Searching for a nice present to give during the upcoming holidays? Just like last year, we have compiled a list of Dutch books published this year by researchers from the Radboud Institute for Culture and History (RICH). From Dutch jokes of the past century to satire from ancient Greece, this list offers a wonderful glimpse of the variety of publications that have appeared over the past year. The list, consisting of six Dutch books, has been created with both university and non-university audiences in mind. With these books, you will have a great gift for sure!
RICH Holiday Wish List 2023
Het was maar een grapje. Nederland in tien humorschandalen
Ivo Nieuwenhuis | Atlas Contact | August 2023
Remember that time Thierry Baudet walked out on Jinek because of a sharp satirical speech by comedian Martijn Koning? Or do you know the story of Paul de Leeuw who berated a little boy in his TV programme and then had to apologise on Jeugdjournaal? These and other incidents are discussed in Het was maar een grapje by Ivo Nieuwenhuis. Using ten so-called 'humour scandals', riots or public outcry following a joke or skit, he guides the reader through seventy years of Dutch cultural and media history. This book will rekindle memories for many, but also reveal surprising new facts. Find out, for instance, that Annie M.G. Schmidt was very angry behind the scenes about the censorship of her radio play De familie Doorsnee, or that the famous duo Koot & Bie deliberately killed off their creation De Tegenpartij, because some viewers reacted too eagerly and approvingly to the racist slogans of the fictitious party "for all Dutch people who no longer stand the Netherlands". In light of the recent election results, a highly topical story! You can read about these and other humour scandals and what they tell us about the ever-changing zeitgeist and mechanics of the media in Het was maar een grapje.
Troje is nooit veroverd! Trojaanse redevoering (Or. 11) ingeleid en vertaald door Floris Overduin
Floris Overduin | DAMON | March 2023
In times where we mourn the disinformation of Ongehoord Nederland and the ‘fake news’ of Trump and Baudet, there is fortunately also pleasure to be had from the 'critical' view of so-called experts. Two thousand years ago, the Greek orator Dio already made accusing an authority into a flashy game. The stakes? The Trojan War and who would have won it. With a razor-sharp speech, Dio wipes the floor with the great Homer, who allegedly twisted the facts to make it look as if the Greeks had won the War for Troy. Like a cunning lawyer, he brings forth the craziest details in his speech to show how malleable 'the truth' is. With his playful role-play - Dio does not mean anything of what he says - the orator shows in great detail how words are capable of deceiving people, when it comes to Homer's Iliad, but also when it comes to his own speech. A wonderful paradox from an ancient writer who not only excels as an orator, but whose great admiration for Homer can actually be read constantly between the lines!
Hoera! Een boek. Over Nederlands en Nederlandse letterkunde van nu
Jos Joosten | AFdH | January 2023
There are always some prejudices about the study and subject of Dutch (called 'neerlandistiek', Dutch Studies), both among the general public ("You're studying Dutch? Don't you already speak that?") and in the press, where the academic merits of the subject are still questioned sometimes. Hoera! Een boek over Nederlands en Nederlandse letterkunde tackles these misunderstandings in a cheerful way and enthusiastically describes all the appealing aspects of the profession. Hoera! reflects on the history of Dutch Studies, which goes back to the early nineteenth century. It also provides both worthwhile and stimulating reading tips from recent Dutch literature: who or what should we definitely not read (Dimitri Verhulst or Jan Siebelink, for instance) and what should we read (Simone Atangana Bekono, L.H. Wiener or Hanna Bervoets)? Finally, some field-specific matters are discussed: the clashes between writers and the law, for example, or the way twenty-first-century authors deal with 'reality'. A book suitable for colleagues and enthusiasts - or the combination of the two.
De Akropolis van Athene. Geschiedenis van een mythisch icoon
Eric Moormann & Janric van Rookhuijzen | Prometheus | March 2023
De Akropolis van Athene. Geschiedenis van een mythisch icoon is a compelling book about the iconic clifftop in the heart of Athens, with the ruins of marble buildings such as the Parthenon. The famous classical temples conceal a profound 3,000-year history in which the Acropolis served as a symbol of piety, rebirth and democracy. Eric M. Moormann and Janric van Rookhuijzen take readers on a fascinating journey through time. The book sheds light on the mythology, buildings, and art of the Acropolis, but also discusses why the citadel became such a crucial symbol of democracy and the West. In doing so, it examines how the site features stereotypical representations of Eastern peoples, including Turks and Persians. Also featured is a discussion of the Elgin Marbles in London, which have recently received significant media attention as the most prominent case of disputed museum objects. This richly illustrated book is a wonderful gift for enthusiasts of history as well as culture, within and outside academia. It also serves as an excellent preparation for a visit to Athens in 2024, providing readers with in-depth knowledge about this iconic monument.
De vluchtelingenrepubliek. Een migratiegeschiedenis van Nederland
David de Boer & Geert Janssen | Prometheus | January 2023
From William of Orange to Anne Frank and from Frans Hals to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Netherlands has been shaped by refugees in many ways. But their arrival brought about a fear of asylum seekers as a threat to our security, prosperity and culture centuries ago, too. Apparently no refugee crisis eludes the Netherlands without an accompanying identity crisis. In De vluchtelingenrepubliek, fifteen prominent and up-and-coming historians recount how refugees have shaped our identity over the past five centuries. Why were displaced Flemings the first people to call themselves Dutch? How did refugees become a curse and a blessing for the colonies? And which Dutch people opened their doors to the million Belgian asylum seekers at the beginning of World War I? This book is an ideal gift for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding about asylum seekers, national identity and hospitality. Not to mention you'll learn where the 'quintessentially Dutch' oliebol really comes from.
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Apuleius. Zwarte magie, demonen & andere speeches
Vincent Hunink | Noordboek | October 2023
Lucius Apuleius (2nd century CE) was an important orator, philosopher and novelist of the Roman imperial period, best known for his novel The Golden Ass (Metamorphoses). In the showpiece speech Black Magic, translated here, he defends himself against a charge of magic. With a great sense of humour and rhetoric, he describes what magic is and why he stays away from it. His speech is simultaneously one of the most important sources of knowledge on ancient magic, but still extremely readable. In addition, this book contains a fine speech on the question of what exactly demons are. According to Apuleius, they are mainly benevolent helpers of humanity. Together, the sparkling texts in this book offer a wonderful picture of Latin rhetoric in the 2nd century. In the aftermath of Cicero, this rhetoric appears far from dead. Rather, it is experiencing a resurgence here, as top-level entertainment for a large audience. Perfect entertainment for under the Christmas tree!
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- Radboud Institute for Culture and History, Faculty of Arts
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- History, Art & Culture