{"title":"Ben Coates","description":"\u003cp\u003eBen Coates offers immersive journeys into European landscapes and cultures, blending history, geography, and social insight. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Invention of Amsterdam\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Rhine\u003c\/em\u003e, explore iconic places with a keen eye for detail and narrative depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect engaging travel and adventure narratives that reveal the unique character of regions, capturing both their past and present. Coates’ writing invites reflection on how place shapes identity, making each book a thoughtful exploration beyond the usual travelogue.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-invention-of-amsterdam-by-ben-coates-9781915590350","title":"The Invention of Amsterdam","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn essential guide to one of the world's most remarkable, and often misunderstood, cities by the author of \u003cem\u003eWhy the Dutch Are Different\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Ben Coates injures his leg and needs to rebuild his strength by walking, he finds himself presented with an exciting opportunity—to rediscover the city he has been working in for over a decade, at a slower pace. He devised ten walks, each demonstrating a different chapter of Amsterdam's history, from its humble beginnings in the early 1200s as a small fishing community through two Golden Ages, fuelled by the growth of the Dutch colonial empire, two world wars, and countless reinventions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJoin Coates as he meanders past beautiful townhouses and glittering canals, dances at Pride celebrations, witnesses the King's apology at Keti Koti, attends a WW2 memorial, gets high at a coffee shop, walks through the red-light district, and gazes in awe at Rembrandt paintings, all the while illuminating modern Amsterdam by explaining its past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlending travelogue and quirky history, \u003cem\u003eThe Invention of Amsterdam\u003c\/em\u003e is an entertaining and sharply observed portrait of a fascinating and complicated city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A beautifully illustrated book cover of the Dutch capital. This travelogue mixed with history provides a vivid and interesting portrait of a complicated global city.'\u003c\/em\u003e -Laura Hackett, The Times\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Ben Coates is the ideal companion to wander around Amsterdam with. He's witty, knowledgeable—without being overbearing—and eager to upend many of the cliches associated with the city. As someone who lives in The Netherlands, and who is married to a Dutch woman, he's keen to show you the real Amsterdam and, because you're travelling at walking speed, he has time to linger over details that most travel books overlook. Coates is excellent on what it's like to live in the city today. However, he's equally skilled at showing us Amsterdam's past. The section on the country's colonial history is both important and informative and he even manages to shed new light on the city under Nazi occupation. \u003cem\u003eThe Invention of Amsterdam\u003c\/em\u003e will make you desperate to jump on the next plane or train to rediscover one of Europe's most complex cities.'\u003c\/em\u003e -Midge Gillies, author of \u003cem\u003eAmy Johnson and Piccadilly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eWhy the Dutch Are Different\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Author Ben Coates has produced an insightful gem.'\u003c\/em\u003e -The Scotsman, Books of the Year\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072376193260,"sku":"9781915590350","price":37.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/486203482870.jpg?v=1765099676"},{"product_id":"why-the-dutch-are-different-by-ben-coates-9781857886856","title":"Why the Dutch are Different","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStranded at Schiphol airport, Ben Coates called up a friendly Dutch girl he'd met some months earlier. He stayed for dinner. Actually, he stayed for good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first book to consider the hidden heart and history of the Netherlands from a modern perspective, the author explores the length and breadth of his adopted homeland and discovers why one of the world's smallest countries is also so significant and so fascinating. It is a self-made country, the Dutch national character shaped by the ongoing battle to keep the water out, from the love of dairy and beer to the attitude to nature and the famous tolerance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBen Coates investigates what makes the Dutch the Dutch, why the Netherlands is much more than Holland and why the colour orange is so important. Along the way, he reveals why they are the world's tallest people and have the best carnival outside Brazil. He learns why Amsterdam's brothels are going out of business, who really killed Anne Frank, and how the Dutch manage to be richer than almost everyone else despite working far less. He also discovers a country which is changing fast, with the Dutch now questioning many of the liberal policies which made their nation famous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history, and an entertaining travelogue, \u003cem\u003eWhy the Dutch are Different\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. And loved it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072396083436,"sku":"9781857886856","price":43.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13252853482849.jpg?v=1765101832"},{"product_id":"the-rhine-by-ben-coates-9781473665095","title":"The Rhine","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Rhine is one of the world's greatest rivers. Once forming the outer frontier of the Roman Empire, it flows 800 miles from the social democratic playground of the Netherlands, through the industrial and political powerhouses of Germany and France, to the wealthy mountain fortresses of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor five years, Ben Coates lived alongside a major channel of the river in Rotterdam, crossing it daily, swimming and sailing in its tributaries. In \u003ci\u003eThe Rhine\u003c\/i\u003e, he sets out by bicycle from the Netherlands where it enters the North Sea, following it through Germany, France and Liechtenstein, to its source in the icy Alps. He explores the impact that the Rhine has had on European culture and history and finds out how influences have flowed along and across the river, shaping the people who live alongside it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlending travelogue and offbeat history, \u003ci\u003eThe Rhine\u003c\/i\u003e tells the fascinating story of how a great river helped shape a continent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47433025683692,"sku":"9781473665095","price":43.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781473665095.jpg?v=1774765768"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/ben-coates.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}