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The History of Holland by Mark Hooker (1999). An excellent
introduction t
o contemporary Holland written for Americans, it also contains a
section of earlier history and then addresses current issues, such as
the welfare state. It covers the historical highlights but also describes
current affairs, such as the state of journalism and the penetration of American
television.
Culture Shock! Netherlands by Hunt Janin (1998). A member of
the very useful series for the tourist and expatriate. Here is a sample:
The Dutch eat dinner, the main meal of their day, relatively early. An invitation for 6:30 PM means you are being invited for dinner. You will first be offered a selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks (the host will tell you what is on offer) together with cheese crackers or snacks and will then be given dinner....
In any case, whenever you do come it is absolutely essential that you be on time (the Dutch are very punctual) and that you bring a small but good quality present for the hostess—a bunch of flowers or a potted plant (widely available from local florists) are the most common gifts but a little box of chocolates, some decorative candles or a bottle of wine are equally acceptable. But don't overdo it: the Dutch value moderation in all things and bringing an extremely expensive bottle of rare wine would be a bit too much. (p. 111)
The Golden Age of Dutch Art
by Judike Kiers and Fieke Tissink
(2000). The catalog book of a mammoth show in Amsterdam of 17th century art
from collections across America and Europe. Contains Hals,
Rembrandt, Ruisdael, Steen, and others.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier (1999). A
historical novel which brings to life the subject of Vermeer's most famous
painting. Chevalier is an
American writer living in Britain, and this is still on the Washington Post best
seller list two years after release. Girl in Hyacinth Blue by
Susan Vreeland (2000) is a novel built around a (fictitious) newly
discovered Vermeer and has received uncommonly good reviews.
The Seven Cultures of
Capitalism: Value Systems for Creating Wealth in the United States, Japan,
Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, and the Netherlands by Charles
Hampden-Turner & Alfons Trompenaars (1993). A Dutch business
consultant and a Cambridge University professor team up for a cross-national
perspective on how cultural values influence wealth and business practices.
Covers individualism vs. collectivism, orientations to time, and how social
hierarchies affect organizations.
A
former delegate recommends the
The UnDutchables by Colin White, Gerald Fried, and Laurie Brook
and Act Normal! 99 Tips for Dealing with the Dutch by Hans
Kaldenbach.
Note: While the above books are worth buying most are also available in VCCS college libraries.
One of our Dutch delegates,
Willem Habers, has suggested the following Dutch
authors: Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Maarten 't Hart, Kees van Kooten, Cees
Nooteboom, and Renate Dorrestein. Searching on amazon.com I found Hart and Kooten
only in Dutch, but translations are available for the others. Mulisch has a
number of books, including The Procedure, Discovery of Heaven, and
The Assault. The last of these goes by the name "Aanslag" in
Dutch and a movie version won Best Foreign Film in 1969. Dorrestein has several
books translated into English, such as A Heart of Stone and Unnatural Mother, but tends to
place her stories outside Holland. Nooteboom has many books in English including
Rituals and In the Dutch Mountains. For those interested in the Indonesian
colonial period, the classic book is Max Havelaar by Multatuli.
Willem
Habers also recommends the movies Antonia's Line and Character, which are available in
subtitled form. Character concerns a father-son conflict in prewar
Holland and won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1997. Antonia's Line concerns a
matriarch and her assembled family from 1945 to the 1970s. I know of no Dutch TV programs which play in
America but to get a European perspective you might watch DW Journal, a
daily news program in English by Deutche Welle, the German network. DW also
produces European Journal from their Brussels bureau.
February 15, 2003. Comments to ccowden@nvcc.edu.
