The Netherlands has a rich literary and publishing tradition — Amsterdam was a centre of European printing from the 17th century, and several of the world's largest publishing houses are still Dutch.
History and context
The Embarrassment of Riches by Simon Schama is the definitive cultural history of the Dutch Golden Age — sprawling, brilliant, and endlessly quotable. For a more accessible overview, try The Low Sky by Han van der Horst, which explains Dutch identity, habits, and history to outsiders with wit and insight.
The Undutchables by Colin White and Laurie Boucke is a gentle satire of Dutch culture that the Dutch themselves enjoy. It is a bit cynical in places, but gets enough right to be genuinely funny.
War and memory
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank needs no introduction. Reading it before visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam adds considerably to the experience. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom tells the story of a Christian family sheltering Jews in Haarlem, and is worth reading alongside it.
Fiction
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton is set in 17th-century Amsterdam, a wealthy merchant household with dark secrets. Atmospheric and vividly researched. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier is set in Delft and follows the life of Vermeer's household — it captures the texture of Dutch Golden Age life well despite being fiction.
Travel writing
Orange is the New Black? A Journey Through the Dutch Soul by Ben Coates is a recent and entertaining account of an Englishman trying to understand his Dutch neighbours. More honest and less romantic than most expatriate memoirs.