealthy and insular art community.
As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love -- and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.
The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention. From the streets of New York to the dark corners of the art underworld, this "soaring masterpiece" examines the devastating impact of grief and the ruthless machinations of fate (Ron Charles, Washington Post).
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Recommended by Kaci Lambe Kai.
Kaci Lambe Kai
More modern, I recently read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and I love the way it was written. A great story brought to life with long, descriptive, sometimes frenetic sentences. She paints some scenes and some ideas that are unlike anything I've ever read. It's like watching magic on the page. [source]
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5
Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City
Russell Shorto
4.7
An endlessly entertaining portrait of the city of Amsterdam and the ideas that make it unique, by the author of the acclaimed Island at the Center of the World
Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hash bars; art lovers know it for Rembrandt's glorious portraits.
But the deeper history of Amsterdam, what makes it one of the most fascinating places on earth, is bound up in its unique geography-the constant battle of its citizens to keep the sea at bay and the democratic philosophy that this enduring struggle fostered. Amsterdam is the font of liberalism, in both its senses. Tolerance for free thinking and free love make it a place where, in the words of one of its mayors, "craziness is a value." But the city also fostered the deeper meaning of liberalism, one that profoundly influenced America: political and economic freedom. Amsterdam was home not only to religious dissidents and radical thinkers but to the world's first great global corporation.
In this effortlessly erudite account, Russell Shorto traces the idiosyncratic evolution of Amsterdam, showing how such disparate elements as herring anatomy, naked Anabaptists parading through the streets, and an intimate gathering in a sixteenth-century wine-tasting room had a profound effect on Dutch-and world-history. Weaving in his own experiences of his adopted home, Shorto provides an ever-surprising, intellectually engaging story of Amsterdam from the building of its first canals in the 1300s, through its brutal struggle for independence, its golden age as a vast empire, to its complex present in which its cherished ideals of liberalism are under siege.
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6
The Miniaturist
Jessie Burton
4.6
Set in seventeenth century Amsterdam--a city ruled by glittering wealth and oppressive religion--a masterful debut steeped in atmosphere and shimmering with mystery, in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.
"There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . ."
On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office--leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.
But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist--an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .
Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand--and fear--the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?
Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.
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The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom
At one time Corrie ten Boom would have laughed at the idea that there would ever be a story to tell. For the first fifty years of her life nothing at all out of the ordinary had ever happened to her. She was an old-maid watchmaker living contentedly with her spinster sister and their elderly father in the tiny Dutch house over their shop. Their uneventful days, as regulated as their own watches, revolved around their abiding love for one another. However, with the Nazi invasion and occupation of Holland, a story did ensue.
Corrie ten Boom and her family became leaders in the Dutch Underground, hiding Jewish people in their home in a specially built room and aiding their escape from the Nazis. For their help, all but Corrie found death in a concentration camp. The Hiding Place is their story.
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Recommended by Alison Alvarez.
Alison Alvarez
What I really took with me from the book were the descriptions of how she dealt with the stress of solitary confinement and eventually the Ravensbruck concentration camp. I adapted some of her techniques for keeping her mind occupied to deal with my own problems with anxiety and worry. Also, it’s a book with a surprising amount of joy in it for subject matter that is so dark. [source]
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8
Girl in the Blue Coat
Monica Hesse
4.4
An unforgettable story of bravery, grief, and love in impossible times
"Girl in the Blue Coat is a powerful, compelling coming-of-age story set against the dark and dangerous backdrop of World War II. It's an important and page-turning look at the choices all of us-including young adults-have to make in wartime. A beautiful combination of heartbreak, loss, young love, and hope." -Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale
"A tapestry of guilt and acceptance, growing responsibility, and reluctant heroism, Hanneke's coming-of-age under heartbreaking circumstances is a jarring reminder of how war consumes and transforms the passions of ordinary life. Every devastating moment of this beautiful novel is both poignant and powerful, and every word feels true." -Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity
Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion. On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person-a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action. Beautifully written, intricately plotted, and meticulously researched, Girl in the Blue Coat is an extraordinary, gripping novel from a bright new voice.
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The Signature of All Things
Elizabeth Gilbert
4.4
A glorious, sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, from the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed.
In The Signature of All Things, Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction, inserting her inimitable voice into an enthralling story of love, adventure and discovery. Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry's brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father's money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma's research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction — into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist — but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.
Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe—from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad. But most memorable of all, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, who — born in the Age of Enlightenment, but living well into the Industrial Revolution — bears witness to that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce, and class were exploding into dangerous new ideas. Written in the bold, questing spirit of that singular time, Gilbert's wise, deep, and spellbinding tale is certain to capture the hearts and minds of readers.
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The Dinner
Herman Koch and Sam Garret
4.4
An internationally bestselling phenomenon: the darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives - all over the course of one meal.
It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse - the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.
Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.
Tautly written, incredibly gripping, and told by an unforgettable narrator, The Dinner promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates. Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
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The Heart's Invisible Furies
John Boyne
4.4
Cyril Avery is not a real Avery or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?
Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his three score years and ten, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country and much more.
In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.
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Amsterdam
Geert Mak, Philipp Blom
4.3
Cosmopolitan, stylish, even a little decadent, Amsterdam--the Venice of the North--is a city of legendary beauty. From a twelfth-century settlement of wooden huts at the mouth of the River Amstel, it had become by the late sixteenth century one of the great cultural capitals of Europe and a major financial center.In this gracefully written examination of Amsterdam's soul--part history, part travel guide--the Dutch writer Geert Mak imaginatively depicts the lives of early Amsterdammers and traces the city's progress from a small town of merchants, sailors, farmers, and fishermen to a thriving metropolis. Mak's Amsterdam is a city of dreams and nightmares, of grand civic architecture and magnificent monuments, but also of civil wars, uprisings, and bloody religious purges. In his delightfully instructive journey through the city and through time, Mak displays an eye for the bizarre and the unexpected: a Rembrandt sketch of a young girl executed for manslaughter; the shoe of a medieval lady unearthed during a remodeling project; a graffito foretelling the city's doom on the wall of a mansion, daubed by a deranged burgomaster with his own blood.Amsterdam remains a magnet for travelers from around the world, and this charmingly detailed account of its origins and its history through the present day is designed to help the reader step into daily life in a truly modern city.
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The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand
4.3
The revolutionary literary vision that sowed the seeds of Objectivism, Ayn Rand's groundbreaking philosophy, and brought her immediate worldwide acclaim.
This modern classic is the story of intransigent young architect Howard Roark, whose integrity was as unyielding as granite...of Dominique Francon, the exquisitely beautiful woman who loved Roark passionately, but married his worst enemy...and of the fanatic denunciation unleashed by an enraged society against a great creator. As fresh today as it was then, Rand's provocative novel presents one of the most challenging ideas in all of fiction--that man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress...
"A writer of great power. She has a subtle and ingenious mind and the capacity of writing brilliantly, beautifully, bitterly...This is the only novel of ideas written by an American woman that I can recall."--The New York Times
A few months ago, I was drinking a Noah’s Mill whiskey (cute) with my good buddy Brian Balfour and talking about life... During the conversation, we got on the topic of books that changed our lives. I want to share them with you. I judge a book's success if a year later I'm still using at least 1 thing from the book. [source]
Ashley Hathaway
Sometimes I want to nerd out and pick a heavy non-fiction book. I was reading The Fountainhead earlier this year which was pretty beefy. Got that checked off the list. [source]
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The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini and Simon & Schuster Audi
4.3
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. --khaledhosseini.com
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Recommended by James Altucher, Ann Miura-Ko, Magda Marcu, and 1 others.
Ann Miura-Ko recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show". [source]
Magda Marcu
I’m currently reading “The Kite Runner”. I never have expectations from books, I let them surprise me as I get into the story. Learning about characteristics of different cultures, in this case the Afghan one, it’s one aspect I am interested in. [source]
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15
The Coffee Trader
David Liss
4.3
The Edgar Award–winning novel A Conspiracy of Paper was one of the most acclaimed debuts of 2000. In his richly suspenseful second novel, author David Liss once again travels back in time to a crucial moment in cultural and financial history. His destination: Amsterdam, 1659 — a mysterious world of trade populated by schemers and rogues, where deception rules the day.
On the world’s first commodities exchange, fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Miguel Lienzo, a sharp-witted trader in the city's close-knit community of Portuguese Jews, knows this only too well. Once among the city’s most envied merchants, Miguel has lost everything in a sudden shift in the sugar markets. Now, impoverished and humiliated, living on the charity of his petty younger brother, Miguel must find a way to restore his wealth and reputation.
Miguel enters into a partnership with a seductive Dutchwoman who offers him one last chance at success — a daring plot to corner the market of an astonishing new commodity called "coffee." To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he values and test the limits of his commercial guile, facing not only the chaos of the markets and the greed of his competitors, but also a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to see him ruined. Miguel will learn that among Amsterdam’s ruthless businessmen, betrayal lurks everywhere, and even friends hide secret agendas.
With humor, imagination, and mystery, David Liss depicts a world of subterfuge, danger, and repressed longing, where religious and cultural traditions clash with the demands of a new and exciting way of doing business. Readers of historical suspense and lovers of coffee (even decaf) will be up all night with this beguiling novel.
