Rodney Bolt was born in Africa, has an Irish passport, a British driving licence and a Dutch residence permit. Having lived and worked in Greece, in England and in Germany, he has finally come to roost in Amsterdam, where such hybrid creatures pass unnoticed, and are even made to feel at home. For many years he ran a pub theatre in London, and has worked as a theatre director, English teacher, private tutor, letter-sorter and journalist. Now he makes his living mainly from travel writing, and is failing to fend off the Dutch desire to write novels. He divides his national affections between the Netherlands and Madeira, just as he hopes one day to divide his domestic arrangements between a canal house and a quinta in the hills. In the meantime he lives in one corner of a large 19th-century house, within walking distance of a street-market, a swimming pool and three excellent museums. He could ask for little more.
'This somehow captures the essence of the Dutch in less than 90 pages of humorous, but ruthlessly accurate observations, and supplements these tidbits with factual information on just about everything that makes the people tick. Have Dutch boyfriend so thought this was worth a look. Literally chuckled and belly laughed my way through it at the traits that I so recognised. It's a very affectionate and jovial look at Dutch quirks (and also a handy manual), and when Dutch boyfriend got his hands on it, he couldn't put it down either. Will definitely be buying a copy for the in-laws for Christmas. Would highly recommend - money very well spent.' -- Reviewer from UK 'Worth its weight in gold. I've worked with the Dutch for years and I'm really enjoying this read! Highly informative and humorous. I haven't finished this (very concise!) little book yet, but have already invested in another one for a friend. Got my Dutch boss to have a little read of a few pages yesterday, and he was instantly laughing and nodding in agreement - he wants to borrow it soon as I'm done! Well recommended!' -- Review from 'pixie', UK 'A Must read. In preparation for moving to the Netherlands I decided to get this book, it gave me a great overview of what the Dutch are like... my friend who has been living in Holland for 2 years was crying with laughter: 'This is exactly what they are like!' -- Review from 'A customer' 'I work in a company headquartered in Netherlands and thus have visited the country many times and have many Dutch co-workers and friends. It projects a sympathetic yet objective picture with excellent observations and insights. It's a great book to understand the country and its people, though it's not meant to be a comprehensive resource for a potential expatriate. Finally, to comment in a truly Dutch fashion - it's the cheapest guide I could find and therefore is excellent value for money.' -- Reviewer from Scotland 'Short and sweet. I was quite surprised by the size of this book when I opened the box from amazon - I think the operating manual for my desk lamp must be twice the size. But good things often come in small packages, and this is no exception. This book is informative and concise, offering worthwhile insight into those who call the Netherlands home. I only wish the printing company would have used paper more suitable for use with a highlighter (read: higher quality).' -- Reviewer from California, USA 'The Dutch Xenophobe's Guide gets under the skin of the Dutch with a tongue-in-cheek explanation of the quirks and traits of the Dutch peoples. It will brace first-time visitors to the country while reaffirming the beliefs of those in the know, all the while being a celebration of the culture.' -- Review from www.iamsterdam.com
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