The Republic Of Grain
From time immemorial, the Dutch have owed their survival to pushing back the sea. Now, at the end of the twentieth century, the dikes will be pierced and water let in once again. In the grain republic of Groningen where the clay is richest and the best grain harvested, the centuries-old polders will be flooded. The farming community, and with it a thousand-year-old tradition, will have to yield to environmental pressures and recreation.
Non-FictionPrint
Original title
De graanrepubliek
Author
Frank Westerman
[object Object]
A rich and interesting book.
NRC Handelsblad
Westerman tells a story of human desires and follies. At times his book reads like a thriller.
de Volkskrant
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Frank Westerman
Frank Westerman (b. 1964) studied tropical agricultural engineering at Wageningen University before working as a foreign correspondent in Belgrade in Moscow. He is one of the Netherland’s most popular non-fiction writers. Works include 'The Republic of Grain' (1999), 'Engineers of the Soul' (2002), 'Ararat' (2007), 'Brother Mendel’s Perfect Horse' (2011), 'Choke Valley' (2013), 'We, Hominids' (2018) and 'The Cosmic Comedy' (2021). His books have been translated into 17 languages and have won many prizes. 'When Humans Stray – Seven Animals Bite Back' is nominated for the Boekenbon Literature Prize 2024.