Why The Dutch Are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands
Why The Dutch Are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands book cover

Why The Dutch Are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands

Paperback – September 5, 2017

by
Price
$12.52
Format
Paperback
Pages
304
Publisher
Nicholas Brealey
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1857886856
Dimensions
5 x 0.75 x 7.75 inches
Weight
7.8 ounces

Description

A book as quietly appealing as its subject and full of fascinating details. Coates is entirely convincing in his affectionate portrait.― Prospect A striking portrait of the Netherlands in the 21st century, offering a refreshing and long overdue update of the way the Dutch national character is described.― Edinburgh Book Review Fascinating. Thoroughly researched and well thought out, Why the Dutch are Different takes us on a journey that goes beyond red-lit windows and Anne Frank to the true depths of the country. Ben Coates's day-to-day life sits effortlessly alongside deeper dives into history and folklore. A friendly read that strikes the right balance between teaching and entertaining.― The Bookbag I thoroughly recommend this book. Why the Dutch are Different provides the answers to all the questions I had but didn't dare ask about the Netherlands. I eagerly sat up late into the night reading, laughing often and enjoying the ride into my adopted homeland.― DutchNews In Why the Dutch are Different , a torch beam of scrutiny plays across the country's past and its lesser known foibles. Author Ben Coates has produced an insightful gem.― Scotsman - Books of the Year One of the few books on our near-neighbour, Coates gets under the skin of a nation renowned for its liberalism.― The Bookseller Vivid and informative. Coates intertwines the nationâ??s journey to its modern iteration with his own adaptation to the Dutch lifestyle. An accomplished debut.― Geographical Ben Coates was born in Britain in 1982, lives in Rotterdam with his Dutch wife, and now works for an international charity. During his career he has been a political advisor, corporate speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker. He has written articles for numerous publications including the Guardian , Financial Times and Huffington Post . ben-coates.com

Features & Highlights

  • *A SCOTSMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR*
  • Stranded at Schiphol airport, Ben Coates called up a friendly Dutch girl he'd met some months earlier. He stayed for dinner. Actually, he stayed for good. In the first book to consider the hidden heart and history of the Netherlands from a modern perspective, the author explores the length and breadth of his adopted homeland and discovers why one of the world's smallest countries is also so significant and so fascinating. It is a self-made country, the Dutch national character shaped by the ongoing battle to keep the water out from the love of dairy and beer to the attitude to nature and the famous tolerance. Ben Coates investigates what makes the Dutch the Dutch, why the Netherlands is much more than Holland and why the colour orange is so important. Along the way he reveals why they are the world's tallest people and have the best carnival outside Brazil. He learns why Amsterdam's brothels are going out of business, who really killed Anne Frank, and how the Dutch manage to be richer than almost everyone else despite working far less. He also discovers a country which is changing fast, with the Dutch now questioning many of the liberal policies which made their nation famous.A personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history and an entertaining travelogue,
  • Why the Dutch are Different
  • is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. And loved it.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(709)
★★★★
25%
(591)
★★★
15%
(354)
★★
7%
(165)
★
23%
(544)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Now I know why the Dutch are different . . .

Had a lighthearted armchair trip to the Netherlands with Ben Coates during Covid Christmas 2020. His writing style suits me perfectly: witty, insightful, down-to-earth. There’s enough history and geography to help an American reader connect the dots (make sense of the scattered bits and pieces of Dutch facts and stereotypes we know about) without bogging down in excess detail. His Englishman’s observations about Dutch personality traits, values, and interactions with foreigners had me laughing out loud. Fascinating to learn of the similarities in the way immigration issues there resemble what we struggle with here. In both countries hate and tolerance vie for dominance, with hate nosing forward in disturbing ways. He’s an astute observer of Dutch life and is candid about how his own political views evolved over years, the result of living and traveling among the Dutch. He does so without taking sides in an offensive manner. I came away admiring the Dutch greatly for their creativity, innovation, and openness, while recognizing their oppressive colonial history. After reading Why the Dutch are Different, I am more determined than ever to spend an immersive vacation in the Netherlands as soon as it is again safe to travel.
15 people found this helpful
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Enjoyable read and conversation catalyst with Dutch friends

After working with Dutch customers and colleagues, I’ve been intrigued for quite some time about life in the Netherlands, potentially as new host country for my German wife and me (non-EU citizen). I got this book after having read “In the City of Bikes: the Story of the Amsterdam Cyvlist” by Pete Jordan (also recommended if interested in learning about the Dutch’s love for their bikes as a mode of transportation).

