The Island at the Center of the World
by Russell Shorto
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Book Summary Information
Author: Russell ShortoEdition: Kindle Edition
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Kindle eBook
Published: 2005-04-12
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of The Island at the Center of the World
Book Review: Connects European and American History quite nicely
Summary: 3 Stars
Russell Shorto clearly likes researching his books. As a result when reading it, it feels full of life, energy and enthusiasm. The book has several contributing side stories that I really appreciated which went beyond the core narrative of Manhattan's birth. First he does a great job setting a foundation of what was occurring in Europe at the time. I felt I got a nice snippet of important European history that help connect the dots. Secondly he describes the Dutch efforts to meet the Indians of what are now New York and New Jersey and in doing so he show how advanced some of these tribes were and unfortunately how brutal the early settlers were in exploiting or outright massacring the Native Americans which is unfortunately repeated as the Europeans moved west. Third he shows the very different ways that the Pilgrims of Massachusetts went about setting up colonies compared to the Dutch in New Amsterdam. Finally I had no idea it changed hands several times before finally staying with the English. It was all interesting to me and I think it's because it was interesting to the writer.
I'd recommend the book. I don't give it more than three stars because he does get a little redundant from time to time particularly emphasizing that YES the Dutch were there first and they accomplished lots that we now take for granted. I think there's a bit of an imbalance. All that is abundantly true but let's not forget that the English did lots more than just "not screw it up". I think a closing chapter with some description why NY continued to thrive might have been worthwhile but I'd recommend it anyway and I have seen it many friends hands that also liked it.
Summary of The Island at the Center of the World
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.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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