He was the author of Amsterdam, a brilliant portrait of that city, and of Jorwerd, perhaps the best single book on the slow death of the European countryside. Guangzhou: Flower City Publishing House, in preparation since 2009.A 'final inspection' was an ambitious aim, but Mak had unusual qualifications.

Published with support from the Literair Productiefonds. Guangzhou: Flower City Publishing House, 2007. Chinese / translated from English by Xiaoyong CHEN - Xiaohong ZHANG. This is Mak’s greatest achievement more than just a historian, he proves himself to be a talented story-teller. For each event, Mak finds a forgotten page from history or an little-known historical figure who brings the past to life. Amsterdam’s struggle to rise up out of these marshes gave birth to an administrative tradition which was to determine Dutch politics for centuries.įrom events in the early Middle Ages (revolts, famine, the plague) Mak leads us through the expansion of trade and sea-faring in the seventeenth century, the French Revolution, the rise of the new middle class in the nineteenth century, and the persecution of the Jews in World War II, before arriving at the rapid changes that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. As he walked he observed and took notes, collecting the stories that ‘are lying on your own doorstep’ - for those who want to see and hear them.įor Geert Mak the story of Amsterdam starts in the marshes where the city was built. Mak set off on foot through Amsterdam, his own city. The author uses these particulars to tell a larger story and give a broader perspective. The book is structured around specific events, people and, sometimes, houses. Its compactness alone makes Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City unique. This book is intended for visitors, tourists and native Amsterdammers who want to learn more about the city’s roots, without having to dive into comprehensive historical tomes. In 2008 the ‘Leipziger Buchpreis zur Europäischen Verständigung’ was conferred upon Geert Mak. His latest book is De brug (The Bridge, 2007), about the Galata Bridge in Istanbul. Vlaardingen) is one of the Netherlands’ most popular writers and all his books become huge bestsellers: De engel van Amsterdam (The Angel of Amsterdam, 1992), Een kleine geschiedenis van Amsterdam (Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City, 1994), Hoe God verdween uit Jorwerd (Jorwerd: The Death of the Village in Late Twentieth-Century Europe, 1996), De eeuw van mijn vader (My Father’s Century, 1999) and In Europa (2004). Café Amsterdam III: ‘The photo book as successful medium’ĭate: Sat 3 September Time: 4:00 pm Venue: la Suite, UCCAĭate: Sun 4 September Time: 07.00 pm Venue: Beijing Normal University.Café Amsterdam II: Eberhard van der Laan in conversation with Geert Makĭate: Fri 2 September Time: 7:00 pm Venue: le Café, UCCA.Zhang Ning in conversation with Geert Makĭate: Wed 31 August Time: 03.30 pm Venue: BIBF

In Europe by Geert Mak