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16
Just One Year (Just One Day, #2)
Gayle Forman
4.3
Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.
Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....
When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .
The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.
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17
The Rembrandt Affair (Gabriel Allon, #10)
Daniel Silva
4.3
Two families, one terrible secret, and a painting to die for ...
Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.
In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.
Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.
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18
Amsterdam
Ian McEwan
4.3
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current eminence: Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is editor of the newspaper The Judge. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister.
In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen. Each will make a disastrous moral decision, their friendship will be tested to its limits, and Julian Garmony will be fighting for his political life. A sharp contemporary morality tale, cleverly disguised as a comic novel, Amsterdam is "as sheerly enjoyable a book as one is likely to pick up this year" (The Washington Post Book World).
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The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon, #7)
Daniel Silva
4.3
A terrorist plot in London leads Israeli spy Gabriel Allon on a desperate search for a kidnapped woman, in a race against time that will compromise Allon’s own conscience—and life...
When last we encountered Gabriel Allon, the master art restorer and sometime officer of Israeli intelligence, he had just prevailed in his blood-soaked duel with Saudi terrorist financier Zizi al-Bakari. Now Gabriel is summoned once more by his masters to undertake what appears to be a routine assignment: travel to Amsterdam to purge the archives of a murdered Dutch terrorism analyst who also happened to be an asset of Israeli intelligence. But once in Amsterdam, Gabriel soon discovers a conspiracy of terror festering in the city's Islamic underground, a plot that is about to explode on the other side of the English Channel, in the middle of London.
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The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam (Good Thief's Guide, #1)
Chris Ewan
4.3
Charlie Howard travels the globe writing suspense novels for a living, about an intrepid burglar named Faulks.To supplement his income---and to keep his hand in---Charlie also has a small side business: stealing for a very discreet clientele on commission.
When a mysterious American offers to pay Charlie 20,000 euros if he steals two small monkey figurines to match the one he already has, Charlie is suspicious; he doesn't know how the American found him, and the job seems too good to be true. And, of course, it is. Although the burglary goes off without a hitch, when he goes to deliver the monkeys he finds that the American has been beaten to near-death, and that the third figurine is missing.
Back in London, his long-suffering literary agent, Victoria (who is naive enough to believe he actually looks like his jacket photo), tries to talk him through the plot problems in both his latest manuscript and his real life---but Charlie soon finds himself caught up in a caper reminiscent of a Cary Grant movie, involving safe-deposit boxes, menacing characters, and, of course, a beautiful damsel in distress.
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21
Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival
Marcel Prins, Peter Henk Steenhuis, Watkinson Laura, Laura Watkinson
4.3
Jaap Sitters was only eight years old when his mother cut the yellow stars off his clothes and sent him, alone, on a fifteen-mile walk to hide with relatives. It was a terrifying night, one he would never forget. Before the end of the war, he would hide in secret rooms and behind walls. He would suffer from hunger, sickness, and the looming threat of Nazi raids. But he would live.
This is just one of the true stories told in Hidden Like Anne Frank, a collection of eye-opening first-person accounts that share the experience of going into hiding to escape the Holocaust. Some were just toddlers when they were hidden; some were teenagers. Some hid with neighbors or family, while many were with complete strangers. But all know the pain of losing their homes, their families, even their own names. They describe the secret network that kept them safe. And they share the coincidences and close calls that made all the difference.
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22
Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands
Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw
4.3
Bike cobblestone streets, cruise on charming canals, and stop and smell the tulips: with Rick Steves on your side, the Netherlands can be yours!
Inside Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands you'll find:
Comprehensive coverage for spending a week or more exploring Amsterdam and the Netherlands
Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites
Top sights and hidden gems, from the Van Gogh museum and Rembrandt's home workshop, to cozy "brown" cafés
How to connect with local culture: Explore Amsterdam by bicycle, sample distinctive Dutch cheeses, and chat with a friendly local over beer brewed from 1,000-year-old recipes
Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight
The best places to eat, sleep, and relax over a pint of beer
Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums
Detailed maps for exploring on the go
Useful resources including a packing list, a Dutch phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading
Over 500 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down
Complete, up-to-date information on Amsterdam, Haarlem, Delft, Alkmaar and Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam, Marken, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, the Historic Triangle, Flevoland, Keukenhof, Aalsmeer, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands.
Spending less than a week in Amsterdam? Try Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam.
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23
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
Miep Gies, Alison Leslie Gold
4.3
The reminiscences of Miep Gies, the woman who hid the Frank family in Amsterdam during the Second World War, presents a vivid story of life under Nazi occupation.
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In the City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist
Pete Jordan
4.3
Pete Jordan, author of Dishwasher, tells the story of his love affair with Amsterdam, the city of bikes, all the while unfolding an unknown history of the city's cycling, from the craze of the 1890s, through the Nazi occupation, to the bike-centric culture adored by the world today.
"Few people are audacious enough to lead a memoir-worthy life. Even fewer people are talented enough to write said memoir. By the grace of the literary gods, Pete Jordan is both." -San Francisco Bay Guardian
Part personal memoir, part history of cycling, part fascinating street-level tour of Amsterdam, In the City of Bikes is the story of a man who loves bikes in a city that loves bikes.
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Tulip Fever
Deborah Moggach
4.3
A tale of art, beauty, lust, greed, deception and retribution -- set in a refined society ablaze with tulip fever.
In 1630s Amsterdam, tulipomania has seized the populace. Everywhere men are seduced by the fantastic exotic flower. But for wealthy merchant Cornelis Sandvoort, it is his young and beautiful wife, Sophia, who stirs his soul. She is the prize he desires, the woman he hopes will bring him the joy that not even his considerable fortune can buy.
Cornelis yearns for an heir, but so far he and Sophia have failed to produce one. In a bid for immortality, he commissions a portrait of them both by the talented young painter Jan van Loos. But as Van Loos begins to capture Sophia's likeness on canvas, a slow passion begins to burn between the beautiful young wife and the talented artist.
As the portrait unfolds, so a slow dance is begun among the household's inhabitants. Ambitions, desires, and dreams breed a grand deception--and as the lies multiply, events move toward a thrilling and tragic climax.
In this richly imagined international bestseller, Deborah Moggach has created the rarest of novels--a lush, lyrical work of fiction that is also compulsively readable. Seldom has a novel so vividly evoked a time, a place, and a passion.
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26
The Historian
Elizabeth Kostov
4.3
To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of, a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.
The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself--to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.
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The Words in My Hand
Guinevere Glasfurd
4.3
The Words in My Hand is the re-imagined true story of Helena Jans, a Dutch maid in 17th-century Amsterdam, who works for Mr. Sergeant, the English bookseller. When a mysterious and reclusive lodger arrives - the Monsieur - Mr Sergeant insists everything must be just so. It transpires that the Monsieur is René Descartes.
This is Helena's story: the woman in front of Descartes, a young woman who yearns for knowledge, who wants to write so badly she makes ink from beetroot and writes in secret on her skin - only to be held back by her position in society.
Weaving together the story of Descartes' quest for reason with Helena's struggle for literacy, their worlds overlap as their feelings deepen; yet remain sharply divided. For all Descartes' learning, it is Helena he seeks out as she reveals the surprise in the everyday world that surrounds him.
When reputation is everything and with so much to lose, some truths must remain hidden. Helena and Descartes face a terrible tragedy and ultimately have to decide if their love is possible at all.
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De engel van Amsterdam
Geert Mak
4.2
Drie jaar voordat 'Een kleine geschiedenis van Amsterdam' verscheen, publiceerde Geert Mak 'De engel van Amsterdam'. Het zijn twee totaal verschillende boeken, maar met dezelfde hoofdpersoon: de hoofdstad. Waar Mak in 'Een kleine geschiedenis van Amsterdam' het chronologische verhaal vertelt van pakweg tien eeuwen hoofdstad, van het ontstaan van de eerste woonkernen rond het jaar 1000 tot de moderne tijd, daar is 'De engel van Amsterdam' een soort stadskroniek geworden.
Het boek staat vol met verhalen en anekdotes over bijzondere mensen die in de loop der tijd de hoofdstad bevolkten en op een of andere manier een stempel op zijn geschiedenis drukten. Samen bieden die portretten een mooie blik op hoe Amsterdam zich in de loop der eeuwen ontwikkelde. De verhalen gaan over van alles en nog wat: over een huis aan de Burgwal, waarvan de geschiedenis die van de hele stad weerspiegelt, over de Noorderkerk, een van de weinige monumenten in de stad die nog in bijna oorspronkelijke staat te bewonderen zijn, over het Centraal Station en omliggend gebied met zijn junkies, mafkezen en sociale randgevallen, of over zomaar een bewoner van de stad, zoals CDA-politicus Theo Heijne, in wiens carrière je trekjes van een Shakespeariaans drama kunt ontwaren, over houseparty’s en de jeugdcultuur in de loop der tijd, over de gezondheidsdienst die zich ontfermt over vervuilde en verwaarloosde mensen, over de Scheldestraat, de ruggengraat van de stad, over het braakliggende KNSM-eiland met zijn van alcohol en geestverruimende middelen doordrenkte stadsnomaden.
De engel van Amsterdam is een liefdesverklaring aan een stad waar het heden soms genadeloos afrekent met het verleden. Als stadschroniqueur is Mak een soort beschermengel van Amsterdam.
