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Amsterdam: A Brief History

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" A Brief History" presents a comprehensive look at the city's transformation from a bloodthirsty Empire to a romantic and thriving capital. This compact digital compendium helps you track the diverse forces that shaped the city as we know it. You'll explore the exciting history behind the city's major cultural, economic, and architectural mainstays.



You'll also gain valuable insight into groundbreaking Dutch events and major figures down through history,




World War II
Golden Age Expansion
Rembrandt and van Gogh
The "Legalizing" of Drugs
The Introduction of Supperclubs



...and more.

Kindle Edition

First published June 17, 2011

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
6,222 reviews41 followers
January 16, 2016
The author starts out by saying that tolerance rules the Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam.

About 480 years ago a guy took over the town to set up a new religious state. Catholic forces ended up defeating him and executing him. Then the Catholics fought the Protestants, both fought the Anabaptists, and the Spanish came in to fight all of them.


The situation was you had a place that was absolutely full of intolerance and, apparently, the people who lived there, once free of these controlling forces, decided they had had enough of this hate and wanted to change things, going to the other end of the control spectrum. Various oppressed people took refuge in Amsterdam to escape from their oppressors.

The date of the founding of the city is unknown. So is it's original name. The book then goes into the history of the Dutch East India trading Company and the first stock exchange. The book notes around 60,000 Jews in Amsterdam were killed by the Nazis.

There are far fewer restrictions on drugs than in the U.S. Prostitution is also legal and regulated. This is a very fascinating book.
Profile Image for Christine.
7,230 reviews571 followers
July 11, 2011
This brief history of Amtserdam attempts to focus on the aspects of the culture that make the Netherlands tolerant. It is too short for that, and instead, seems to be in love with drugs. Like other Brief Histories, the structure is theme based.
Profile Image for Audra.
394 reviews46 followers
October 14, 2011
I'll be honest,I did not know much about Amsterdam until I read this and it seems like a place I would like to visit.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

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