A review by zluke
Why the Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands by Ben Coates
funny
informative
slow-paced
2.5
I was interested to learn about the Netherlands as I'm learning Dutch and visiting next month. The book contains some interesting history and insight into modern Dutch attitudes.
However it was rather let down by several factors. One of the most disconcerting was the constant misogyny of the author when describing his encounters with women throughout the book. The first few chapters were the most interesting to me, but also had the most misogynistic comments. Another issue I had was that the author is anti-immigration and details his racist attitudes toward Moroccan immigrants in particular. There's quite a bit of racist apologism in the book and it didn't feel balanced.
There were also a fair few inaccuracies I noticed in the second world war chapter which left me wondering what other mistakes there were. A lot of the anecdotes and stories appear to have been sensationalised and embellished to make a light fun book without caring much for accuracy.
However it was rather let down by several factors. One of the most disconcerting was the constant misogyny of the author when describing his encounters with women throughout the book. The first few chapters were the most interesting to me, but also had the most misogynistic comments. Another issue I had was that the author is anti-immigration and details his racist attitudes toward Moroccan immigrants in particular. There's quite a bit of racist apologism in the book and it didn't feel balanced.
There were also a fair few inaccuracies I noticed in the second world war chapter which left me wondering what other mistakes there were. A lot of the anecdotes and stories appear to have been sensationalised and embellished to make a light fun book without caring much for accuracy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism