100 Belgian Icons

In his new book journalist Derek Blyth presents 100 Belgian ‘icons’ that have shaped what he calls ‘the strangest country in the world’: people, objects, places and stories that are intertwined with Belgium’s history and make it the country it is today. The insightful, fun-to-read texts are divided into lists with specific themes: traditions, places, artists, oddities, sayings, architecture, etc. Each list holds famous icons like the saxophone but also some surprises like Churchill’s V-sign. AUTHOR: Derek Blyth has lived in Belgium for 30 years. Long enough to know that Belgium is complicated. As a travel journalist, he has visited almost every corner of the country. He has tried rare beers, eaten in remote Ardennes restaurants, walked the Belgian coast. He has tried every possible way to understand the country. A former editor of The Bulletin magazine and Flanders Today newspaper, he has written countless articles to explain Belgium, along with a bestselling travel guide to The 500 Hidden Secrets of Brussels, along with similar guides to Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Belgium. He also organises walking tours of Belgian cities and blogs about odd details of life in Belgium and the Netherlands. SELLING POINT: . 100 insightful and fun-to-read texts by Belgium connoisseur and fan Derek Blyth about iconic Belgian traditions, places, artists, oddities, buildings, sayings, and more 100 colour images