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Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam
Rick Steves and Gene Openshaw
4.2
Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves! This colorful, compact guidebook is perfect for spending a week or less in Amsterdam:
City walks and tours: Six detailed tours and walks showcase Amsterdam's essential sights, including the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Anne Frank House, plus neighborhood walks through the Red Light District, Jordaan, and the historic city center
Rick's strategic advice on what experiences are worth your time and money
What to eat and where to stay: Sample pickled herring and friets with mayonnaise, chat with locals over a pint of pils, and cozy up in a canalside hotel
Day-by-day itineraries to help you prioritize your time
A detailed, detachable fold-out map, plus museum and city maps throughout Full-color, portable, and slim for exploring on-the-go
Trip-planning practicalities like when to go, how to get around, basic Dutch phrases, and more Lightweight yet packed with valuable insight into Amsterdam's history and culture, Rick Steves Pocket Amsterdam truly is a tour guide in your pocket. Expanding your trip? Try Rick Steves Amsterdam & the Netherlands!
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Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer
David Winner
4.2
If any one thing, Brilliant Orange is about Dutch space and a people whose unique conception of it has led to the most enduring arts, the weirdest architecture, and a bizarrely cerebral form of soccer—Total Football—that led in 1974 to a World Cup finals match with arch-rival Germany, and more recently to a devastating loss against Spain in 2010. With its intricacy and oddity, it continues to mystify and delight observers around the world. As David Winner wryly observes, it is an expression of the Dutch psyche that has a shared ancestry with Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie, Rembrandt's The Night Watch, and maybe even with Gouda cheese.
This is about Holland and Dutch football and what makes it special. I grew up in Holland, so I have a particular tie to this book. Actually I was in Amsterdam the winter that David Winner was there writing his book. We were both writing books and we’d occasionally meet for dinner. And I got to know David and I really liked him, but I thought ‘Poor old David, he’s going to write a book about Dutch football, and nobody’s going to read it.’ Also I grew up in Holland, and I thought, there’s nothing he can tell me about Dutch football, it’s all going to be old hat or he won’t get it right. But he gave the book to me in manuscript and I read it, and when I finished it, I just wanted to break out into applause. He did it beautifully. It’s completely original. David is a film buff so it has all these film references and it’s just very surprising. He interviews architects and rabbis about what makes Dutch football special. It’s not like other football books – he approaches football through architecture and space and landscape and painting, and it’s absurd, but it works. [source]
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31
Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges & Brussels 2007 (Rick Steves' City and Regional Guides)
Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw
4.2
Rick Steves doesn't just list where to travel in Europe, he leads travelers through the "Back Door," and reveals how to give every journey an extra, more authentic dimension. He shows travelers how to delve into European culture, make friends with the locals, and experience each region's natural wonders -- economically and hassle free. Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels 2003 is packed with opinionated advice on visiting top sights, such as Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, Bruges' 14th-century belfry, and La Grand Place in Brussels. This book provides a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy with visits to local markets, community theaters, and family-run chocolate shops. Also included is a broad array of dining and lodging options, from cheery cafeterias and backpackers' dorms to trendy cafes and elegant inns; self-guided walking tours that mix the famous and not-so-famous; practicalities, such as when to go, planning your time, estimated costs, red tape and taxes, and banking hours. This new edition has the most current information available in any European guidebook, based on research conducted during the summer before publication. "It's Rick Steves again, that one-man Euro-dynamo." -- Chicago Tribune
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Girl with a Pearl Earring
Tracy Chevalier
4.2
With precisely 35 canvases to his credit, the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer represents one of the great enigmas of 17th-century art. The meager facts of his biography have been gleaned from a handful of legal documents. Yet Vermeer's extraordinary paintings of domestic life, with their subtle play of light and texture, have come to define the Dutch golden age. His portrait of the anonymous Girl with a Pearl Earring has exerted a particular fascination for centuries - and it is this magnetic painting that lies at the heart of Tracy Chevalier's second novel of the same title.
Girl with a Pearl Earring centers on Vermeer's prosperous Delft household during the 1660s. When Griet, the novel's quietly perceptive heroine, is hired as a servant, turmoil follows. First, the 16-year-old narrator becomes increasingly intimate with her master. Then Vermeer employs her as his assistant--and ultimately has Griet sit for him as a model.
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Us
David Nicholls
4.2
Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen-year-old son, Albie; then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway. Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage and might even help him bond with Albie.
Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger.
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Fall
Albert Camus, Justin O'Brien
4.2
Jean-Baptiste Clamence, a successful Parisian barrister, has come to recognize the deep-seated hypocrisy of his existence. His epigrammatic and, above all, discomforting monologue gradually saps, then undermines, the reader's own complacency.
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Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)
Gayle Forman
4.2
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay.
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there's an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
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Top 10 Amsterdam
DK Eyewitness
4.2
Newly revised, updated, and redesigned for 2016.
True to its name, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Amsterdam covers all the city's major sights and attractions in easy-to-use "top 10" lists that help you plan the vacation that's right for you.
This newly updated pocket travel guide for Amsterdam will lead you straight to the best attractions the city has to offer, from the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House to the city's most scenic canals.
Expert travel writers have fully revised this edition of DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Amsterdam.
- Brand-new itineraries help you plan your trip to Amsterdam. - Expanded and far more comprehensive, new laminated pull-out map now includes color-coded design, public transportation maps, and street indexes to make it even easier to use. - Maps of walking routes show you the best ways to maximize your time. - New Top 10 lists feature off-the-beaten-track ideas, along with standbys like the top attractions, shopping, dining options, and more. - Additional maps marked with sights from the guidebook are shown on inside cover flaps, with selected street index and metro map. - New typography and fresh layout throughout. You'll still find DK's famous full-color photography and museum floor plans, along with just the right amount of coverage of the city's history and culture. A free pull-out city map is marked with sights from the guidebook and includes a street index and a metro map.
The perfect pocket-size travel companion: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Amsterdam.
Series Overview: For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more.
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide.
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13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope, #1)
Maureen Johnson
4.2
Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke about town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous though utterly romantic results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.
Ages 12+"
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Murder on Amsterdam Avenue (Gaslight Mystery, #17)
Victoria Thompson
4.2
In the midst of Sarah and Frank’s wedding preparations, Sarah accompanies her mother on a condolence call to the Upper West Side, where Charles Oakes, the son of family friends, has died unexpectedly after suffering from a mysterious disease. But Charles’s father believes his son was poisoned, and would like Sarah and Frank to look into the matter with the utmost discretion.
Putting off their own personal affairs, Sarah and Frank soon learn that not everyone wants to know more about Charles’s death, particularly if he was murdered. As they unravel secrets that reach back to the Civil War, they also discover that they are in the company of a very present danger…
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New York
Edward Rutherfurd
4.2
Edward Rutherfurd celebrates America’s greatest city in a rich, engrossing saga, weaving together tales of families rich and poor, native-born and immigrant—a cast of fictional and true characters whose fates rise and fall and rise again with the city’s fortunes. From this intimate perspective we see New York’s humble beginnings as a tiny Indian fishing village, the arrival of Dutch and British merchants, the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the city as a great trading and financial center, the convulsions of the Civil War, the excesses of the Gilded Age, the explosion of immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the trials of World War II, the near demise of New York in the 1970s and its roaring rebirth in the 1990s, and the attack on the World Trade Center. A stirring mix of battle, romance, family struggles, and personal triumphs, New York: The Novel gloriously captures the search for freedom and opportunity at the heart of our nation’s history.
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40
Rescued from the Ashes: The Diary of Leokadia Schmidt, Survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto
Leokadia Schmidt and Oscar E. Swan
4.2
The diary of a young Jewish housewife who, together with her husband and five-month-old baby, fled the Warsaw ghetto at the last possible moment and survived the Holocaust hidden on the “Aryan” side of town in the loft of a run-down tinsmith’s shed.
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41
A Widow for One Year
John Irvin
4.2
“One night when she was four and sleeping in the bottom bunk of her bunk bed, Ruth Cole woke to the sound of lovemaking—it was coming from her parents’ bedroom.”
This sentence opens John Irving’s ninth novel, A Widow for One Year, a story of a family marked by tragedy. Ruth Cole is a complex, often self-contradictory character—a “difficult” woman. By no means is she conventionally “nice,” but she will never be forgotten.
Ruth’s story is told in three parts, each focusing on a critical time in her life. When we first meet her—on Long Island, in the summer of 1958—Ruth is only four.
The second window into Ruth’s life opens on the fall of 1990, when she is an unmarried woman whose personal life is not nearly as successful as her literary career. She distrusts her judgment in men, for good reason.
A Widow for One Year closes in the autumn of 1995, when Ruth Cole is a forty-one-year-old widow and mother. She’s about to fall in love for the first time.
Richly comic, as well as deeply disturbing, A Widow for One Year is a multilayered love story of astonishing emotional force. Both ribald and erotic, it is also a brilliant novel about the passage of time and the relentlessness of grief. Source: john-irving.com
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DK Eyewitness Amsterdam
DK Eyewitness
4.2
Welcome to Amsterdam - a city where the past and present collide.
