Like all the other Tripbuilder city guides, this book surpasses expectation.

Compact enough to put in a jacket or a purse, this quick-reference guide provides a thorough description of the city and what it offers. It is especially helpful to have the background on the points of interest, and what their significance is in terms of history, culture, etc. Having the book provide information on what would appeal to historical and art buffs, to children, etc. gives the visitor quite a selection to choose from.

We especially liked the colorful map that has everything color-coded and numbered, including the public transportation system. This is helpful for those who want to experience the local color by getting around on foot, or on wheels other than expensive taxis.

The great tips on what to do to make the visit to Amsterdam even more meaningful are right on the money.

Amsterdam is such a charming, delightful city; and this book contributed tremendously to giving us a greater appreciation for it.

Bravo!

Rien Poortvliet's "Daily Life in Holland in the Year 1566" contains beautifully done sketches and paintings. They are truly extraordinary. The writing is also very interesting as he weaves history and daily life in an appealing fashion. However, I have found that some of the content of the book is inappropriate for a family. There are more than several pages of nudity and explicit portrayals of both instruments used for torture (in order to extract a confession of sorts) and the torture procedure itself. This has made it impossible for us to keep as a family coffee table book. I regret this but realize that it is an inappropriate book for our family with younger children. Some may certainly argue that this was life in 1566 Holland and while that may be true, it is also true that murder and other heinous crimes are part of life in all of history. Still, is there a need to portray them in this fashion? I think not. Perhaps the artist/writer could have alluded to these facts of life without the explicit visual reminders...

DAILY LIFE IN HOLLAND IN THE YEAR 1566 is a graphically and beautifully illustrated book by Rien Poortvliet--a gifted Dutch artist with a talent for visualizing past times and bringing them to life. Many of his illustrations contain disturbing content--people hanged and still dangling from the gallows, miscreants tortured and locked in cages, children and adults deathly ill and/or starving. In 1566, the Dutch were struggling with the Spanish for control of the Netherlands and the aftermath of war is not pretty.

However, many of Poorvliet's pictures also depict everyday scenes concerning the more pleasant side of life. The viewer is shown ships at sea; horses carrying soldiers and pulling plows; all kinds of housing--floorplans to facades to fully formed buildings; clothing of the various classes including the elaborate headgear of wealthy, deftly wrapped scarves, and helmets; household implements such as lanterns, pails, cooking pots, and candle holders; farming tools; vegetables and meats; and plenty of rural scenery comparable to the works of Ruysdael.

Poorvliet's DAILY LIFE IN HOLLAND is based on information he collected from court records and other sources and tells the story of several members of a family over the course of one year. Poortvliet's earlier illustrative tale, IN MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE vividly depicted life in Zeeland over several centuries. I actually liked IN MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE better than LIFE IN HOLLAND because he portrayed history by tracing his own ancestors back through past generations. First he imagined his father's life, then his grandfather's life, then his great-grandfather's life, etc.

Poortvliet's books provide a wonderful way to visualize life in past times...

It amazes me that you can get a book as stunningly beautiful and engrossing as this for such a price! Every detail of life seems to be covered here, from getting dressed to bathing (or lack of it) to rats, eating, etc. I don't know which is better, the perfectly detailed drawings or the text descriptions of everything. I didn't think at first I would like the book, as I prefer his ones on animals, but I wasn't disappointed!

This is a wonderful addition to books on european beer culture. It compliments "the beers of Wallonia" and Michael Jackson's books on Beer. Gives a more detailed description of beers and where to find them than Jackson does, but sits well with "the beers of Wallonia" in that it tells you where to find the brews, and rates them accordingly, giving descriptions along the way. Well worth buying.

For many reasons, the Benelux countries are absolutely unique in their variety and complexity of malt beverages. Not the least of these reasons is a demanding public that has supported traditional beers even in an age when small and quirky brewers face almost overwhleming pressure to brew bland beer or be acquired.

Grab your copy of Webb's book then plan your travel to follow his recommendations. You will be challenged, thrilled, and probably moved by having savored what beer can be.

This is The Book to buy if You ever plan on going to Belgium/have been to Belgium/like belgian beers/like beer at all etc...

The book has a section on how to get there, how to act when You are there, how to get around etc. as well as some funny remarks about the differencies between Dutch and Belgians, and Belgians and Belgians(!).

It also covers most pubs worth seeking out, although I'm eagerly awaiting the next edition with the latest additions.

