Beyond the Tulips. A Brief History of the Dutch - Paperback

by Elizabeth Yates-Koning (Author)

This Revised Edition of 'Beyond the Tulips' presents enhanced and updated content, illustrations and layout. It is a powerful and popular history of the Dutch, a journalistic tale of an extraordinary nation of people, drawn from a personal perspective, . Following the four themes of water, land, industry, and people, the reader is guided beyond the tulips, bikes and dikes on a memorable, meandering journey into the multi-layered fabric of Dutch society, via innumerable historical panoramas. The Blue Thread follows the industry and culture of the global gateway of Rotterdam, the Dutch pioneers, the explorers and traders who plied the seven seas, as well as the innovative engineers who tame the waters of seas, rivers and canals at home and around the world. The Dutch population benefit from the extensive canal and river networks for trade and leisure. The Green Thread explores the land resources of the Netherlands, by exploring the city and the province of Groningen, and visiting Wageningen the city of Life Sciences. Dutch farmers and millers, bakers and brewers, market gardeners, horti- and flori-culturalists shape the land and feed the nation. The nation's energy resources, including wind energy and the bonanza of natural gas are examined. The ecology of the Netherlands is discussed. The Gold Thread introduces us to the serendipitous city of Amsterdam, the birthplace of twins: capitalism and liberalism. We see the Dutch as a trading nation, specialised in the services of buying and selling, production and transportation of goods around Europe and across the world. Small and large enterprises ride the ebb and flow of prosperity. Family manufacturing businesses morph into multinationals with Dutchmen at the helm. The bicycle is underwriting the health and hence the wealth of the nation. The Orange Thread explores the courtly capital of The Hague and the historical university city of Utrecht. The Dutch political structure and the scientific, technical and cultural achievements are reviewed. Ministers of state and ministers of religion, painters and poets, republicans and royalists, scientists and engineers, entrepreneurs and athletes all colour this ever-evolving nation of the Netherlands. This study is based upon extended research in museums, libraries and archives throughout the Netherlands. The publication is illustrated by historical and contemporary black and white photos as well as reproductions of artworks by Edzard Koning. Elizabeth Yates-Koning is an Anglo-Dutch author who has lived and worked in London and Amsterdam, a graduate in Economics, Sociology and Dutch. Her previous publication, 'Konings Kunst van Parijs tot de Veluwe' (BDU 2008), explored the lives and works of two Dutch impressionist artists who worked in France and the Netherlands.