ROTTERDAM, 24 February 2026 – A new English-language book on Amsterdam’s recent history is coming out on Tuesday 10 March, published by De Bezige Bij. If you are looking for a city read in English, this one might be worth a spot on your nightstand, even if your heart lives firmly south of the A13.
At RotterdamStyle, we do not make a habit of boosting Amsterdam. Still, it is genuinely refreshing to see Dutch city history published in English because a lot of the good stuff stays locked in Dutch editions.
A city story from decline to “too popular”
Amsterdam: The Making of a City 1980–Today follows the city from the late 1970s and early 1980s, when it was struggling with decay, addiction, widespread squatting, unemployment, and residents moving out.
The book then traces the turnaround, described as a district-by-district recovery where neighbourhoods improved, old factories became creative spaces, and families stayed. The story does not end in celebration, though, because it frames Amsterdam’s current problems as the downside of success, with housing shortages, mass tourism, and rising inequality.
What the author focuses on
Author Marcel van Engelen examines the forces, ideas and people behind those shifts, using interviews with aldermen, activists, architects, entrepreneurs and residents who were involved in shaping the city. It is positioned as a contemporary history that links today’s dilemmas to the choices and momentum of earlier decades, rather than treating the “good years” and the “bad years” as separate chapters.
Who Marcel van Engelen is
Marcel van Engelen (1971) is a journalist and author who wrote for Amsterdam daily Het Parool for many years and has contributed to Dutch newspapers and magazines. His previous book, Het kasteel van Elmina (Elmina Castle, 2013), won the Brusse Prize, awarded to the best work of literary journalism in Dutch.
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What Dutch reviewers said about the original edition
Dutch reviews quoted in the publisher material include:
‘A critical book about the contemporary history of Amsterdam. Compelling characters bring this argument to life. Highly convincing.’ — NRC
‘A remarkable, fluently written book. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Amsterdam.’ — Het Parool
Another set of review quotes highlights the tone and scope:
'In this fascinating book, Marcel van Engelen describes how Amsterdam has swung between extremes. He shows how it became the wealthy, bustling, tourist-packed city it is today.' — De Volkskrant
‘Vivid and urgent.’ — Trouw
‘One of the best books about a city. Van Engelen paints a picture of the Netherlands as a whole, a country that transformed from a manufacturing nation into an office economy.’ — Het Financieele Dagblad
The Rotterdam angle
If you live in Rotterdam, part of the fun is reading it with your own mental footnotes. You can compare what “revival” looks like in Amsterdam versus how Rotterdam rebuilt, rebranded, and kept changing its skyline and street life. And yes, we are going to say it: we would happily read a version of this kind of deep, decade-by-decade book about Rotterdam in English next. Consider this our polite hint to the author.
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