I started this book over a year ago, in preparation for moving to Amsterdam, but for some reason put it down and only now got the urge to pick it back up. But I really enjoyed it (probably even more so now, in light of having lived there). I love the inclusion of individuals’ stories (which highlight some very very interesting people), and was intrigued by the study of how the city has developed under the direction of liberalism. The concept of a “society of individuals” is one that will stick with me.

Very lucky to get this ebook for free from Samsung. Started reading it today. History of Amsterdam written by an American, so I am exited to read it. He also wrote a book about Manhattan called "Island at the Center of the world", which I 'dlike to read as well.

I listened to this book on Audible, and I enjoyed so much I will probably read the hardback version. The history of Amsterdam covers both the political and cultural contributions of the Dutch society to medicine, trade, philosophy, and the arts. Of particular interest to me as Jew, was the history of the Jewish culture in Amsterdam. This history included Spinoza's impact as well as the Nazi invasion in which so Jews were sent off to concentration camps. Of course, Anne Frank being one of the most famous. Great book!

In preparation for a summer trip to Amsterdam (and Ghent), I wanted to immerse myself in the history of this well-known city and learn more about the people, events and natural forces (i.e. the encroaching North Sea) that shaped this capital of commerce. Russell Shorto is the perfect guide for this purpose. He is an American writer who lives in Amsterdam. His prose is crisp and colorful as he weaves his day-to-day life with the powerful narratives that forged, not only the beginnings of capitalism, but the beginnings of liberalism—an emphasis on individual rights.

People tend to think of Amsterdam as a wild party town with the “coffee shop” marijuana bars and a red light district with legal prostitution on open display. All of this being the result of the Dutch legal philosophy of gedogen or toleration. But the Dutch people are not by any stretch a loose-living, hard partying people. They tend to be conservative, stoic and hard-working. For centuries they’ve worked together to stave off the sea and carve out a profitable existence. Their spirit of persistence and cooperation has made them a very independent-minded and flexible citizenry. Shorto presents the thesis that Amsterdam is the birthplace of Liberalism—not exactly the American brand of liberalism, but a unique emphasis on individual freedom that is more akin to American Libertarianism. The people of Amsterdam are the product of their environment and it made them resilient and ungovernable in any feudal milieu.

From the flame-retardant host that put the city on the holy relics tour map to the rise of the herring trade and beginnings of modern branding, Shorto deftly navigates readers through the major upheaval of the Dutch Revolt against Hapsburg Spain and the resulting Golden Age of commerce and art that made the Dutch Provinces a colonial and global power.

I learned so much in reading this book:

I was introduced to Baruch Spinoza, the Jewish secular philosopher, who rocked the religious world with his writings—a man so controversial in his worldview that he was excommunicated by his own Jewish religious leaders, a group known for questioning and arguing everything.

I also learned that Amsterdam was the birthplace of the first true stock market with shareholders purchasing stock certificates of the trading company known as the VOC (The Dutch East India Company: the first true corporation). Not only was this the beginnings of a proto-capitalism, but it became the breeding ground for the kind of corruption, greed and scandals that led to the 2008 financial crisis. Short selling and Ponzi schemes are nothing new—they were common in Golden Age Amsterdam.

I also enjoyed discovering the writer Multatuli, the pen-name for Eduard Douwes Dekker, a civil servant who wrote the satirical novel, Max Havelaar which cast a harsh spotlight on the cruelty and corruption of the Dutch colonial system. Dekker’s seminal novel and his later writings would make him the father of social justice movements right up to today.

If you want to know more about the history and the people of this fabled city, I can’t recommend this book enough. I'm confidently heading to Amsterdam, with more preparation and knowledge than any travel guide book could have possibly offered.

Thanks for the amazing tour, Mr. Shorto.

Another great book by Russell Shorto. Shorto is an American who has written about all things Dutch for many years. He lives and works in Amsterdam with his wife and young child and his love and fascination for the Dutch and their outlook on life and the world is evident throughout this book.

It was clear that this book was an exploration of the roots of the famously “liberal” city in which he resides. He starts - and continuously references - the definitions of economic and social liberalism and makes the reader intensely aware of the fact that what WE think of “liberalism” is not what has motivated the Dutch of Amsterdam (and beyond), but it is liberalism none the less.

What IS the definition of Dutch liberalism? I will let you read the book to get the full understanding, but I’m shorthand it is this: mind your own fucking business and let others do their thing. A pretty good way to live, and one that many Americans seem to have a hard time following.

Why did this develop? Because this has been a nation of commerce since its inception, and it just isn’t good business to try to mind other people’s business.

The other aspect of the book that was just fascinating - and which weaves itself throughout the book and all of Dutch history - is the interplay between communalism and individualism. This is not a communist or socialist country, quite the opposite. It’s roots in capitalism are far older than ours here in the US. But, this nation of shop keepers, businessmen, and farmers had to band TOGETHER to hold back the water...so that their INDIVIDUAL businesses could thrive. This gives them a bedrock understanding that the INDIVUDUAL can only thrive when the COMMUNITY works together to provide a firm foundation of support.

If you haven’t read his other books, find “An Island at the Center of the World” about the Dutch roots of NYC. It will help you understand why this city is so profoundly different than all other American cities....perhaps with the strange exception of Albany NY. (Read the book to find out why.).

Useful for getting a sense of the city's history ahead of a trip there.