Little Kingdom by the Sea

Home > Books > Little Kingdom by the Sea
Little Kingdom by the Sea

A celebration of Dutch cultural heritage

Revealing the secrets behind the facades of a number of national buildings and Amsterdam canal houses. For KLM house lovers!

Order Now!
About the Book

An extraordinary journey to the heart of the greatest little kingdom in the world: the Netherlands

A nation founded by courageous pioneers, innovative explorers, world-class artists, outstanding entrepreneurs and other remarkable Dutch characters.

From the 17th century onwards, merchants have traveled the seven seas in search of new opportunities. In the Golden Age, Amsterdam became the warehouse of the world and the gateway to Europe. Little Kingdom by the Sea offers an exclusive peak into the lives of the people who pushed the boundaries of a country limited in size but great in hopes and dreams; people who reached out to the farthest corners of the globe. The stories of the lives and achievements from a glorious past have captured our imagination for centuries. Their spirit of diversity, multiculturalism and creativity have been essential to building a cosmopolitan melting pot.

Little Kingdom by the Sea by Mark Zegeling

In Little Kingdom by the Sea, author Mark Zegeling reveals the secrets behind the facades of a number of national buildings and Amsterdam canal houses, which were once inhabited by notable historic figures in Dutch history. Behind the public image of great pioneers like Rembrandt, Herman Boerhaave, Lucas Bols, Gerard Heineken, Cornelis Lely and extraordinary people such as Mata Hari and Anne Frank, lies a whole new world to discover. The houses of these men and women were often designed by famous architects, and in turn, present-day artists have been inspired to create Delft Blue replicas of these monuments. Ever since the 1950s, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have been handing out these wonderful little miniatures to its Business Class passengers on long haul flights.

Revealing the secrets behind the facades of a number of national buildings and Amsterdam canal houses

The Delft Blue souvenirs are an unrivaled phenomenon in the world of travel and are considered to be a Dutch icon. In this ebook, you’ll discover the history of 95 beautiful KLM canal houses, including the stories of eight national landmarks, which were made into KLM Delftware limited editions. Some of these landmarks include the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, the Hall of Knights in The Hague and Huis ter Kleef in Haarlem – the oldest Real Tennis Court of the World. Little Kingdom by the Sea contains photos of the complete KLM Collection, the addresses of every single monument, including maps of the Netherlands and the cities Amsterdam, Delft and Leiden to show you exactly where the real KLM houses are located.

Extensive archive research and interviews with (architectural) historians and current residents of the monuments have yielded a wealth of anecdotes and entertaining stories about previous inhabitants. In Little Kingdom by the Sea, their real life stories are painted in powerful colors, as a source of inspiration for present and future generations.

Details
Author: Mark Zegeling
Genre: No longer available
Publication Year: 2015
ASIN: B00VXQV00O
List Price: $5,99
I am fond of Holland and love to stroll along the canals of Amsterdam. I often wondered about the inhabitants of these magnificent canal houses; what were their stories, their professions and passions. Now that I read Little Kingdom by the Sea I understand what went on behind those grand facades of the Golden Age. The optimism and spirit of 17th century Dutch entrepreneurs is truly inspiring! In the past I never had the privilege of traveling business class with KLM so never received a Delft Blue canal house, but have seen them all over the world and understand why people are avid collectors of these replica’s. The book was a real eye opener to me, containing a wealth of information. Not dry facts, but juicy and fun stories! The Blue Delft KLM houses epitomize the Netherlands; the facades of the canal houses conceal wonderful and inspiring stories, some of which left their mark on the world. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. Ideal to download on your Kindle when you travel to Amsterdam.
This book is such a delight! Starting by chronicling the history of the KLM Delft Blue miniature houses and monuments and their relevance to Dutch culture, the author then leads us on a fascinating tale that covers in detail the wonderful culture, art, architecture and history of the Netherlands. Packed with intriguing anecdotes and strange but true facts, Little Kingdom is an impressive and beautifully illustrated book that will have you turning the pages for hours. A charming and truly captivating read!
This is wonderful, almost impossible to put down, trek through Dutch architectural history and Dutch cultural heritage from the late Middle Ages to the present. While much of the book is devoted to historic buildings in major cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the book does a fine job pointing out many of the most historically important buildings in other notable Dutch cities and towns like Utrecht, Gouda, and Delft. These buildings are those that have been chosen by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to be depicted as Delft Blue miniature houses to those flying in Business Class since the 1950s, and a tradition that doesn't seem to be dying out yet. I have to praise Mark Zegeling for writing a compelling look at both Dutch architecture and history, written in a lively, often engaging, prose style. This is one little book worthy of many a reader's attention.
– John Kwok, Hall of Fame reviewer
Order Now
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Mark Zegeling

Author, publisher, tv producer and reporter Mark Zegeling from the Netherlands cultivated his passion for arts and entertainment in a variety of media. He served the industry in a career spanning over 25 years. Since 1987, he has been working from print to broadcast to digital media (see www.markmedia.nl).

Preview
See our Privacy Policy and Disclosure of Material Connection