Amsterdam - History of the World's Most Liberal City

An endlessly entertaining portrait of Amsterdam and the ideas that define it, by the acclaimed author of *An Island at the Heart of the World*. Tourists know it as a picturesque city with low brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its legal brothels and hashish bars; art lovers know it for its magnificent Rembrandt paintings. But Amsterdam's deeper history, which makes it one of the most fascinating places on Earth, is tied to its unique geographic location—its citizens' relentless struggle to keep the sea out of danger, and the democratic philosophy that this relentless struggle instilled. Amsterdam is a wellspring of liberalism, in every sense of the word. Its tolerance for free thought and free love makes it a place, in the words of one of its mayors, "where madness has value." But the city also inculcated the deepest meaning of liberalism, one that has deeply influenced America: political and economic freedom. Amsterdam was not only home to religious dissidents and radical thinkers, but also to the world's first major global corporation. In this insightful account, Russell Shorto traces Amsterdam's unique development, showing how elements as disparate as the dissection of a herring, a street parade of naked Baptists, and an intimate gathering in a 16th-century wine-tasting hall profoundly influenced Dutch and world history. Weaving together his personal experiences in his new home, Shorto presents Amsterdam's surprising and intellectually engaging story, from the building of its first canals in the 14th century, through its brutal struggle for independence, its golden age as a vast empire, and its complex present, where its cherished liberal ideals are besieged.