List Books In Favor Of The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
| Original Title: | The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America |
| ISBN: | 1400078679 (ISBN13: 9781400078677) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Setting: | New York State(United States) |
| Literary Awards: | Audie Award for Nonfiction, Unabridged (2005), New York City Book Award for Book of the Year (2004) |
Russell Shorto
Paperback | Pages: 384 pages Rating: 4.14 | 7786 Users | 867 Reviews
Itemize Out Of Books The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
| Title | : | The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America |
| Author | : | Russell Shorto |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 384 pages |
| Published | : | April 12th 2005 by Vintage (first published January 1st 2004) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. New York. North American Hi.... American History. Historical |
Chronicle In Pursuance Of Books The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving, polyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed: 12,000 pages of its records–recently declared a national treasure–are now being translated. Drawing on this remarkable archive, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative–a story of global sweep centered on a wilderness called Manhattan–that transforms our understanding of early America.The Dutch colony pre-dated the “original” thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture. The Island at the Center of the World uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.
Rating Out Of Books The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
Ratings: 4.14 From 7786 Users | 867 ReviewsDiscuss Out Of Books The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
I really enjoyed this book. It covers the time the Dutch owned/ran/lived in Manhattan. How they got there and what influence they had on America is full of fascinating details uncovered only because some documents managed to survive around 350 years to reveal their secrets slowly, but surely. The information is apparently changing the way historians look at the birth of America. They are moving from the pure British tale to an awareness that the Dutch can be credited with some of the actual lawsI was only dimly aware that New York was originally New Amsterdam and that it had been part of the Dutch empire before the British took it over. The Island at the Center of the World is a history of the 40-year lifespan of the Dutch colony, leading up to the bloodless British victory of 1664. In reality, the Dutch colony of New Netherland -- of which the city of New Amsterdam was the main settlement -- was not so much a colony as a possession of a private company. That company, the Dutch West
Interesting and well written. Not a page turner as such, but glad I read it. Cool to connect with the modern day experience of living in NYC.
About a decade ago when I was living in New Jersey, I used to drive every weekend from New Jersey to Massachusetts to see my girlfriend. While driving back I used to take a road called the Saw Mill Parkway, near a town called Yonkers, on the way to crossing the Tappan Zee bridge. Both reference points seemed completely nondescript to me then. What I did not know until now was that both Yonkers and the Saw Mill Parkway are the only tributes in this country to a remarkable man and a lost time
Shorto has given us a description of the Dutch history of Manhattan, Yonkers (Younkers), and the Bronx (de Brounx--?sp.) from lost/forgotten archives in Dutch. I read this book while I was doing a 3 year research project with the poorest schools in the Bronx and after my longtime collaboration with researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands. I also like having a feeling of the land under modern-day NYC. As I had learned more thanks to my Dutch friends of the Golden Age in the lowcountry
Pilgrims and turkeys dominate youthful stories of our countrys founding. Adults regularly hear the truism that Puritanism imbues our culture with strict moralism and inflexibility (and probably nod in agreement). Always we hear of the stalwart British, fighting to control the continent, winning perhaps because they were the most upright. And so we have come to regard our history, written as usual by the victors.Russell Shorto begs to differ. The Island at the Center of the World seeks to
A history of Dutch New York (New Amsterdam) ... that is fascinating as well as beautifully written ... with information and humor ... A great book about a little-known aspect of history ... I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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