The most valuable part though, is the section with the beers. Tim Webb seem to have exactly the same preferences as I do, since the beers I had tried before and liked, received high ratings, and the beers I subsequently tried after reading this book has turned out to be absolutely wonderful. That is, the beers which received high ratings. ;-)

All breweries and pubs covered in the book has full contact information enclosed. Something I have found very useful when trying to arrange visits/guided tours to different breweries.

All in all, a damn good book!

If you're looking for an interesting, readable, and spirited guide to the Netherlands, then look no further. Ron Charles has written a book that is bold enough to have real opinions to help prioritize where to go, stay and eat. No photos, no ads, just the important stuff. Enjoy.

This book was by far the best of the 4 travel guides we took to Holland. I would prefer more photos, but the info in the book was solid and much different than the other books. A great companion in our travels.

Open Road`s Holland Guide is the book you will ever need while traveling in Holland. It has very good discussions on history, art, sights and the bars and restaurants guides and hotel listings are also very good and informative. Ron Charles really know how to write and whets your apetite for the culture and doesn`t let you down.

I have used at least 7 Lonely Planet books, and this -though not bad- was well below their standard. (I do consider Lonely Planet above Let's Go and all other travel guides usually). But this one leaves a lot of information out (such as the cheapest hostel in Amsterdam). Its prices our outdated though it claims to be a 2001 edition. The Netherlands is not a big country, nor is the book, so why not include maps for more cities? Many towns do not have maps though the book is half the size of other guides. (i.e. it would be perfectly manageable to do so). Finally, one big way to travel around in the Netherlands is by bike. This guide is definitely insufficient to do even a 2-3 day bike trip. It needs mayor revising. New authors maybe?

General background -
================
The Lonely Planet Guides contain a lot of information. They are supposed to be of help to the common backpacker. However, due to the extensive coverage they offer about the countries they discuss, they can also be a very good source of information to travelers with greater means that are interested in a thorough coverage of their destination. Moreover, they can be of use to persons that are interested in learning about the country as a starting point for further studies.

When the reader wishes to travel he has two options of dealing with the wide-ranging material:
1. To read the book almost cover to cover in advance, aiming at planning the trip down to the last small detail while learning a lot about the country - culture, history, climate, geography, conduct and so forth.
2. To read the essential highlights from the book using the contents - in a relatively short time - aiming at learning the basic information needed for getting a good head start (forget about the long "facts About" chapter). Upon getting there it is easy to use the guide on a daily basis for further information.

The guide -
========

This guide is a very good one with one major flaw that can't be disregarded: the prices are given in Guilders, more than a year (!) after the country has completely converted to Euros, since the edition hasn't been updated since the 1st of January 2001. That fact poses a great difficulty at planning the budget for the trip (add to that the considerable rise of prices since the transition to the Euro). This is a serious letdown and not something you would expect from a distinguished publication house. Hopefully they will release a second edition soon.

Aside from the problem mentioned above, the guide is a real help for the traveler; the information and recommendations in the different sections were most helpful and the proved accurate. A good example is the emphasis that is given to a certain rental bike service at Amsterdam that offers no advertising for itself on the bicycle, and keeps many preying eyes away from the bike. The pictures presented inside are well taken and offer a beautiful glance at what the reader might see during his journey. The guide contains the wide assortment of maps of many important and interesting towns and cities the reader might visit with the familiar marking of the recommended places to see/eat/sleep.

I would like to point out that not all the best places to visit are pointed out in the book. I reckon they can't put everything inside and they should and do promote self-exploration. I walked around for hours in each and every place I've visited and was rejoiced to find buildings and corners that were breathtaking - on my own. I recommend you to do the same as in some cases - owning to the desire to stay compact and still comprehensive - the book provides rough guidelines that are superficial and personal opinions that might not always suit your taste.

The chapters about the Netherlands in general and the special boxed texts scattered throughout the book are very interesting and are best read during the trip to answer questions that may pop up. By and large, one will have time for that only once he is home and has the special interest in the country he has just visited.

Amsterdam-
-------------

The Amsterdam chapter may be the most important to the common traveler, simply because there is so much to see and do there. The guide offers good and detailed maps of the city, but too bad they are divided to small maps that are made to fit into the book like regular pages, rather than giving the readers a folded map they would be able to take out for their own convenience. That leaves no choice but to buy a map at the local shops, a reality Lonely Planet can change in the next edition.

