Ben Coates is the best-selling author of The Rhine: Following Europe’s Greatest River from Amsterdam to the Alps, exploring everything from the Rhine’s history, as the outer frontier of the Roman Empire, to the joys of French Rhine wines as well as the river’s influence on German history and culture. Born in England in 1982, Ben trained as an economist and has worked at various times as a political adviser in London, speechwriter, lobbyist and aid worker in Africa. He is also the author of Why the Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands, an exploration of the Dutch and their culture from the perspective of a curious outsider. Ben currently lives in a cottage in the Dutch countryside with his family, where he works as a journalist for The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Politico and De Groene Amsterdammer.