Whether you want to cruise the reflective waterways, wonder at the works of the Old Masters in the Rijksmuseum, or indulge in the city's hedonistic nightlife, your DK Eyewitness travel guide makes sure you experience all that Amsterdam has to offer.
Rich in heritage, Amsterdam's perfectly preserved 17th-century mansions invoke the wealth and majesty of the city's Golden Age. But Amsterdam is much more than it's opulent past. Bubbling with creativity and liberalism, the streets are awash with cutting-edge art, theatre, and food. And while night owls flock to the infamous Red Light District, families will find a huge mix of attractions and activities that won't fail to keep the kids entertained.
Our recently updated guide brings Amsterdam to life, transporting you there like no other travel guide does with expert-led insights and advice, detailed breakdowns of all the must-see sights, photographs on practically every page, and our hand-drawn illustrations which place you inside the city's iconic buildings and neighbourhoods.
You'll discover:
- our pick of Amsterdam's must-sees, top experiences, and hidden gems - the best spots to eat, drink, shop, and stay - detailed maps and walks make navigating the city easy - easy-to-follow itineraries - expert advice: get ready, get around, and stay safe - colour-coded chapters to every part of Amsterdam, from the Central Canal Ring to the Museum Quarter, Plantage to Noord - our new lightweight format, so you can take your guide with you wherever you go
Have less time? Try our pocket-friendly Top 10 Amsterdam for top 10 lists to all things Amsterdam.
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43
Wall and Piece
Banksy
4.2
Banksy, Britain's now-legendary "guerilla" street artist, has painted the walls, streets, and bridges of towns and cities throughout the world. Not only did he smuggle his pieces into four of New York City's major art museums, he's also "hung" his work at London's Tate Gallery and adorned Israel's West Bank barrier with satirical images. Banksy's identity remains unknown, but his work is unmistakable with prints selling for as much as $45,000.
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The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook: Breakfasts, Entrées, and More
Elana Amsterdam
4.2
The prevalence of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity among millions of adults and children has created the need for gluten-free recipes that are as nutritious and tasty as their traditional counterparts. Popular food blogger Elana Amsterdam offers ninety-nine family-friendly classics–from Pancakes to Eggplant Parmesan to Chocolate Cake–that feature her gluten-free ingredient of choice, almond flour. Because these recipes are low glycemic, low in cholesterol and dairy, and high in protein and fiber, they are also ideal for people with diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
So whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast treat, a comfort food entrée, or a showstopping dessert, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook proves that gluten-free cooking can mean healthy eating for everyone.
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45
Living on the Devil's Doorstep: International Adventures
Floyd McClung
4.2
When thousands of young people checked out of Western society and sought enlightenment in the East, Floyd and Sally McClung set aside the comforts of American suburbia and answered God's call to reach out to them with the gospel. In Kabul, Afghanistan, a key stop on the hippy trail, and later in Amsterdam, Holland, the West's own window to that trail, the McClungs committed themselves to meeting the penniless, the drugged, the sick, and the disillusioned right where they were. Whether among hippy seekers or the addicts and prostitutes of Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District, the McClungs lived out a message of hope.
Hippie trail from Afghanistan to Amsterdam, during the 60's. An ordinary young couple dared to set aside the comforts of American suburbia and committed themselves to stepping out in faith with the message of hope.
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46
Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused
Mike Dash
4.2
In the 1630s, visitors to the prosperous trading cities of the Netherlands couldn't help but notice that thousands of normally sober, hardworking Dutch citizens from every walk of life were caught up in an extraordinary frenzy of buying and selling. The object of this unprecedented speculation was the tulip, a delicate and exotic Eastern import that had bewitched horticulturists, noblemen, and tavern owners alike. For almost a year rare bulbs changed hands for incredible and ever-increasing sums, until single flowers were being sold for more than the cost of a house.
Historians would come to call it tulipomania. It was the first futures market in history, and like so many of the ones that would follow, it crashed spectacularly, plunging speculators and investors into economic ruin and despair.
This is the history of the tulip, from its origins on the barren, windswept steppes of central Asia to its place of honor in the lush imperial gardens of Constantinople, to its starring moment as the most coveted--and beautiful--commodity in Europe. Historian Mike Dash vividly narrates the story of this amazing flower and the colorful cast of characters--Turkish sultans, Yugoslav soldiers, French botanists, and Dutch tavern keepers--who were centuries apart historically and worlds apart culturally, but who all had one thing in common: tulipomania.
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Girl in Hyacinth Blue
Susan Vreeland
4.2
A professor invites a colleague from the art department to his home to view a painting he has kept secret for decades in Susan Vreeland's powerful historical novel, Girl in Hyacinth Blue. The professor swears it's a Vermeer -- but why exactly has he kept it hidden so long? The reasons unfold in a gripping sequence of stories that trace ownership of the work back to Amsterdam during World War II and still further to the moment of the painting's inception.
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48
Outsider in Amsterdam (Grijpstra & de Gier Mystery #1)
Janwillem Van De Wetering
4.2
On a quiet street in downtown Amsterdam, the founder of a new religious society/commune—a group that calls itself “Hindist” and mixes elements of various “Eastern” traditions—is found hanging from a ceiling beam. Detective-Adjutant Gripstra and Sergeant de Gier of the Amsterdam police are sent to investigate what looks like a simple suicide, but they are immediately suspicious of the circumstances.
This now-classic novel, first published in 1975, introduces Janwillem van de Wetering’s lovable Amsterdam cop duo of portly, worldly-wise Gripstra and handsome, contemplative de Gier. With its unvarnished depiction of the legacy of Dutch colonialism and the darker facets of Amsterdam’s free drug culture, this excellent procedural asks the question of whether a murder may ever be justly committed.
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49
Amsterdam Stories
Nescio, Damion Searls, et al.
4.2
No one has written more feelingly and more beautifully than Nescio about the madness and sadness, courage and vulnerability of youth: its big plans, and vague longings, not to mention the binges, crashes, and marathon walks and talks. No one, for that matter, has written with such pristine clarity about the radiating canals of Amsterdam and the cloud-swept landscape of the Netherlands. Who was Nescio? Nescio—Latin for “I don’t know”—was the pen name of J.H.F. Groenloh, the highly successful director of the Holland-Bombay Trading Company and a father of four—someone who knew more than enough about respectable maturity. Only in his spare time and under the cover of a pseudonym, as if commemorating a lost self, did he let himself go, producing over the course of his lifetime a handful of utterly original stories that contain some of the most luminous pages in modern literature. This is the first English translation of Nescio’s stories.
Contents: The freeloader When we were titans The writing on the wall Out along the IJ Little poet From an unfinished novel The valley of obligations The end Insula dei
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50
Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death
Flory A. Van Beek
4.2
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51
Lonely Planet Pocket Amsterdam
Lonely Planet, Catherine Le Nevez, et al.
4.2
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher
Lonely Planet's PocketAmsterdamis your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Soak up the artwork in the world's greatest Van Gogh museum, explore the medieval centre and the Royal Palace, and settle into a bruin café - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Amsterdam and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet's PocketAmsterdam:
Full-colour maps and images throughout Highlightsand itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Free, convenient pull-out Amsterdam map (included in print version), plus over 19 colour neighborhood maps User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time Covers Medieval Centre & Red Light District, Nieuwmarkt, Plantage & the Eastern Islands, Western Canal Ring, Southern Canal Ring, Jordaan & the West, Vondelpark & the South, De Pijp, Oosterpark & East of the Amstel, Amsterdam Noord, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Amsterdamis our colourful, easy to use, handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, providing on-the-go assistance for those seeking the best sights and experiences on a short visit or weekend away.
Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet's Netherlandsguide for an in-depth look at all the country has to offer.
About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.
'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times
'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)
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The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
Russell Shorto
4.2
When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving,polyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed: 12,000 pages of its records–recently declared a national treasure–are now being translated. Drawing on this remarkable archive, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative–a story of global sweep centered on a wilderness called Manhattan–that transforms our understanding of early America.
The Dutch colony pre-dated the “original” thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture. The Island at the Center of the World uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.
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53
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Amsterdam: 2019
DK Eyewitness
4.2
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Amsterdam will lead you straight to the best attractions this great city has to offer, including the Van Gogh Museum and the city's most scenic canals. Visit the city's finest art galleries, museums, and landmarks, and discover the flavors of Amsterdam -- from local cheeses and fresh fish to cozy cafes and gourmet restaurants. You'll find activities and itineraries to fit all tastes and budgets in this fully updated guide. The pull-out city map, clearly marked with sights from the guidebook, includes detailed street views of all the key areas. Transportation maps help you navigate public transportation, with information on how best to get around the city. There's even a chart showing the walking distances between major sights and attractions.
What's new in DK Eyewitness Travel Guides
New itineraries based on length of stay, regional destinations, and themes. Brand-new hotel and restaurants listings including DK's Choice recommendations. Restaurant locations plotted on redrawn area maps and listed with sights. Redesigned and refreshed interiors make the guides even easier to read. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that brighten every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Amsterdam truly shows you this city as no one else can.
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54
Lost Lake (Lost Lake, #1)
Sarah Addison Allen
4.1
From the author of the beloved bestseller Garden Spells comes a beautiful, haunting story of old loves and new, and the power of the connections that bind us forever...
The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.
