Amsterdam:The Life of a City

by Geoffrey Cotterell

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Ian Beardsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Cotterell provides fascinating little anecodotes to make the history "come alive", many of them went over my head due to my sad lack of insight into the European historical context, especially those of the complex Spanish Imperial (1500-1650) period. I often found that he would gloss over important details of history, assuming the reader would know about how the political structures of the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and the early Dutch States all fit together, while giving inside jokes and knowing tips about why such and such was happening with so and so in the North and South Holland states. However, as I understood more of the 20th Century context, his descriptions of Amsterdam life during WWII and its aftermath were much more coherent and enjoyable.

If you can get past any feelings of your own historical ignorance, you can still get a lot just out of his lovely descriptions of the canals, the inns and taverns, and the mood of the citizenry at various periods in this key city's evolutionary history and how it became such an influential center of trade and commerce to shape Europe. Obviously the author has spent much time in the city, and that sense of familiarity shines through all of his descriptions.