Ben Coates did a very good job in his book to give us the highlights of the Netherlands from an expat perspective. I enjoyed learning about the Golden Age of the Dutch empire, the impact of the German invasion & the second WW (particularly important for my wife!), multiculturalism, and the current social challenges (not seen from the scope of the atrocious News and Media in the US).

I’ve had fun already sharing/confirming Ben’s learnings with my Dutch friends (particularly their views about the Belgians).

I look forward to read the Rhine as soon as it is available in Amazon.
15 people found this helpful
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Well Written, Well Researched

Always interested to see what the non-Dutch have to say about the Netherlands, I quite enjoyed Ben Coates' take on my home country. He writes well, and did his homework, which is to say I think he did a great job with alternating between personal observations and providing historical explanations. And yes, I learned a few things about Dutch history as well.

I don't understand the complaints in some reviews about his supposedly negative take on the Netherlands when he speaks so highly of it in general. The few points of criticism he levies at the Dutch are his opinion based on actual facts. Disagree with him all you want, but that doesn't make the factual basis for his opinion incorrect. I certainly do not understand the "racism" & "racist" claims in some other reviews. Just because he describes phenomenon that are simply factual and admits to being annoyed himself by certain aspects of mass immigration to the Netherlands does not make it racist. In fact, one could argue it is exactly such baseless accusations that have made debating these issues in the Netherlands so hard.

So I enjoyed it very much.
4 people found this helpful
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What fun!

Ben Coates is an expatriate living in the Netherlands. Through personal experiences and observations, he identifies several key factors that have led to the evolution of Dutch society. His writing is funny, clever, and very accessible. He clearly loves his adopted land and that feeling becomes infectious. That's not to say that he doesn't see negative elements and threats in what is objectively a very successful society. Well worth reading!!
4 people found this helpful
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Title not consistent with subject

I'm frankly surprised by these reviews, as an American. I think the writer is an excellent writer without question, but the tone and stance of the book is profusely political and British angled, and many of the accounts seem to be absurdly embellished. To the writers credit, which probably owes to his background, I did read the entirety of the book because he is an interesting writer.

If you want a British version of Dutch history, this is actually a good book and as an American, I found that very intriguing, for a variety of reasons. I find the author view to be very biased, and many of the anecdotes are incongruous and also non believable, which I believe is worth mentioning.
4 people found this helpful
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OK. nice present

OK book. Nice summary, sometimes a bit off topic
3 people found this helpful
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Doesn't explain Why the Dutch are Different at all

Sadly, this book doesn't go deep enough to discover 'why' as promised in the title. Coates has done some serious research about Dutch history, and wraps that in a blanket of obvious distain for his experience in the culture, but misses the opportunity to wrap it up into something interesting or useful.

The only place where I found the author attempted to actually answer the question of why the Dutch are different (as opposed to simply pointing out differences) is on page 264 when he explains that he has developed a theory. The theory is one paragraph long and doesn't go beyond historical weather issues and providing asylum to heretics.

Yes, the Dutch are different. No, this book does not come close to explaining why they are different.
3 people found this helpful
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More a history than a reveal on customs

I was hoping to read about the Dutch personality. This so far in first half is the history of the Dutch not about traits or customs. The history is interesting though. Just not what I thought I was getting.
2 people found this helpful
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No llegan

Nunca llegó
2 people found this helpful
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Really Enjoyed

I initially picked this book up because I thought it sounded interesting. I have an interest in many European countries and their cultures, so it just seemed natural to read a book like this for me.

Even thought history often is not my personal interest, I found that Ben Coates was able to describe Dutch culture and the history that led up to it in a way that I found both interesting and entertaining. The author has a rather enjoyable sense of humor, and I learned a lot about the Netherlands that I never would have expected. I've never been there before, but this book put the country at the top of my travel list. Great work!
2 people found this helpful

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