That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby's past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that's left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.
It's a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.
Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve, before she learned of loneliness, and heartbreak, and loss. Now she's all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope too, thanks to her resilient daughter Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer... and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.
One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren't sure they needed in the first place: love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended. Can they find what they need before it's too late?
At once atmospheric and enchanting, Lost Lake shows Sarah Addison Allen at her finest, illuminating the secret longings and the everyday magic that wait to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.
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55
Adrenaline (Sam Capra, #1)
Jeff Abbott
4.1
"If you knew this was our final day together, what would you say to me?" "Anything but good-bye. I can't ever say good-bye to you."
ADRENALINE
Sam Capra is living the life of his dreams.
He's a brilliant young CIA agent, stationed in London. His wife Lucy is seven months pregnant with their first child. They have a wonderful home, and are deeply in love.
They have everything they could hope for...until they lose it all in one horrifying moment.
On a bright, sunny day, Sam receives a call from Lucy while he's at work. She tells him to leave the building immediately. He does...just before it explodes, killing everyone inside. Lucy vanishes, and Sam wakes up in a prison cell. As the lone survivor of the attack, he is branded by the CIA as a murderer and a traitor.
Escaping from the agency, Sam launches into a desperate hunt to save his kidnapped wife and child, and to reveal the unknown enemy who has set him up and stolen his family. But the destruction of Sam's life was only step on in an extraordinary plot-and now Sam must become a new kind of hero.
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56
Sister Peters in Amsterdam & Emma's Wedding
Betty Neels
4.1
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57
Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance
Ian Buruma
4.1
Ian Buruma returns to his native land to explore the great dilemma of our time through the story of the brutal murder of controversial Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh at the hands of an Islamic extremist. It was the emblematic crime of our moment: On a cold November day in Amsterdam, an angry young Muslim man, Mohammed Bouyeri, the son of Moroccan immigrants, shot and killed the celebrated and controversial Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, great-grandnephew of Vincent and iconic European provocateur, for making a movie with the vocally anti-Islam Somali-born Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali that "blasphemed" Islam. After Bouyeri shot van Gogh, he calmly stood over the body and cut his throat with a curved machete, as if performing a ritual sacrifice, which in a very real sense he was. The murder horrified quiet, complacent, prosperous Holland, a country that prides itself on being a bastion of tolerance, and sent shock waves across Europe and around the world. Shortly thereafter, Ian Buruma returned to his native country to try to make sense of it all and to see what larger meaning should and shouldn't be drawn from this story. The result is Buruma's masterpiece: a book with the intimacy and narrative control of a true-crime page-turner and the intellectual resonance we've come to expect from one of the most well-regarded journalists and thinkers of our time. Ian Buruma's entire life has led him to this narrative: In his hands, it is the exemplary tale of our age, the story of what happens when political Islam collides with the secular West and tolerance finds its limits.
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58
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
Dominic Smith
4.1
This is what we long for: the profound pleasure of being swept into vivid new worlds, worlds peopled by characters so intriguing and real that we can't shake them, even long after the reading's done. In his earlier, award-winning novels, Dominic Smith demonstrated a gift for coaxing the past to life. Now, in The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, he deftly bridges the historical and the contemporary, tracking a collision course between a rare landscape by a female Dutch painter of the golden age, an inheritor of the work in 1950s Manhattan, and a celebrated art historian who painted a forgery of it in her youth.
In 1631, Sara de Vos is admitted as a master painter to the Guild of St. Luke's in Holland, the first woman to be so recognized. Three hundred years later, only one work attributed to de Vos is known to remain--a haunting winter scene, At the Edge of a Wood, which hangs over the bed of a wealthy descendant of the original owner. An Australian grad student, Ellie Shipley, struggling to stay afloat in New York, agrees to paint a forgery of the landscape, a decision that will haunt her. Because now, half a century later, she's curating an exhibit of female Dutch painters, and both versions threaten to arrive. As the three threads intersect, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos mesmerizes while it grapples with the demands of the artistic life, showing how the deceits of the past can forge the present.
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59
Living among the Dead: My Grandmother's Holocaust Survival Story of Love and Strength
Adena Bernstein Astrowsky
4.1
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60
The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age
Simon Schama
4.1
At the apogee of its powers in the seventeenth century, Holland was a tiny island of prosperity in a sea of want. Its homes were well-furnished and fanatically clean; its citizens feasted on 100-course banquets and speculated fortunes on new varieties of tulip. Yet, in the midst of plenty, the Dutch were ill at ease. In this brilliantly innovative book--which launched his reputation as one of our most perspicacious and stylish historians--Simon Schama explores the mysterious contradictions of a nation that invented itself from the ground up, attained an unprecedented level of affluence, and lived in dread of being corrupted by its happiness.
Drawing on a vast array of period documents and sumptuously reproduced art, Schama re-creates, in precise and loving detail, a nation's mental furniture. He tells of bloody uprisings and beached whales, of the cult of hygiene and the plague of tobacco, of thrifty housewives and profligate tulip-speculators. He tells us how the Dutch celebrated themselves and how they were slandered by their enemies. The Embarrassment of Riches is a book that set a standard for its discipline; it throbs with life on every page.
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61
Holocaust Memoirs of a Bergen-Belsen Survivor & Classmate of Anne Frank
Nanette Blitz Konig and Rafa Lombardino
4.1
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62
The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelope, #2)
Maureen Johnson
4.1
Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.
Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.
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63
A Millennium of Amsterdam
Fred Feddes
4.1
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64
Annexed
Sharon Dogar
4.1
I look out the window into the street...I'm meant to be at Mr. Frank's workplace in a few hours. We're arriving separately, all of is. We'll walk into the building just like it was any other visit - only this time we'll never walk out again.
What was it like hiding in the Annex with Anne Frank? To be with Anne every day while she wrote so passionately in her diary? To be in a secret world within a world at war - alive on the inside, everything dying on the outside?
Peter Van Pels and his family have lost their country, their home, and their freedom, and now they are fighting desperately to remain alive.
Look through Peter's eyes.
He has a story to tell, too.
Are you listening?
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65
DK Eyewitness Travel Guide the Netherlands
DK Eyewitness
4.1
Your in-depth guide to the very best of the Netherlands. Make the most of your trip to this beautiful region with our DK Eyewitness Travel Guide.
Packed with insider tips to make your trip a success, you'll find a guide to the Netherlands's stunning architecture and its scenic drives that let you experience the best hotels, bars, and shops that the city and coast have to offer. Try local delicacies at fantastic restaurants, bars, and clubs, and enjoy the great views in spots that will take your breath away. We have the best hotels for every budget, plus fun activities for the solitary traveler or for families and children visiting the Netherlands.
Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: The Netherlands
- Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance. - Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights. - Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums. - Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area. - Area maps marked with sights. - Detailed city maps include street finder indexes for easy navigation. - Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights. - Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations. With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: The Netherlands truly shows you this destination as no one else can.
Series Overview: For more than two decades, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have helped travelers experience the world through the history, art, architecture, and culture of their destinations. Expert travel writers and researchers provide independent editorial advice, recommendations, and reviews. With guidebooks to hundreds of places around the globe available in print and digital formats, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides show travelers how they can discover more.
DK Eyewitness Travel Guides: the most maps, photographs, and illustrations of any guide. Visit TravelDK.com to learn more.
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66
Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital
Eric Manheimer
4.1
The inspiration for the NBC drama New Amsterdam and in the spirit of Oliver Sacks, this intensely involving memoir from a former medical director of a major NYC hospital looks poignantly at patients' lives and reveals the author's own battle with cancer.
Dr. Manheimer describes the plights of twelve very different patients--from dignitaries at the nearby UN, to supermax prisoners at Riker's Island, to illegal immigrants, and Wall Street tycoons.
Manheimer was not only the medical director of the country's oldest public hospital for over 13 years, but he was also a patient. As the book unfolds, the narrator is diagnosed with cancer, and he is forced to wrestle with the end of his own life even as he struggles to save the lives of others.
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67
The Ministry of Pain
Dubravka Ugresic
4.1
Having fled the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, Tanja Lucic is now a professor of literature at the University of Amsterdam, where she teaches a class filled with other young Yugoslav exiles, most of whom earn meager wages assembling leather and rubber S&M clothing at a sweatshop they call the "Ministry." Abandoning literature, Tanja encourages her students to indulge their "Yugonostalgia" in essays about their personal experiences during their homeland's cultural and physical disintegration. But Tanja's act of academic rebellion incites the rage of one renegade member of her class—and pulls her dangerously close to another—which, in turn, exacerbates the tensions of a life in exile that has now begun to spiral seriously out of control.
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68
An Address in Amsterdam: A Novel
Mary Dingee Fillmore
4.1
Rachel Klein hopes she can ignore the Nazis when they roll into Amsterdam in May 1940. She’s falling in love, and her city has been the safest place in the world for Jewish people since the Spanish Inquisition. But when Rachel’s Gentile boyfriend is forced to disappear rather than face arrest, she realizes that everything is changing, and so must she—so, although she is often tired and scared, she delivers papers for the underground under the Nazis’ noses. But after eighteen months of ever increasing danger, she pushes her parents to go into hiding with her. The dank basement where they take refuge seems like the last place where Rachel would meet a new man—but she does.
