A few books to help you discover more about Belgium
As Discovering Belgium is all about Belgium, I thought I would mention some books on Belgium that you might like to consider reading or gifting. I’ll add to this list over time.
The Bright Side of Belgium
by Sigrid Vandensavel and Hadewijch Ceulemans (ISBN 978-9460581137)
A lovely photo book that will make you fall in love (if you haven’t already) with some of Belgium’s most beautiful cities and regions, as well as areas of natural beauty. Updated for 2017, it covers architecture, art, cuisine, fashion and design, plus tips on where to eat and stay.
Click to buy
500 Hidden Secrets of Antwerp
Derek Blyth turns his attention and literary skills on Antwerp, discovering and sharing useful, informative, strange or simply bizarre best-kept (until now) secrets of Antwerp. Essential if you want to avoid the usual tourist sights of this fascinating city.
Click to buy
Belgium Et Cetera
by The Cartoonist and Gilles Dal (ISBN 978-9461315014)
Subtitled “1830-2030 in press cartoons”, it’s an irreverent look at a multitude of aspects of Belgian life through cartoons on politics, royalty, art, culture, sport etc., but also contains a wealth of more serious information on Belgium’s history.
Click to buy
King Leopold’s Ghost
by Adam Hochshild (978-1447211358)
An eye-opening account of the atrocities committed in the Congo in search of rubber: what Joseph Conrad described as “the vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the history of human conscience.” Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Belgium.
Silent Fields
by Bart Heirweg (978-9401409582)
Beautiful, evocative and moving photographs of the landscape of the part of Flanders that was most affected by the First World War. I especially love his early morning and late evening shots.
Click to buy
Ardennes 1944: Hitler’s Last Gamble
by Antony Beevor (978-0241975152)
I haven’t read this, but I thought the author’s “Stalingrad” and “Berlin” were excellent so it’s about time I did! It covers Hitler’s Ardennes offensive, which involved more than a million men, and turned into one of the key battles of the Second World War. (P.S. Beevor’s books don’t work well as eBooks as the many maps are not clearly visible).
Click to buy
If you have suggestions yourself, please add them to the comments below.
Thanks for the list. I’ve bookmarked it for reading.
Super. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks for stopping by
Great list, Denzil. The first one would be great for visitors.
Yes you’re right Carol. And the second one if you are only heading to Antwerp. Did you ever go there when you were in Belgium?
No. We thought about it but decided it needed longer than we had. A good excuse to go back one day. 🙂
I read “Stalingrad” by Antony Beevor and loved it. Great call on this recommendation. Thanks!
Thanks for your comment!
What an interesting collection of books about Belgium, from those that praise its beauty to those that remind of its past brutality. Leopold’s at least.
Thanks Sharon, yes there is something for everyone there, I believe
They should put you on the payroll, noting all the good you do to promote Belgium. Before I started following your blog, I had no idea how incredibly beautiful your country is. But bureaucrats – meh!