Belgium Books

Simply, this is the best book I have read on understanding Dutch society. If this type of thing interests you, then try to locate this book. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Un essai fort intéressant rédigé par l'historien Han van der Horst qui traite, en 6 chapitres, du peuple néerlandais sous diverses facettes. Parmi les sujets traités, comment la lutte perpétuelle contre les eaux forge une nation, le rapport des Néerlandais à l'argent et aux affaires, la fameuse politique de consensus, le caractère type du peuple Batave, etc... "The Low Sky" a le mérite d'exposer ses sujets en profondeur et par là-même, de se distinguer des ouvrages plus légers que l'on trouve généralement dans la section tourisme des librairies! Ce travail est loin de rivaliser avec les essais de Simon Schama ou d'Israel, mais il est relativement court, instructif et agréable à lire. P.S. Ce titre est disponible, en anglais comme en néerlandais, dans n'importe qu'elle librairie des Pays-Bas!

This book is a very interesting and very revealing analysis of Dutch culture and Dutch character. Although Horst is an insider, he seems to be well aware of the kinds of questions that outsiders have about Dutch culture. As an insider, he has a thorough understanding of what makes the Dutch tick.

The book is organized into the 6 broad tropics that anthropologists at the Tropen Museum in Amsterdam have identified as characterizing the Dutch: egalitarian, utilitarian, organized, trade-oriented, privacy-minded, and having a debt of honor. At times, however, this division seems to be overlaid onto the book, rather than providing an essential framework. Inside each chapter, Horst meanders through a wide range of information, interweaving such details as a synopsis of Dutch history, an analysis of modern politics and politicians, lyrics from popular music, and sample lonely heart classifieds. At all times, the focus is on the Dutch mindset, Dutch attitudes, and where they come from. I found the book to be very informative, and I would recommend it to anyone planning a long or short visit in the Netherlands.

This book was recommended to me by the Director of Cultural Affairs at a foreign embassy in the Hague as the best book available for understanding contemporary Dutch society. It's informal yet thorough, clearly written, and eminently practical. Neither academic nor touristic, the book is ideal for people from a foreign country who are moving to the Netherlands or will be spending a good quantity of time there. I bought my copy in the Netherlands at Veenstra Bookhandel in Amsterdam.

I read this book while I was on my vacation and I think it is exactly that sort of book :a vacation one. It is ok.

Atmosphere is stranger than in others Maigret's novels. But it's also very good novel. If you have read "Pedigree" (Simenon's childhood autobiography) you can make interesting parallels between one of the two young boys and Simenon himself. It seems to say to us that the line between criminals and the other humans isn't very large ...

You can compare my review to the other one on this book. OUr views are not the same.

I found this book, which I read in French while living in California, to be a delight. It takes place in Liege, in the country of Simenon's birth, long before most of the novels. And part of the suspense (for it is a suspense murder mystery) is waiting for Maigret to appear.

Eventually the large figure in his dark winter overcoat enters the story, well supplied with his pipe(s) and tobacco, his mind racing over possibilities. And we are not disappointed, even after reading countless later stories. Not only does Simenon give us a satisfactory ending, but we have a splendid picture of an almost "old world" Liege and the kind of people who lived and worked in it.

No, definitely not just a "holiday book", this. Rather, a book for all seasons. Give it a try and you will agree.

Long neglected and at the bottom of the barrel in sales here on Amazon, this gem takes place in Liege, Belgium presumably in 1931, the year it was written. Two teenaged boys, anxious to dip into the till of the Gai-Moulin nightclub where they waste away their time, hide in the basement until the place empties out. After working up their courage to commit their first criminal act, they creep upstairs, light a match to see where they're going, and find a dead body sprawled across the floor. They panic and run off. From this intriguing beginning, the story unwinds with a typical cast of Simenon characters and seeming contradictions.

I first quibbled with the translator, Geoffrey Sainsbury, as I thought the writing lacked the usual pop I've grown accustomed to. Word choice for a translator is key to either adding life to the prose or making the story flat. But this translation is the only one out there, and eventually the prose and pace picked up and drew me in thoroughly. Another slight difficulty for me was the non-appearance of Maigret until well past the middle of the book. We find out later that he's been there all along, hiding not just from the police, but from us too. Without Maigret, this work is merely good and gives us delicious European flavor and atmosphere as well as those ever-interesting characters.