An Address in Amsterdam shows that, even in the most hopeless situation, an ordinary young woman can make the choice to act with courage—and even love.
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69
Pogingen iets van het leven te maken: Het geheime dagboek van Hendrik Groen, 83¼ jaar
Hendrik Groen
4.1
Hendrik Groen mag dan oud zijn, hij is nog lang niet dood en niet van plan zich eronder te laten krijgen. Toegegeven: zijn dagelijkse wandelingen worden steeds korter omdat de benen niet meer willen en hij moet regelmatig naar de huisarts. Technisch gesproken is hij bejaard. Maar waarom zou het leven dan alleen nog maar moeten bestaan uit koffiedrinken achter de geraniums en wachten op het einde? In korte, ogenschijnlijk luchtige, maar vooral openhartige dagboekfragmenten laat Hendrik Groen je een jaar lang meeleven met alle ups en downs van het leven in een verzorgingshuis in Amsterdam-Noord. Op de laatste dag van het jaar zal het nog moeilijk zijn om afscheid nemen van dit charmante personage...
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70
Lonely Planet The Netherlands
Lonely Planet, Nicola Williams, et al.
4.1
Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher*
Lonely Planet's The Netherlandsis your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Stroll the intricate canals of Amsterdam, revel in Utrecht's nightlife and stand amid acres of flowering colour in South Holland - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of The Netherlands and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet's The Netherlands:
Colour maps and images throughout Highlightsand itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Amsterdam, Haarlem, North Holland, Utrecht, Rotterdam, South Holland, Friesland, Central Netherlands, Maastricht and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's The Netherlands is our most comprehensive guide to the Netherlands, and is perfect for discovering both popular and offbeat experiences.
Looking for just the highlights? Check out PocketAmsterdam, our small, handy-sized guide featuring the top sights and attractions for a short visit or weekend away.
About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.
'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times
'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)
*Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017
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71
The Lover's Portrait (Zelda Richardson Mystery #1)
Jennifer S. Alderson
4.1
A portrait holds the key to recovering a cache of looted artwork, secreted away during World War II, in this captivating historical art thriller set in the 1940s and present-day Amsterdam.
When a Dutch art dealer hides the stock from his gallery – rather than turn it over to his Nazi blackmailer – he pays with his life, leaving a treasure trove of modern masterpieces buried somewhere in Amsterdam, presumably lost forever. That is, until American art history student Zelda Richardson sticks her nose in.
After studying for a year in the Netherlands, Zelda scores an internship at the prestigious Amsterdam Historical Museum, where she works on an exhibition of paintings and sculptures once stolen by the Nazis, lying unclaimed in Dutch museum depots almost seventy years later.
When two women claim the same painting, the portrait of a young girl entitled Irises, Zelda is tasked with investigating the painting’s history and soon finds evidence that one of the two women must be lying about her past. Before she can figure out which one it is and why, Zelda learns about the Dutch art dealer’s concealed collection. And that Irises is the key to finding it.
Her discoveries make her a target of someone willing to steal – and even kill – to find the missing paintings. As the list of suspects grows, Zelda realizes she has to track down the lost collection and unmask a killer if she wants to survive.
The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery draws on the author’s experiences gained while studying art history in the Netherlands and working for several Dutch museums.
All of the amateur sleuth mysteries in the Zelda Richardson Mystery Series are stand-alone novels and can be read in any order: The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery Marked for Revenge: An Art Heist Thriller
Related subjects include: women sleuths, historical mysteries, amateur sleuth books, murder mysteries, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), travel fiction, cultural heritage, suspense, art crime, art theft, World War II, art history.
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72
My Lvov: Holocaust Memoir of a twelve-year-old Girl
Janina Hescheles
4.1
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73
This Is Not a Love Story
Keren David
4.1
Kitty dreams of a beautiful life, but that's impossible in suburban London where her family is haunted by her father's unexpected death. So when her mum suggests moving to Amsterdam to try a new life, Kitty doesn't take much persuading. Will this be her opportunity to make her life picture perfect?
In Amsterdam she meets moody, unpredictable Ethan, and clever, troubled Theo. Two enigmatic boys, who each harbour their own secrets. In a beautiful city and far from home, Kitty finds herself falling in love for the first time.
But will love be everything she expected? And will anyone's heart survive?
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74
The Anatomy Lesson
Nina Siegal
4.1
Set on a single day in the Dutch Golden Age, this engrossing historical novel brilliantly imagines the complex story behind one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings
Commissioned by the Amsterdam surgeon's guild, "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp" was the first major work by Rembrandt to be proclaimed a masterpiece. The novel opens on the morning of the medical dissection, and, as they prepare for that evening's big event, it follows several characters: a one-handed coat thief called Aris the Kid, who is awaiting his turn at the gallows; Flora, the woman pregnant with his child who hopes to save him from the noose; Jan Fetchet, a curio collector who also moonlights as an acquirer of medical cadavers; René Descartes, who attended the dissection in the course of his quest to understand where the human soul resides; and the 26-year old young master himself, who feels a shade uneasy about his assignment. Then there's Pia, an art restorer who is examining the painting in contemporary times. As the story builds to its dramatic and inevitable conclusion, the events that transpire throughout the day sway Rembrandt to change his initial composition in a fundamental way.
Bringing to life the vivid world of Amsterdam in 1632, The Anatomy Lesson offers a rich slice of history and a textured story by a masterful young writer.
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75
Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes
Elana Amsterdam
4.1
A family-friendly collection of simple paleo recipes that emphasize protein and produce, from breakfasts to entrees to treats, from the popular gluten-free blogger of Elana's Pantry.
Whether you are looking to eliminate gluten, dairy, grains, or processed foods from your diet, Paleo cooking is the perfect solution for food allergy relief and better all-around health. Naturally based on the foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate for generations, the Paleo diet emphasizes meat and seafood, vegetables, fruit, and nuts.
Author and beloved food blogger Elana Amsterdam has been living grain free for over ten years; in Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry, Amsterdam offers up her streamlined techniques and recipes with minimal ingredients for busy cooks on the run. She transforms simple, classic family favorites such as pancakes and ice cream with Paleo-friendly ingredients like almond flour and coconut milk. Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry includes nearly 100 recipes featuring the Paleo mainstays of lean proteins and simple vegetable dishes, plus wholesome sweet treats—all free from grains, gluten, and dairy, and made with natural sweeteners.
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76
Wanderlost
Jen Malone
4.1
Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.
Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.
Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.
But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.
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77
Wees onzichtbaar
Murat Isik
4.1
De Bijlmermeer, begin jaren tachtig. De vijfjarige Turkse Metin komt met zijn ouders en zus naar Nederland. Het gezin gaat in de flat Fleerde wonen. Vader is een werkloze communist die overdag boeken van Marx leest en zich ’s avonds bezat met vrienden. Thuis is hij vaak gewelddadig en dan siddert het hele gezin. Metin vreest hem en maakt zich onzichtbaar. Maar langzaam – als de kinderen ouder worden en de moeder emancipeert – groeit het verzet tegen de vader.
Ondertussen verandert de Bijlmer ook. Bedoeld als vooruitstrevende wijk verwordt het tot een gevreesd getto met veel criminaliteit en hordes junks. Op een zondagavond in 1992 boort een Boeing 747 zich in de flat Kruitberg. Tientallen bewoners komen om. In de weken daarna lopen op Metins middelbare school de raciale spanningen op. De Bijlmer verandert in de jaren daarna definitief: ondanks fysiek verzet van activistische bewoners worden veel flats gesloopt, waaronder die van Metin.
WEES ONZICHTBAAR is een grootse epische roman over de wanhopige strijd van een gezin tegen een tirannieke vader en een prachtige coming of age van een sensitieve jongen die opgroeit in een onveilige wereld, gebaseerd op Murat Isiks eigen jeugd. Maar het is ook een schitterende en kleurrijke ode aan de Bijlmer.
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78
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay
4.1
(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook). P/V/G arrangements for every song from Coldplay's 2002 Grammy winner for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rock Performance by a Group. 11 tracks: Amsterdam • Clocks • Daylight • God Put a Smile upon Your Face • Green Eyes • In My Place • Politik • A Rush of Blood to the Head • The Scientist • Warning Sign • A Whisper. Also available in a Guitar Recorded Versions edition (00690593/$19.95).
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79
De levens van Jan Six
Geert Mak
4.1
Dit is het verhaal van Jan Six, zijn familie en zijn vele levens. Zijn portret geldt als het mooiste dat zijn vriend Rembrandt ooit maakte, het hangt – uniek – nog steeds in het familiehuis aan de Amstel. Jan kende iedereen in het 17e-eeuwse Amsterdam, van Vondel tot Spinoza. Maar wat ging er werkelijk om in het hoofd van deze 17e-eeuwse patriciër en kunstverzamelaar? Zijn kladboek is bewaard gebleven in het rijke familiearchief: duizenden aantekeningen, variërend van recepten, anekdotes en godsdienstige beschouwingen tot zeldzaam schunnige grappen.
