An essential guide to one of the world's most remarkable and often misunderstood cities by
the author of Why the Dutch Are Different . When Ben Coates injures his leg and needs to
rebuild his strength by walking he finds himself presented with an exciting opportunity: to
rediscover the city he has been working in for over a decade at a slower pace. He devises ten
walks each demonstrating a different chapter of Amsterdam's history from its humble
beginnings in the early 1200s as a small fishing community through two Golden Ages fuelled by
the growth of the Dutch colonial empire two world wars and countless reinventions. Join
Coates as he meanders past beautiful townhouses and glittering canals dances at Pride
celebrations witnesses the King's apology at Keti Koti attends a WW2 memorial gets high at a
coffee shop walks through the red-light district and gazes in awe at Rembrandt paintings all
the while illuminating modern Amsterdam by explaining its past. Blending travelogue and
quirky history The Invention of Amsterdam is an entertaining and sharply observed portrait of
a fascinating and complicated city.