As to the content itself, it's a mixed bag. They do provide top-notch info but also tend to exaggerate sometimes in describing places up to a tiresome point. The pages about the transportation possibilities are thorough. In the end of the day, it is more than enough and you wouldn't need the Lonely Planet's Amsterdam guide if you don't plan to live there more than a week or two.

Final note -
========

The Netherlands is a strikingly beautiful country. The cities as well as the countryside are absolutely dazzling, and the people are friendly and helpful. I enjoyed traveling in the land so much that I consider it the peak of my long trip that had been mainly to the countries of South East Asia. This guide contributed a lot to the general feeling I got thanks to all its good graces.

I have read this book several times now (While on the treadmill), and discovered it is interesting, and insightful. I look forward to putting this knowledge to use, once I go to Holland.

The Brussels information is great, but the info on Antwerp, Ghent & Bruges is pretty minimal & doesn't contain any addresses (just phone numbers), so you'll need another book if you plan to travel around Belgium.

Time Out Brussels provided a very comprehensive yet unique view of Brussels. The guide had just the right mix of the usual and the eclectic. The restaurant reviews were top notch, and the book's Survival section was indispensible.

In short, this guide provides everything you'll need to have a first-rate experience in Brussels at any budget.

Graeme Cornwallis almost immediately makes a misstep with his best and worst lists. The Top 10 is fine, but the Bottom 10? You can tell he was put up to this by the publisher. Arvika is shabby? I didn't find it that way at all! A lovely town with beautiful locations and a great arts and crafts store. Forests extremely tedious? Sorry. Ticket machines? I guess if you like ganging up on an overworked clerk, it's more fun not to have a ticket, but otherwise, it's very civilized. If these are the worst that he can find about Sweden, it must be a wonderful place! And that's how I found it. To be fair, Cornwallis is trying to fit a lot of information in a small book. He did miss an item or two (how could he not discuss allmansrãtt, which basically says you can hike or camp anywhere that you're not being obnoxious?) but he certainly covers a lot of what is available. It would take more than one vacation to cover all the attractions he outlines just for Gothenburg. And his directions to eating places in Gothenburg are right on the mark.

This comprehensive guide assures the best plans for your visit to Sweden. It is jampacked with essential information to get you there and away to wonderful destinations and events for every interest and attraction.

Like an encyclopedia, it leaves nothing to chance for planning each leg of your trip. It has two outstanding sections that sets this travel guide apart from others.

First, is it's Facts For The Visitor. It highlights the Best And Worst of what to hit or miss on your visit, which includes incidentals like free car-ferries, but expensive beer, bread, and parking fees. This section also includes the essentials for planning prior to your visit. It is a must for acquainting yourself with the cultural differences and practicals of visiting abroad.

Second best, but not least, section is the Getting There And Away. This is the best guide I have seen that gives all the transportation alternatives available to get you where you want to be, with schedules and pricing. Though this section does not boast of winning any photo contest, it has more cities per area to give the best overall opportunity to visit the real country, not just the tourist traps. Also included are internet connections to give even greater details, which brings the reference material to life.

Overall, I believe this guide is the bible for experiencing Sweden in the first year of the new millennium.

This is an excellent book for parents of children (especially elementary age and pre-school) contemplating or committed to a trip to Holland. The information is detailed and comprehensive. Based on our research and a prior trip to the Netherlands that we took with our kids, this book is great source for places to stay and go with kids. It includes tons of ueful information about Amsterdam, but I wish it had a lot more detail on the rest of Holland. (I suppose it is truthfully titled!). Another nit to pick is the inadequate maps. Overall, however, a great read and a treasure-trove of information for the parent planning a trip to Holland with younger children.... Guidebooks that are focused on parent-kid trips are a tremendous value--- worth a lot more than you pay for them!

Some guide books are good guide books for adults, and some are helpful to parents. What I like most about this one is that it is probably good enough to stand on its own as your only guide book, assisting both parents-- and parents with their kids-- in having a nice visit to Amsterdam.

Another thing I like (and I'll confess something of a prejudice over this) is that the book is arranged primarily by geography. I hate guidebooks with chapters on restaurants, chapters on museums and so forth. After all, after all that wrestling smack down with a baby stroller, diaper bag big enough for a body and two kids on a jaunty tram, we like to take advantage of all the stuff to do in each location we visit. We're not coming back tomorrow, baby.

You get separate sections on the Old Side of town, the New Side, the Canals, Jodenbuurt and the Old Port and a nice chapter on day trips outside the city. To be fair, there is one non-geographic section organizing Amsterdam's many museums for you, but otherwise things are handily arranged for walking, strolling and cruising the interesting parts of each area you visit. There are also colorful maps, showing the sites, key streets and canals. You won't get too lost.