Na hem kwamen nieuwe mannen: binnen de familie Six heet de oudste zoon van de oudste zoon altijd weer Jan Six, tot de dag van vandaag. Ze werden burgemeester en wetenschapper, ze verwierven grote rijkdom en strompelden soms ook weer gebocheld, arm en eenzaam door het leven. Het is allemaal verstopt in datzelfde familiehuis: in eindeloze correspondenties, door vier eeuwen heen, over kleine en grote zaken – zelfs met George Washington – in dagboeken en notities en in alles wat de Sixen verder bewaarden, tot hun balboekjes toe. De levens van Jan Six is het verhaal van een Amsterdamse elitefamilie door vier eeuwen heen. Het is tegelijk het verhaal van de stad en de tijdgeest, van ambities en beperkingen, van grandeur en de eeuwige angst voor de neergang.
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80
Amsterdam in 1597. Kroniek van een cruciaal jaar
Arie de Groot, Geraldine van Heemstra, et al.
4.1
We schrijven het jaar 1597. Cornelis Claeszoon is de belangrijkste boekhandelaar en uitgever van Amsterdam. Dagelijks ziet hij de gebeurtenissen in de stad aan zich voorbijtrekken. In twintig jaar tijd heeft Amsterdam zich ontwikkeld van Hollandse handelsplaats tot wereldstad, met een verdubbeld aantal inwoners. Het begin van de Gouden Eeuw.
Claeszoon is de eerste die het verslag van de avontuurlijke reis van Willem Barentsz naar Nova Zembla in handen krijgt en uitgeeft. Hij is er getuige van hoe Amsterdam aan een enorme stadsbrand ontsnapt en ziet hoe de schepen van de eerste expeditie naar Oost-Indië behouden terugkeren.
1597 is ook het jaar waarin de republiek door de militaire successen van Maurits voor het eerst een gesloten gebied wordt en Pieter Bast zijn beroemde vogelvluchtkaart van de stad publiceert. 1597 is het sleuteljaar waarin Amsterdam de wereld, en de wereld Amsterdam leert kennen.
Historicus Gabri van Tussenbroek weet door grondige research nauwgezet in te zoomen op een belangrijke, onderbelichte periode in de Nederlandse geschiedenis. Aan de hand van de historische figuur Cornelis Claeszoon volgen we de maanden van het jaar, met als resultaat meeslepende, verhalende geschiedschrijving in optima forma.
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81
History of a Pleasure Seeker
Richard Mason
4.1
Piet Barol, the titular pleasure seeker, is a priapic, ambitious young man come to seek his fortune in belle époque Amsterdam. Unlike Frédéric Moreau in Flaubert's L'Éducation sentimentale (to which this book owes no meagre debt), Piet is magnificently gifted, not only "extremely attractive to most women and to many men," but also a fine pianist, draughtsman and lover. We first meet him interviewing for the role of tutor to the son of the wealthy hotelier, Maarten Vermeulen-Sickerts. All is not well in his gilded household. Egbert, the son, is agoraphobic. The matriarch, Jacobina, hasn't been touched by her husband in almost a decade. Into this highly strung atmosphere comes Piet, charged with the task of freeing Egbert from his paralysing fear of the outside world. We soon realise, however, that Egbert isn't the only one in need of help. Piet sets about liberating the libidos of the repressed family through music – championing bawdy Bizet over abstract Bach – and oral sex. While the setting is Dutch, the influences are French – think Bel-Ami, Les Liaisons dangereuses and Gide's L'Immoraliste.
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82
The Discovery of Heaven
Harry Mulisch and Paul Vincent
4.1
The Discovery of Heaven begins with the meeting of Onno and Max, two complicated individuals whom fate has mysteriously and magically brought together, They share responsibility for the birth of a remarkable and radiant boy who embarks on a mandated quest that takes the reader all over Europe and to the land where all such quests begin and end. Abounding in philosophical, psychological and theological inquiries - yet laced with humour that is as infectious as it is wilful - The Discovery of Heaven convinces us that it just might be possible to bring order into the chaos of the world through a story.
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83
National Geographic Walking Amsterdam: The Best of the City
Pip Farquharson
4.1
See the best of Amsterdam with this streamlined walking guide, complete with 11 step-by-step itineraries and maps, to help you explore the city like a pro and navigate like a local. Created in a handy, take-along format, this guide is written by a seasoned travel writer to help conjure the spirit of the place in elegant text enhanced by National Geographic's famous eye for good pictures. More than just a guidebook, Walking Amsterdam is full of information about the city and its people. The guide is divided into the following sections:
The Whirlwind Tours section shows you how to see the entire city in a day or a weekend; what sites will interest kids most; plus tours catered to shoppers and history lovers.
The Neighborhoods section presents the city broken down into six itineraries that lead you to the best sites in each of the city's greatest neighborhoods--from Niewe Zijde and Oude Zijde to the Museum District and New South. Each itinerary includes such special features as "Distinctly Amsterdam...," highlighting quintessential aspects of the city (tulips, Genever & beer, and Dutch design); "Best Of," providing specific thematic groupings of sights, such as biking around town, canals, and Dutch food; and "in-depth" spreads that take a deep dive into a major museum or other iconic sight along the route.
Travel Essentials provides information on how to get to the city and how to get around once you're there, as well as hand-picked hotels and restaurants.
Walking Amsterdam is part of an exciting pocket-guide series from National Geographic that showcases the world's great cities. Travelers will find top-notch, streamlined, and useful local knowledge that goes beyond the Internet basics to ensure a rewarding, authentic, and memorable urban experience.
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84
Fodor's Amsterdam: With the Best of the Netherlands
Fodor's Travel Guides
4.1
Written by locals, Fodor's Amsterdam is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider tips to make the most out their visit. Complete with detailed maps and concise descriptions, this Amsterdam travel guide will help you plan your trip with ease. Join Fodor's in exploring one of the most exciting cities in Europe.
Amsterdam's greatest charm may also be its greatest enigma: how can such a gracious, historical treasure house also multitask as the most offbeat metropolis in the world? From Rembrandts to rock and roll, the city has always been a mesmerizing mix of old and new. Fodor's curated coverage includes the best of the country beyond Amsterdam, including Haarlem, the Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam.
Fodor's Amsterdam includes:
-PULLOUT MAP AND DETAILED MAPS: A handy PULLOUT map noted with top attractions and nearby dining will help you navigate on the go. Four nifty neighborhood walks are also included. Full-color and full-size street maps throughout will help you plan efficiently and get around confidently. -ITINERARIES AND TOP RECOMMENDATIONS: Multiple sample itineraries to help you plan each day and make the most of your time. Includes tips on where to eat, stay, and shop as well as information about nightlife, sports and the outdoors. "Fodor's Choice" designates our best picks in every category. -INDISPENSABLE TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS: The "Top Attractions," "If You Like," and "With Kids" features make planning a snap. "Best Bets" for restaurants and hotels help travelers find the top options by price and experience. A new section on bicycling in Amsterdam includes tips on bike-route etiquette; listings for the best rental and tour companies; and a route map. -COVERS: Centrum, the Canal Ring, the Jordaan and the Leidseplein, the Museum District and the Pijp, as well as sidetrips to Broek-in-Waterland, Marken, Volendam, Kinderdijk, and much more.ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor's has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years.
Planning on visiting other destinations in Europe? Check out Fodor's Essential Italy, Fodor's Essential Spain, and Fodor's Essential France.
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85
The Ice Princess (Patrik Hedström, #1)
Camilla Lackberg, Steven T. Murray
4.0
Returning to her hometown of Fjallbacka after the funeral of her parents, writer Erica Falck finds a community on the brink of tragedy. The death of her childhood friend, Alex, is just the beginning. Her wrists slashed, her body frozen in an ice-cold bath, it seems that she has taken her own life.
Erica conceives a book about the beautiful but remote Alex, one that will answer questions about their own shared past. While her interest grows into an obsession, local detective Patrik Hedstrom is following his own suspicions about the case. But it is only when they start working together that the truth begins to emerge about a small town with a deeply disturbing past.
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86
The Rough Guide to Amsterdam
Rough Guides
4.0
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH Discover Amsterdam with this comprehensive, entertaining, 'tell it like it is' Rough Guide, packed with exhaustive practical information and our experts' honest independent recommendations. Whether you plan to explore the Museum District, visit the moving Anne Frank Huis, hole up in a cosy brown cafe or cycle the leafy lanes of Vondel park, The Rough Guide to Amsterdam will show you the perfect places to explore, sleep, eat, drink and shop along the way. -Detailed regional coverage: provides in-depth practical information for everystep of every kind of trip, from intrepid off-the-beaten-track adventures, to chilled-outbreaks in popular tourist areas. Regions covered include: Old Centre; Red Light District; Grachtengordel; Jordaan; western docklands; old Jewish quarter; Plantage; eastern docklands; Amsterdam Noord; NDSM shipyard; Museum Quarter; DePijp; Amsterdamse Bos. -Honest independent reviews: written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and expertise, and recommendations you can truly trust, our writers will help you get the mostfrom your trip to Amsterdam. -Meticulous mapping: always full colour, with clear numbered, colour-coded keys. Navigate the trendy NDSM Wharf neighbourhood, the narrow streets of Jordaan and many more locations without needing to get online. -Fabulous full-colour photography: features a richness of inspirational colour photography, including postcard-pretty Begijnh of and the colourful Bloemen market. -Things not to miss: Rough Guides' rundown of Amsterdam's best sights and top experiences, including Koninklijk Paleis, the Anne FrankHuis, Joods Historisch Museum, EYE Filmmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Itineraries: carefully planned routes will help youorganise your trip, and inspire and inform your on-the-road experiences. Basics section: packed with essential pre-departure information includinggetting there, getting around, accommodation, food and drink, health, themedia, festivals, sports and outdoor activities, culture and etiquette, shopping and more. Background information: comprehensive Contexts chapter provides fascinatinginsights into Amsterdam, with coverage of history, religion, ethnic groups, environment, wildlife and books, plus a handy language section and glossary. About Rough Guides: Rough Guides have been inspiring travellers for over 35 years, with over 30 million copies sold. Synonymous with practical travel tips, quality writing and a trustworthy 'tell it like it is' ethos, the Rough Guides' list includes more than 260 travel guides to 120+ destinations, gift-books and phrasebooks.
