A History of the World’s Most Liberal City – Russell Shorto

This is my favorite read about Amsterdam. Mr. Shorto writes narrative history, so picks out lives of people and uses them to illustrate and enrich the historical tale. I cannot recommend reading this book enough, preferably before you visit. It will enhance your stay here and probably get you coming back for more.

I cheekily invited Mr. Shorto on a tour of mine that I based on his book and he was kind enough to write the following about it:

“Mark Law is hands-down the best tour guide of Amsterdam. And I don’t say that just because he uses my book. Honestly! He invited me to join a tour based on my book and, lo and behold, I learned a lot from it. He wove together my research and his own nook-and-cranny knowledge of Amsterdam. The result is lively, funny, and deeply historical.”

You can buy Amsterdam, A  History of the World’s Most Liberal City everywhere, however if you want to buy it online, why not do it via the link from Mr Shorto’s website…