From what I've read of Simenon thus far, his view of pre-WWII European social class structure comes across loud and clear: upper class folks are bored, corrupt, and blundering. They are contrasted to salt of the earth types, hard-working people scraping together a living, and the middle class, all of whom are knocked around by the elite. Maigret (Simenon) is the master weaver in these stories who understands the common threads with which European society is sewn and, standing apart, can analyze people's motives, morality, and lives. He himself seems to be of the middle class, as this brief description of his life at his apartment on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir reveals: "...Maigret was looking through his mail. 'Anything interesting?' asked Madame Maigret as she vigorously shook a rug out the window." Simenon plants all kinds of characters and events in the "rug" he weaves, and then vigorously shakes them out, cleaning his concoction nicely for us. All very entertaining.

Highly recommended for a literary evening by the fire.

I met Yvonne deridder deFiles while my kids were in middle school. She came to the school on an invitation to excite kids that had difficulty in school. She was a jewel. I was given a signed copy of her book as a gift, after talking to the kids and was invited to a private conversation with the author, teacher and myself about the time she was in the resistance and in prison. She was a strong, funny, intelligent woman I was honored to have met and if time would have permitted I would have spent more time with her. The book was very interesting. A little above the middle school age but I found it interesting especially after meeting the author. If you are interested in WWII a must read.

"The Quest For Freedom" by Yvonne de Ridder Files. Subtitled: "Belgian Resistance In World War II". (which is the subtitle on my copy of the book).
Fithian Press, Santa Barbara, 1991.

Since retirement as an engineer, I have tried to use my MA in History, leading me to the history of World War II. In my limited experience, there appears to be plenty of books on French Resistance in world War II, with the quantity of books on Polish Resistance being in second place (perhaps). It appears that the number of works on the Resistance in Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands are few and far between. Therefore, I was happy to see the subtitle, "Belgian Resistance In World War II" on this book. I was disappointed. This book does not address the overall Belgian Resistance, but, rather, is the autobiography of one woman who fought hard and long inside the Belgian Resistance.

Having expressed my disappointment, I would not want to belittle nor denigrate the sufferings and sacrifices of Yvonne de Ridder Files. I know that I could never suffer the way that she did and I thank God that as a little boy in world War II, I never had to make real sacrifices.

This book is actually an autobiography of Yvonne de Ridder Files, written in the first person, tracing her life from the early stages of World War II through her last divorce and her latest marriage to Lt. Colonel Roger Files, (USAF), in 1970. The book is replete with photos of the author at various stages of the War, along with photos of some of the Allied fliers (e.g. Max MacGregor and Louis Rabinowitz, page 77) that she and the Resistance helped. Time wise, the author's story begins with May 1940, when the "Sitzkrieg" again became a "Blitzkrieg", and Belgium and The Netherlands rapidly capitulated. Yvonne records how she and her husband fled from Belgium into France, and, one night parked near two big, seemingly brand-new barns. She was afraid that the barns would be mistaken for aircraft hangars, although she spelt the "hangar" as "hanger"(page 12). . Her 1940 husband was a Jew with American citizenship and he flees to America and quietly disappears from the remainder of the book. Most of the book, from page 25 up to page 145, deals with her Resistance efforts, including the hiding of explosives, the protection of Allied airmen and, finally, betrayal, capture and torture by the Nazis. Yvonne never gave away any secrets. From page 145 to the end of the book (p. 171) the author recounts her post war activities, serving the Allied forces as an interpreter.

I found the writing to be sometimes vindictive here and there, as she describes the actions of her step mother and some of her Belgian neighbors. For a misleading title, one star;
for excellent writing and personal reminisces, five stars; for interesting digs at Nazi propaganda, four stars and, finally, for leaving out too much (where's the first husband?) and putting in too many other details, one star. Average 3.5 stars.

Easy to read story of the little known Belgian resistance in ww2. Real life stories can be amazing, and fill you full of envy, delight, fear. However, this book is so understated that although the writer did some courageous and amazing things, risking her life daily, she does not portray this, and leaves the reader dissatisfied. Sometimes modesty is not such a virtue.

