# Geert Mak > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Geert_Mak > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Geert_Mak.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Mak > Source revision: 1328668035 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Dutch journalist and non-fiction writer (born 1946) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Geert Mak" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Geert Ludzer Mak Born Geert Mak (1946-12-04) 4 December 1946 (age 79) Vlaardingen, Netherlands Occupation Journalist Nationality Dutch Notable works In Europa, "Grote verwachtingen" Spouse Mietsie Ruiters Children 2 children Website www.geertmak.nl **Geert Ludzer Mak** (born 4 December 1946 in [Vlaardingen](/source/Vlaardingen)) is a Dutch journalist and non-fiction writer. ## Honors For his book *In Europe: Travels through the Twentieth Century*, he received the Leipziger Buchpreis zur Europäische Verständigung (2008)[1] and the Otto von der Gablentz Prize (2009). The French government also awarded him the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (2008). In the Netherlands, his exceptional engagement with international history has earned him the Golden Goose's Feather (2015),[2] the Comenius Prize (2016)[3] and the Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund Prize for his entire oeuvre (2017).[4] In the statement that accompanied the honorary degree from Münster, Mak was dubbed a "gifted storyteller" capable of "combining hard science, popularization, originality and engagement." Historians are generally cautious when judging Mak's work. ## Books In 1999, to mark the end of the century, Mak spent an entire year crisscrossing Europe for *NRC Handelsblad* and published a travel report each day on its front page. It became the account of a journey through the continent as well as the twentieth century, one full of local observations and conversations with eyewitnesses. On that basis he published *In Europe* (2004), a book for which he received, among other prizes, the NS Reader's Prize for best Dutch book[5] and which was translated into more than fifteen languages. In the public debate Geert Mak has made a name for himself as a staunch defender of multiculturalism. *In Europe* was the best-selling book by a Dutch author in the Netherlands in 2004, having sold over 500,000 copies. The British reviews were generally enthusiastic; although, for the professional historian or political scientist, the book has little to offer: "*In Europe* hardly breaks new ground historically" wrote Martin Woollacott in an otherwise positive review in *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*.[6] Mak himself sees his work as journalism. In an interview with a Dutch journalism trade-journal, he said: "My approach is journalistic. My books are filled with newspaper tricks". Historians are generally cautious when it comes to judging Mak's work. [Hermann von der Dunk](/source/Hermann_von_der_Dunk), emeritus professor of history at Utrecht University, said about Mak: "it is well written, and historically correct, but it is not what I would call academic history. There is no analysis of historical development".[7] ## Television In the autumn of 2007, [VPRO](/source/VPRO) released a television adaptation of *[In Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_Europe_(series)&action=edit&redlink=1)*, in the form of a series spread across two seasons, 35 episodes in total, presented by Geert Mak. The series prompted some historians to point to a number of errors and comment that the makers were ill-informed about the current debates in the field of history.[8] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Bisherige Preisträger Leipziger Buchpreis zur Europäischen Verständigung"](https://www.leipzig.de//freizeit-kultur-und-tourismus/kunst-und-kultur/kunst-und-kulturpreise/leipziger-buchpreis-zur-europaeischen-verstaendigung/bisherige-preistraeger). *www.leipzig.de*. Retrieved 22 November 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Stichting de Gouden Ganzenveer | Geert Mak"](https://www.goudenganzenveer.nl/laureaten/geert_mak_2015). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Comeniusprijs voor Geert Mak"](https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/comeniusprijs-voor-geert-mak~b1e4c9cf/). 17 February 2015. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Geert Mak wint Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Prijs"](https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/geert-mak-wint-prins-bernhard-cultuurfonds-prijs~b24b0e20/). 27 November 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["NS Publieksprijs | EREGALERIJ"](https://nspublieksprijs.nl/eregalerij). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The slow artillery of time"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141003085031/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/apr/14/featuresreviews.guardianreview29). 13 April 2007. Archived from [the original](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/apr/14/featuresreviews.guardianreview29) on 3 October 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** *Academische Boekengids*, March 2005 1. **[^](#cite_ref-HN07_8-0)** *[Historisch Nieuwsblad](https://www.historischnieuwsblad.nl/nl/artikel/7005/hoe-konden-de-mensen-toch-zo-stom-zijn.html)*, December 2007 ## External links - Quotations related to [Geert Mak](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Geert_Mak) at Wikiquote - Media related to [Geert Mak](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Geert_Mak) at Wikimedia Commons Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Japan Czech Republic Spain Netherlands Norway Latvia Korea Poland Israel Belgium Academics CiNii Artists FID People Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Geert Mak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Mak) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Mak?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.