Each site/attraction includes info on which tram to take to get there, any admission fees, opening days/hours, phone numbers and, if applicable, web sites and email addresses. There's a capsule statement for each along the lines of "Suitable for children aged 7 and over".

The real meat is in the descriptions, which allow you both to decide what to see and, as parents, get a sense for what is inside so you can match places to your kiddies' ages, attention spans and interests. Here are two examples:

Rembrandt's home has been restored to look like it was when he lived there. In addition to the basics, this guide book also mentions that the painter liked to work images of himself in crowd scenes in his paintings. Can you think of a better way to interest a younger kid in boring, old art than to set them on a mission to find all the Rembrandt's in a particular image?

A second example is Anne Frank's house. The description challenges you and your kids to imagine Anne's life in hiding, as revealed in her diary. Older kids can read the book in advance, while younger kids can have key passages read to them just before or even during a visit to the house. Looking out a window, maybe you see a street scene as Anne did; what must it have been like to face the fear of capture and death each day, every night, at an age when our own children's worries may be no more complex than when Rugrats is on?

Another parentally cool feature in the guide book is little boxed text blurbs labeled "Can you spot?" These challenge kids to look for interesting details (a tilted roof gable, a brass plaque, a strange doorway) near famous sights. Older kids will learn things, younger kids will likely enjoy the game as a diversion near things they may otherwise find boring, or over their head.

The book also includes a similar feature throughout, asking questions that can be answered by visiting certain sites. For example, when listing restaurants, the question is "If an Amsterdammer asks for 'hagelslaag' ('hailstones') on his bread for breakfast, what does he want?"

(If I was mean, I'd make you not only buy the book, but also go to the Pancake Bakery on Prinsengracht Street for your morning meal to learn that 'hagelslaag' are tiny bits of chocolate sprinkled on buttered bread. And yes, that sounds very tasty to me too.)

For those who stay up for "Top 10" lists on late night shows in the U.S., the book includes a "Best of Kids' Amsterdam" section, with lists of things like "Best Museum", "Best Family Hotel", "Best Ice Cream", "Best Windmill" and the like. Each "Best of..." place listed includes the page number in the guide book where you can track down its particulars.

Note for some Dads: the helpful phrases in Dutch section includes the important phrase "Ein pils, alstublieft" (a beer please), followed by the helpful phrase "Waar is het toilet?"

Some other excellent stuff for parents:

A list of toy stores in Amsterdam, with annotations telling what stuff they have;

Restaurants good for lunch (and not dinner with kids), including info on which serve "spicy" food;

Tips on finding a short-term apartment or a bed and breakfast;

A note that most big hotels have Cartoon Network available on cable;

A spill-proof, coated paper, tram map on the inside cover;

A way to take a canal boat taxi to popular museums;

A sober description of Amsterdam's Red Light district that will allow you to decide if your kids should or should not pass through one of Amsterdam's infamously best-known locations;

How to ask for applesauce in a restaurant.

With all the spectacular reviews Professor Schama's book on the Dutch has received, this reader feels awkward at going against the grain. However, as one who has earned a BA in History, I find it impossible not to be critical of this book. Embarassment of Riches is disorganized and reads like esoteric scattershot, a grab bag of loose facts and notions. Professor Schama is guilty of intellectual preening about as bad as Paul Johnson at his worst (eg. The History of Christianity). Yet Johnson's worst is much better organized than Simon Schama's intellectual slop. Expect revelations on obscure topics such as a long, detailed discussion on Dutch thinking with regards to the sperm whale penis. In the end, I realized that after reading Embarrassment of Riches I did not learn much more about the Dutch than I already knew.

Sadly, most Americans are bored with history and hate it in school. Part of the reason Americans hate to study history is that it is taught in a boring fashion by pompous or inept teachers. It is paramount that historians write history in an interesting and vital way. History must come alive for people to enjoy it. Embarrasment of Riches is turgid, dull and never comes alive for the reader. It is an example of why Americans are so turned-off by history.

Ever wonder why London is a great metropolis? Well, the development of Amsterdam as a trading hub had a lot to do with it. This book goes into the intertwining of Dutch, English (and thus American) history and gives more information than you ever thought possible about Dutch culture.