This is an easy and well written book and first hand biography by a couragious woman, resistance fighter in Belgium during World War II. I am glad to have found this work and finally have been able to read about the Belgian resistance. The simplicity of the biography is what makes it so interesting. The work is filled with small and valuable details. I wish that other Belgians would have found the courage to publish their wartime experiences. Thank you Yvonne de Ridder

If you are planning a whirlwind trip of France and want someone else to set your priorities then this book is for you. Rick Steves does a pretty good job of identifying the must sees in France, but, I think his itinerary is crazy. Those who follow it must spend most of their time on trains and in cars. (If you plan to follow his itinerary you should take his bus tour - less stress.) While I found this book useful to my planning process, I could not imagine a trip in France with only this book. It omits too much. If you have already spent much time in France then I don't think this book would be of much help to you.

Rick Steves' did it again. This book is a great guide for seeing the main areas of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. I stayed in one of the B&B's and a hotel he recommended for Brugge, and they both were everything he said. The information on Paris is exact and helpful, especially the way he separates Paris into three maps. The hotel prices for all countries are right on the money, even in the busy season. One of the best things about this book, is that he always includes helpful information; i.e. how to use the phones; where the tourist info. is; the approximate exchange rates, etc. I love his books and never go traveling without them.

This is the second time we have used Rick for European travel and the books are terrific. From wonderfully friendly and clean hotels, to charming reasonable restaurants, walking tours, picnic suggestions and his accurate opinions on worthwhile attractions. We used it for 5locations and enjoyed each one. I think he is a little biased about the Riveria, could have used one more day there, but that was because we were trying to do as much as possible for each location and we fell in love with Villefranche.

I recently travelled to France using Rick Steves' reference guide to this area. He had an unsually amount of useful and accurate information that placed you right in the middle of the action. We found ourselves frequently referring to this guide when we entered a city, in order to plan our days and nights adventure. Rick, we are stuck on your down to earth commentary that keeps us laughing in the worst of situations. No one will feel intimidated or unsure after reading this selection. Good luck in your travels and may peace follow you.

Philip J. Haythornthwaite has assembled an impressive collection of highly readable, popular historical accounts on history's greatest soldiers, Napoleon Bonaparte.

This work features 80 color plates, usually with two soldiers depicted per plate, sometimes three, supported by sufficient text, to show what the soldiers were wearing at Waterloo. Its emphasis is on what they actually wore as opposed to what the regulations prescribed they wear. Originally published in 1974, this new edition features the same color plates and text, but the bibliography has been expanded to include additional significant works that have since appeared. An introductory history of the Battle of Waterloo, a short section on flags, and the orders of battle for the combatants round out this work.

Being a Dutch reenactor and figure painter, I thoroughly enjoyed this well-illustrated book....till I arrived at the Dutch-Belgian uniforms. I know that Dutch-Belgian uniforms are not well documented in English sources, but the several errors I found ( cuffs, plumes, shakoplates etc. ) made me realize there's still a lot of work to be done in order to make sure the figure painter that wants to paint ALL of the uniforms at Waterloo has all the proper information he needs.

An excellent reconstruction of the real Waterloo campaign suites, accomplished by well done figures. All regiments are included, with initial campaign orders battle. The introductory historical reconstruction of the Campaign has enriched with minor events, giving a less tedious version to the readers. The lack of an Uniform Glossary make harder to the novice to understand the several uniform and equipment features. If your hobby is to paint Napoleonic's wars miniatures, you *must* take it.

This book has 80 color plates! A complete description of each regiment's uniform, even those not pictured, is included. Haythorthwaite (say it real fast three times!) writes well, although those with no experience of Napoleonic uniforms may need the dictionary close by. This book is all the reference I need to paint my figures

I've always wanted to visit Holland. This guide let me imagine what I'd see and do if I ever get there. Of course, the museums in Amsterdam like the van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House are pretty special. The book gives a number of walking tours that take you along the canals.
For the armchair traveler, you'll want to team this book up with some heftier coffee table books on Amsterdam. For the actual traveler, this slim book will be handy to carry around with you to find the best coffeehouses and entertainment.

I now own just about every travel book you can buy on Amsterdam. I am drawn to this one because it isn't too wordy - it provides nothing but the information you need without all the fluff and fuss you find in the other books. It also lists a number of places of interest that the other books don't.

While it may not be the most aesthetically appealing travel books I've come upon, it has certainly proved itself to be one of the most useful.