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87
A Cold Death in Amsterdam (Lotte Meerman #1)
Anja de Jager
4.0
Set in Amsterdam, the novel introduces Lotte Meerman, a Cold Case detective still recovering from the emotional devastation of her previous investigation. A tip-off leads Lotte to an unresolved ten-year-old murder case in which her father was the lead detective. When she discovers irregularities surrounding the original investigation that make him a suspect, she decides to cover for him. She doesn't tell her boss about the family connection and jeopardises her career by hiding evidence. Now she has to find the real murderer before her acts are discovered, otherwise her father will go to jail and she will lose her job, the one thing in life she still takes pride in
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88
The Lady Tree (Lady Tree Trilogy #1)
Christie Dickason
4.0
A magnificent novel that vividly evokes the atmosphere of a seventeenth century English country estate, and the seething intrigue of Rembrandt's Amsterdam where the population is in the grip of a fever of tulip trading. It is the Summer of 1636. In England botanist John Nightingale hides from his dangerous past at Hawkridge House, deep in the tranquillity of the countryside. In Holland, the population is gripped by a fever of speculation. Fortunes are gambled on the commodity markets, trading in spices, grain and even rare tulips. Blackmailed into leaving Hawkridge to join an elaborate money-making scheme in Amsterdam, a city of frenzied greed and luxury, haunted by the ever-nearer demons of his past, and falling in love with two very different women, John Nightingale must learn quickly the ways of the world.
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89
Save my Children: An Astonishing Tale of Survival and its Unlikely Hero
Leon Kleiner and Edwin Stepp
4.0
A young Jewish boy and his siblings fleeing a world destroyed by hate. A notoriously cruel anti-Semite hunting for Jews. Why did this murderer risk his own life to save the children?
An 11-year-old boy and his siblings fight for survival after the evil of the Nazi regime descends upon Poland. Time after time, they miraculously escape certain death as the murderous fascists attempt to make their hometown of Tluste Judenrein. Their luck seems to have run out when the Germans order to liquidate their work camp.
Unexpected help comes from Timush, a man known for his terrible deeds against the Jews. After hearing their mother shout to him in a desperate plea, "Save my children!" as she is marched to her execution, Timush amazingly risks his own life to make sure they survive.
'Save my Children' is the true story of the transformation of a man once filled with hate and violence who made the ultimate sacrifice to save the people he once sought to kill.
A unique story inspiring hope that hatred can be overcome
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90
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank
Nathan Englander
4.0
These eight new stories from the celebrated novelist and short-story writer Nathan Englander display a gifted young author grappling with the great questions of modern life, with a command of language and the imagination that place Englander at the very forefront of contemporary American fiction.
The title story, inspired by Raymond Carver’s masterpiece, is a provocative portrait of two marriages in which the Holocaust is played out as a devastating parlor game. In the outlandishly dark “Camp Sundown” vigilante justice is undertaken by a group of geriatric campers in a bucolic summer enclave. “Free Fruit for Young Widows” is a small, sharp study in evil, lovingly told by a father to a son. “Sister Hills” chronicles the history of Israel’s settlements from the eve of the Yom Kippur War through the present, a political fable constructed around the tale of two mothers who strike a terrible bargain to save a child. Marking a return to two of Englander’s classic themes, “Peep Show” and “How We Avenged the Blums” wrestle with sexual longing and ingenuity in the face of adversity and peril. And “Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother’s Side” is suffused with an intimacy and tenderness that break new ground for a writer who seems constantly to be expanding the parameters of what he can achieve in the short form.
Beautiful and courageous, funny and achingly sad, Englander’s work is a revelation.
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91
De Cock en de wurger op zondag (De Cock, #2)
A.C. Baantjer
4.0
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92
I am Rembrandt's Daughter
Lynn Cullen
4.0
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93
Kees de jongen
Theo Thijsse
4.0
“Vele mensen schijnen Kees Bakels niet eens te hebben gekend, en dat is eigenlijk niet goed te begrijpen. Is hij niet zowat de belangrijkste jongen geweest, die er ooit heeft bestaan?”
Na de vele herdrukken en verfilming van Kees de jongen sinds de eerste druk in 1923, kunnen we rustig stellen dat deze beginregels inmiddels hun geldigheid hebben verloren: is er nu nog iemand die níet van Kees Bakels, die níet van Kees de jongen heeft gehoord?
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94
Lonely Planet Amsterdam
Lonely Planet, Catherine Le Nevez, et al.
4.0
Spanish language edition of Lonely Planet's Amsterdam
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95
Rembrandt, 1606-1669: The Mystery of the Revealed Form
Michael Bockemühl
4.0
Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-1669) was one of the most complex and multi-faceted artists of the 17th century. From his initial period in Leiden to his earlier and later phases in Amsterdam, the stages of Rembrandt's career mirror the artistic and intellectual developments of the century.
After breaking off his studies in Leiden, the young Rembrandt trained as a painter for two years and eventually established his own painting workshop. Characteristic of the Leiden period are his biblical histories, such as The Raising of Lazarus, but the roots of Rembrandt's portraiture, nourished by his intensive studies of physiognomy, also are to be found in these same years. Later, in Amsterdam, the perfection of Rembrandt's likenesses initially won him the favor of numerous patrons- but the artist soon surpassed their expectations. Transcending traditional modes of presentation, Rembrandt composed his portraits in the same manner he had earlier constructed his scenes. The results are visible, for example, in the famous group portrait The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp from 1632.
In the last phase of Rembrandt's work - when, plagued by financial problems, he had withdrawn into seclusion - it is no longer possible to distinguish between event paintings and portraits.
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96
Until I Find You
John Irving
4.0
Every major character in Until I Find You has been marked for life – not only William Burns, a church organist who is addicted to being tattooed, but also William's song, Jack, an actor who is shaped as a child by his relationships with older women. And Jack's mother, Alice – a Toronto tattoo artist – has been permanently damaged by William's rejection of her. This is a novel about the loss of innocence, on many levels.
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97
Night Market (Detective Henk van der Pol #2)
Daniel Pembre
4.0
'The Henning Mankell of Amsterdam' - Bill Rogers, author of The Pick, The Spade and The Crow
When Henk van der Pol is asked by the Justice Minister to infiltrate a team investigating an online child exploitation network, he can hardly say no - he's at the mercy of prominent government figures in The Hague. But he soon realises the case is far more complex than he was led to believe... Picking up from where The Harbour Master ended, this new investigation sees Detective Van der Pol once again put his life on the line as he wades the murky waters between right and wrong in his search for justice.
Sometimes, to catch the bad guys, you have to think like one. . .
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98
Amsterdam 2012
Ruth Francisc
4.0
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99
Midwinter Break
Bernard MacLaverty
4.0
Sixteen years on from his last novel, Bernard MacLaverty reminds us why he is regarded as one of the greatest living Irish writers. A retired couple, Gerry and Stella Gilmore, fly from their home in Scotland to Amsterdam for a long weekend—a holiday to refresh the senses, to do some sightseeing, and generally to take stock of what remains of their lives. Their relationship seems safe, easy, familiar. But over the course of the four days we discover the deep uncertainties that exist between them.
Gerry, once an architect, is forgetful and set in his ways. Stella is tired of his lifestyle, worried about their marriage, and angry at his constant undermining of her religious faith. Things are not helped by memories that have begun to resurface of a troubled time in their native Ireland. As their midwinter break comes to an end, we understand how far apart they are—and can only watch as they struggle to save themselves. MacLaverty is a master storyteller, and Midwinter Break is the essential MacLaverty novel: accurate, compassionate observation; effortlessly elegant writing; and a tender, intimate, heartrending story. Yet it is also a profound examination of human love and how we live together, a chamber piece of real resonance and power. Forty years after his first book, MacLaverty has written his masterpiece.
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100
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (Kari + Lucas Mysteries, #1)
Susan Runholt
4.0
If it hadn't been for Lucas's photographic memory, they might not have remembered the man. It had been almost a year since she and Kari had noticed him copying the famous Rembrandt painting in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. But now in the National Gallery in London, they're sure it's the same guy, copying another Rembrandt. What is going on?
The International Herald Tribune gives them their answer. A never-before-seen Rembrandt painting has been discovered in Amsterdam. The mysterious man must've been working on a forgery! Convinced that no one will believe them without more evidence, the teenage sleuths embark on a madcap adventure to find the forger. But is bringing the criminal to justice worth the price of their lives?
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