Bells for America

“For my country, the Netherlands Carillon is a symbol of gratitude for the role the U.S. played during and after World War II. It’s a beacon of the lasting friendship between our countries that goes back more than four hundred years. Studying the origin of the carillon serves as a constant reminder that we need to cherish this relationship, and I welcome the effort Diederik Oostdijk undertook to shine new light on this historic monument that stands tall over Washington, D.C.”

—Henne Schuwer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States

“A fascinating story of a monument hidden in plain sight. It is as a work of writing that the book stands out—a work of feeling. Bells for America is a meditation on human society, on its failures and blunders and hopes. Almost always inharmonious, such a society still dreams of making perfect sounds.”

—Alexander Nemerov, author of Soulmaker: The Times of Lewis Hine

“A great accomplishment of Oostdijk’s history is to reveal the passions and machinations behind the carillon’s deceptive simplicity. It is the rare piece of architecture writing that exposes what you can’t see simply by looking at the work.”

—Bradford McKee Landscape Architecture Magazine

“Oostdijk’s book recounts the bumpy ride of the Netherlands Carillon. In Washington, nothing that big and prominent is without controversy.”

—John Kelly The Washington Post

“Oostdijk takes us with heartfelt understanding from the inception of the carillon idea to fund raising, site selecting, building, maintaining, and more recent efforts to restore the monument—all the while tracing the influence of the Cold War on these steps.”

—Verena B. Drake Journal of American History

“Bells for America presents a sophisticated interdisciplinary analysis, neatly combined with lively anecdotes as well as some more personal reflections. The book is visually appealing and well illustrated while the writing generally flows smoothly from the pages through colorful prose. It provides valuable contributions not just to the specific history of Dutch-American relations, but to broader academic debates about the role of monuments and commemorations, gift giving and expressions of gratitude—and the vital role of non-state actors in this context—as part of the broader diplomatic process.”

—Albertine Bloemendal Diplomatica

“This cultural history, ostensibly on the esoteric subject of building a Dutch carillon in the U.S. capital, is also a first-rate diplomatic history book. Diederik Oostdijk uses his nation’s gift of gratitude for exploring America’s confusing Cold War policies. . . . The physical well-being of this carillon—a musical instrument of fifty mostly dissonant bells housed in a modernist steel tower—serves as symbol for the geopolitical ups and downs in the post–World War era.”

—Verena B. Drake Journal of American History