I took this book to Amsterdam and was a little disappointed. It's small (which is good) and mentions everything important (also good) but so superficially that a lot of important stuff is glossed over or omitted. Friends who had read the Rick Steves book were much better informed than I.

Rene Gosciny, Asterix in Belgium (Dargaud, 1980)

Belgians? Tough? So said Caesar. ("Of all the Gauls, the Belgae are the bravest" can be found in De Bello Gallico.) Vitalstatistix finds out that Romans are actually relived to be being posted to the Roman camp of Aquarium, because the village of indomitable Gauls is nothing compared to the Belgian campaign. Needless to say, Vitalstatistix, along with Asterix and Obelix, has to go to Belgium and challenge the Belgian cheiftain to a Roman-bashing contest...

The most notable thing about Asterix in Belgium is that this is the last of the Asterix books upon which Goscinny worked (he suffered a fatal heart attack whilst working on the text for the book; Uderzo had already completed the drawings, leading to legal action from Dargaud to force Uderzo to complete the text). Uderzo takes over with somewhat surprising competence; readers shouldn't notice the transition. ***

Asterix #24 is "Asterix in Belgium". Rene Goscinny, who wrote the series up until this point, died while doing it. Albert Uderzo, Asterix's illustrator, wrote the storylines after this one.

Julius Caesar wants to continue expanding his empire, and is now trying Belgium. It's a tough fight, so tough that Caesar has said the Belgians are the bravest type of Gauls at all. Vitalstatistix, Asterix's chief, hears this back in Armorican Gaul, and tramps off to Belgium to challenge the Belgians. It had always been that Vitalstatistix's Gauls were the strongest! Getafix sends Asterix and Obelix to back him up, and in Belgium the two tribes battle the Romans, to see how many they can beat up. Rattled by Belgium's battles, Julius Caesar comes after the Gauls...

There's a lot of references to Belgian things, and though I got a couple (like Tintin's Thompson twins as Belgian villagers), many went over my head. Probably better if you know a bit about Belgium. Worth a look.

Very high quality edition, that such a nice piece of litterature deserves. Delightfull, amazing, funny, lovely. We need more of this kind of humor !

This short, concise, and insightful book is not a tactical study of the battle, but rather an objective operational and strategic study. So maps, although plentiful, lack details. Among the author's conclusions are that Napoleon believed that defeating Britain, with the great financial support and subsidies that it gave, would end the coalition and war against him. As a result, he originally planned a quick advance on Brussels, but Blucher concentrated more quickly, forcing him to change his plans. Prussian Chief of Staff Gneisenau thought that his nation had no interests in Belgium and that the Brits alone should defend it. Wellington, expecting Napoleon to fight defensively behind fortresses like in 1814, was slow to respond but did not intentionally mislead Blucher about his difficulties in concentrating. Dutch-Belgian commanders at Quatre-Bras stayed in place, against orders, helping to save the situation. From their pre-battle conference, Blucher believed that Wellington would attack Napoleon's flank, but as he left, the Duke added, "if possible", which the Prussian may not have picked up on, as both the French and Prussian armies deployed with the hope of help from the west. Napoleon intended an encircling a flank attack by D'Erlon's corps and an attack on the enemy's center at Ligny, but his army encountered a great crisis and was on the verge of panic when D'Erlon's unidentified corps mistakenly approached Napoleon's rear. The crisis was ended, however, and Blucher rashly committed all of his reserves, making the battle ripe for Napoleon to commit the Imperial Guard. A decisive victory was stymied because of the blundering and miscommunication regarding D'Erlon's reserve corps. Although Napoleon had changed his plan and now intended to attack Blucher, the staff officer sent to get D'Erlon's support did not continue on to explain this to Ney. Ney recalled D'Erlon, who despite being in sight of the battle at Ligny, compromised and brought most of his troops back toward Quatre-Bras - but too late to effect that battle. Napoleon's orders were not precise, so D'Erlon had not advanced into the Prussian flank, but into Napoleon's rear, nearly causing a panic. All the parties involved are responsible in some way. The failure to achieve a decisive victory and the failure to pursue quickly the following day made Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo possible. There, the author argues, Wellington prepared, if necessary, to retire toward Ostend on coast, and not through the forest behind him. This implies a readiness to abandon Blucher, who, despite advice to the contrary, was prepared to stand by Wellington to the end.