We usually think of tulips, windmills, cheese and wooden shoes when asked about the Netherlands. Most people don't know that during the late 1600's and during the 1700's, the Dutch were the powerhouse of Europe. They defined Trade with a capital "T" and spread goods, fads (tulip speculation--a bit like the dot-com pheonomenon of the 90's) and much, much more. The Dutch wealth explosion also created the true middle class, and the idea that wealth is created and not inherited.

To understand American culture and history, you'd be well advised to read Simon Schama's book. It's enjoyable and sheds a lot of light on our own heritage.

I was born in 1942, and my earliest memories are of troop transports and the soldiers guarding the TVA dam where my grandfather was superintendent. All my mother's brothers went to Europe to fight the war. I can still hear my mother leaning over and telling me how bad Hitler was because he crushed the Netherlands.

My mother was of Dutch descent. When they were small children, her grandparents had immigrated from Zeeland and Groningen in the 1870s. Their families settled in Holland Michigan. Mom and her family talked about the Netherlands and the Queen as if they had never left. Mother would point to our rosy cheeks and say "Look at that Dutch complexion." They cooked Dutch food, grew Dutch bulbs and attended the Dutch Reformed Church. Although some of them were still alive when I was a child, I can barely remember my great grandparents.

When I visited Amsterdam a few years ago, I bought Simon Schama's book THE EMBARRASMENT OF RICHES. It is THE KEY to understanding my roots and explains to me why I think the way I do (I am a Democrat).

Schama writes of a time when things were more or less wonderful in the Netherlands. Yes, there was war. The "super" powers could not keep their hands off the Dutch provinces. And plague was constantly lurking--even Rembrandt's family did not escape. But, for the first time in history, a real democracy began to bloom. The Netherlands IS the birthplace of Democracy. It was the first place in the world to actually practice religious tolerance. During it's golden age, it became a destination for thousands of refugees. The Dutch economy expanded and personal wealth increased and the Netherlands experienced the first "middle-class" with middle class values--those same values captured later in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

What struck me most forcefully about RICHES is that the U.S. today is so much like the Netherlands of 400 years ago. The economy has been expanding since WWII, employment is at all time highs, immigrants have come at unprecendented rates, and the middle class has grown. Never before have so many had so much.

Schama doesn't preach, but it's easy to see the similarities. And, it's easy to see that the U.S. could suffer the same fate as the Netherlands. No, there isn't a huge superpower like France or Spain waiting to destroy the country. Today, the enemy is different--AIDS, religious fundamentalism, intolerance.

Schama says the Dutch saw their country as the New Jerusalem. The Dutch were sure they were God's chosen people, just as the Jews had been in the Old Testament. Some Americans believe they are now God's chosen people--the first settlement in New England was named "Salem" for Jerusalem.

I started out to find my roots in EMBARRASSMENT, and I did. The book provided me with an enormous amount of information about the Dutch, their thinking and how it came to pervade the thinking in America today. The Census Bureau says Dutch is one of the top 10 ancestry groups in the country. The descendents of the 16th Century Dutch have built the New Jerusalem. The question is--will it endure or will it perish like it's predecessor?

While I liked the information provided by this book - alternative sites not covered by most travel books, especially focusing on the "coffee shops" of Amsterdam - I didn't find it worth the 14.95 price tag. It's a very thin book, only about 30 pages long, and the fact of the matter is you don't need a guide book for these sites - you'll find them yourself! Still, if you want the information provided and don't mind the price, the book is well-written, informative and the cover's printed on hemp paper.

When I was transferred to Amsterdam for a year I went out and bought several guides to the city. A friend gave me this book as a going away present and told me that it was what I "really needed to get to know Amsterdam". This is not your parent's travel guide (actually...depends on your parents). Get another guide to find the art museums and the five star hotels. This is the guide to find out where everyone is hanging out, buying their drugs and their music. I especially recommend it to find some laid back non-touristy coffee shops and some toursity but fun off beat museums. Only problem is the price, a bit steep for such a short guide, but it is in the end worth the price.

I wrote a previous review after I received Get Lost! Amsterdam but before I made my trip. At the time, I liked the book but felt it was overpriced. I just returned from 10 days in Amsterdam, and I'd like to change my review. This book was great!! Assuming, of course, that you're going to Amsterdam for Smart Shops, and a great scene. If you're not interested in drugs or the cheapest places to stay, this book isn't for you. The information was very useful; I repeatedly referred to the lodging, drug and general info sections. My only criticism is there could be more listings for restaurants - but then, this probably isn't the only guide you're going to bring with you. A very useful guide for anyone looking for a great trip . . .