Uffindell clearly spent lots of time walking the battlefield and has an excellent knowledge of it. He is also enthusiatic about his subject and the book is a good read. However, it is bad history. Too often, the myths about the campaign are repeated as fact. Too often questionable statements by Uffindell's hero Wellington are taken at face value. Of course, the British did nothing worng in this campaign and foreigners like the Prince of Orange, Dornberg and Ziethen are to blame for Wellington's errors. This book is very much inferior to Hofschroer's work.

"Eagles Last Triumph" is an outstanding treatment of the Waterloo Campaign, with special focus on the battle of Ligny, 2 days prior to the more commonly known battle of Waterloo. Uffindell counts on a variety of primary and secondary sources. Nor does he depend heavily on British accounts; German, French and Dutch-Belgian sources are used as well, balancing the writing so that the reader can understand the why of the decisions made by the battlefield commmanders. There are maps, though not many of them, but clear and relevant to the accounts in the book. His after-battle analysis, leading to the impact the twin battles of Quatre-Bras and Ligny had 2 days later on their more famous cousins, Waterloo and Wavre, is excellent. Through it, you may (as I have) come away convinced that Ligny, though a French tactical victory, was a strategic defeat in that it was the best chance in the campaign for Napoleon to destroy one of the armies he faced during the campaign. If the Prussian army had been destroyed at Ligny, Waterloo would not have been fought. Strongly recommended for all readers.

Very well writen guide! This little book is packed with information and maps which proved very helpful on my recent trip to Brussels and Bruges.

This was a quite good guide to Brussels, with clear, reliable reference to major sights, and good, though limited, specifics, such as description of individual buildings and features at the Grand Place. It pointed me effectively to three beautiful churches (Notre Dame de Sablon, Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Eglise St Nicolas), but had little detail about them (nor did the churches supply the same). A specialized art/architecture guide would have been desirable for a more in-depth look at the artistic features and history of such a rich and old European center. But no specialized guide would have been as useful as this guide in advice re restaurants, shops (I was directed to a great chocolate store!) and other practicalities. To travel light, with a single guidebook, this is an excellent choice. (However, the maps are very basic; you will also need a detailed street map. An excellent free map was available at both hotels I stayed at.)

It is next to impossible to find a comprehensive history book on the Netherlands or Belgium here in the USA. I got this book prior to a month long work assignment in Belgium so I could learn about these countries. Like many others people and armies, I've passed through the Low Countries without knowing anything about them but I've always been fascinated by them because the kept being mentioned as being vitally important in my reading of the histories of other countries, especially in their wars for independence: The US, Scotland, England, France, Spain.
How could these two tiny countries have had any impact on the world. Isn't the conventional wisdom that there was the Roman Empire, then Charlemagne, then Spain/Portugal, then England/France, then the US/USSR?
Although this is a text book it is engaging and easy to read. The story is fascinating. I am now the local expert on the history of the Low Countries and their place in world history.
I echo the comment on the more lackluster presentation of the more recent material. My only other criticism deals with the graphics. While the text was translated the maps were not. Many of the city names were presented in Dutch or French and were not easily discernible. Also, there should have been more maps and they should have been comprehensive. During the Roman era the map looked like it might have been drawn by a Roman. As the borders changed repeated over the millennia it would have been helpful to have a consistent map somewhere in the book for reference and scale. Maybe the blobs presented are recognizable to native lowlanders they were not to me.

This is a required textbook for history students at the University of Leiden (the Netherlands). Well actually, the untranslated, Dutch, version is.

The book gives a good overview of the history of the Low Countries, starting with the Kelts, Romans and invading Germans, covering the Bourgondian Age, the dominion of the Habsburgers, the struggle for freedom, the golden age, the changing relationships between what is now called Belgium and the Netherlands, the importance of the religion and tolerance, ending the description in the mid 1990's.

The book covers political history, but economic, social, cultural, and religious history as well. The language is clear, and no prior knowledge of this region, or its history is required. Four stars and not five, because the part dealing with the 20th century has less analytical qualities then the high standard set by the rest of the book.

At the end of this readable and engaging book you'll know more about Dutch en Belgium history then most inhabitants of these countries do, and you'll understand some of the basic concepts still strong in Dutch foreign policies, and some of the structural internal problems Belgium still faces today.