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Island at the Center of the World : The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto (2005, Trade Paperback)
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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.
- Buy It NowThe Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-101400078679
ISBN-139781400078677
eBay Product ID (ePID)43111269
Product Key Features
Book TitleIsland at the Center of the World : The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America
Number of Pages432 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2005
TopicAmerican Government / Local, United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, De, Md, NJ, NY, Pa), United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775), General, Historical, Modern / 17th Century
IllustratorYes
GenrePolitical Science, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorRussell Shorto
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height0.9 in
Item Weight12.4 Oz
Item Length8 in
Item Width5.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2003-055227
TitleLeadingThe
Reviews"Astonishing . . . A book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past." --The New York Times "A tour de force. . . . The dramatic story of New York's origins is splendidly told. . . . A masterpiece of storytelling and first-rate intellectual history." --The Wall Street Journal "As readable as a finely written novel. . . . social history in the Barbara Tuchman tradition."--San Jose Mercury News "Literary alchemy. . . . Shorto's exhaustively researched and highly readable book is a stirring re-examination. . . . Brilliant and magisterial narrative history" -Chicago Tribune "Masterly . . . A new foundation myth . . .Shorto writes at all times with passion, verve, nuance and considerable humor." -The New York Times Book Review "Rattlingly well tolda terrific popular history about a past that beautifully illuminates the present." -The Sunday Times[London] "A dramatic, kaleidoscopic and, on the whole, quite wonderful book. . . . This is one of those rare books in the picked-over field of colonial history, a whole new picture, a thrown-open window. . . . [A] full-blooded resurrection of an unfamiliar American patriot." The New York Observer "Deserves to be a bestseller . . .narratively irresistible, intellectually provocative, historically invaluable" The Guardian "A spry, informative history. . . . Shorto supplies lucid, comprehensive contexts in which to see the colony's promise and turmoil. . . . [D]elivers the goods with clarity, color and zest." The Seattle Times "As Russell Shorto demonstrates in this mesmerizing volume, the story we don't know is even more fascinating than the one we do . . .Historians must now seriously rethink what they previously understand about New York's origins . . ." The New York Post "Russell Shorto fires a powerful salvo on the war of words over America's origins . . . he mounts a convincing case [that], in Shorto's words, 'Manhattan is where America began.' Readers . . find themselves absorbed in what can only be described as a plot, revolving around two strong men with conflicting visions of the future of Dutch North America." America: The National Catholic Weekly "Fascinating. . . . A richly nuanced portrait set against events on the world stage."--Time Out New York "Shorto brings this . . . deeply influential chapter in the city's history to vivid, breathtaking life [with] a talent for enlivening meticulous research and painting on a broad canvas. . . . In elegant, erudite prose, he manages to capture the lives of disparate historical characters, from kings to prostitutes." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Remarkable. . . . [C]ompulsively interesting. . . . . Shorto argues that during the brief decades of its Dutch colonial existence Manhattan had already found, once and for all, its tumultuously eclectic soul." New Statesman "Shorto delineates the characters in this nonfiction drama convincingly and compellingly." Fort Worth Star-Telegram "[An] absorbing, sensual, sometimes bawdy narrative featuring whores, pirates, explorers and scholars. With clarity and panache, Shorto briskly conveys the complex history of the age of exploration." Times Literary Supplement "Shorto's book makes a con, "Astonishing . . . A book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past." --The New York Times "A tour de force. . . . The dramatic story of New York's origins is splendidly told. . . . A masterpiece of storytelling and first-rate intellectual history." --The Wall Street Journal "As readable as a finely written novel. . . . social history in the Barbara Tuchman tradition." --San Jose Mercury News "Literary alchemy. . . . Shorto's exhaustively researched and highly readable book is a stirring re-examination. . . . Brilliant and magisterial narrative history" -Chicago Tribune "Masterly . . . A new foundation myth . . .Shorto writes at all times with passion, verve, nuance and considerable humor." -The New York Times Book Review "Rattlingly well tolda terrific popular history about a past that beautifully illuminates the present." -The Sunday Times [London] "A dramatic, kaleidoscopic and, on the whole, quite wonderful book. . . . This is one of those rare books in the picked-over field of colonial history, a whole new picture, a thrown-open window. . . . [A] full-blooded resurrection of an unfamiliar American patriot." The New York Observer "Deserves to be a bestseller . . .narratively irresistible, intellectually provocative, historically invaluable" The Guardian "A spry, informative history. . . . Shorto supplies lucid, comprehensive contexts in which to see the colony's promise and turmoil. . . . [D]elivers the goods with clarity, color and zest." The Seattle Times "As Russell Shorto demonstrates in this mesmerizing volume, the story we don't know is even more fascinating than the one we do . . .Historians must now seriously rethink what they previously understand about New York's origins . . ." The New York Post "Russell Shorto fires a powerful salvo on the war of words over America's origins . . . he mounts a convincing case [that], in Shorto's words, 'Manhattan is where America began.' Readers . . find themselves absorbed in what can only be described as a plot, revolving around two strong men with conflicting visions of the future of Dutch North America." America: The National Catholic Weekly "Fascinating. . . . A richly nuanced portrait set against events on the world stage." --Time Out New York "Shorto brings this . . . deeply influential chapter in the city's history to vivid, breathtaking life [with] a talent for enlivening meticulous research and painting on a broad canvas. . . . In elegant, erudite prose, he manages to capture the lives of disparate historical characters, from kings to prostitutes." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Remarkable. . . . [C]ompulsively interesting. . . . . Shorto argues that during the brief decades of its Dutch colonial existence Manhattan had already found, once and for all, its tumultuously eclectic soul." New Statesman "Shorto delineates the characters in this nonfiction drama convincingly and compellingly." Fort Worth Star-Telegram "[An] absorbing, sensual, sometimes bawdy narrative featuring whores, pirates, explorers and scholars. With clarity and panache, Shorto briskly conveys the complex history of the age of exploration." Times Literary Supplement "Shorto's book ma
Dewey Edition21
Dewey Decimal974.7/102
SynopsisIn a riveting, groundbreaking narrative, Russell Shorto tells the story of New Netherland, the Dutch colony which pre-dated the Pilgrims and established ideals of tolerance and individual rights that shaped American history. "Astonishing . . . A book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past." -- The New York Times 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. Russell Shorto draws on this remarkable archive in The Island at the Center of the World , which has been hailed by The New York Times as "a book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past." 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.
LC Classification NumberF128.4.S56 2004
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Aug 23, 2018Top favorable review
Opening a window into New York City's Early Days!!!!
I am a lifelong student of History..... This book, very well researched and documented era, and opens a window on what many considered a lost era of History, the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam, Manhattan Island. It reads easy, and engrosses you with the tale of a myriad of native american and dutch aspects and people that makes this book a page turner!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jan 21, 2020Top critical review
Great book, poor publisher.
I thought the book was hardbound. However, the worst part of the book is that the printing is so small. It wears on your eyes. I should have purchased the electronic version. Its any easier read.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- Jul 04, 2018
Interesting history.
Story is about the early Dutch based on the translation of early Dutch court records who were meticulous record keepers. They went to court over the smallest perceived infraction. Interesting and amusing. A part of American history that is rarely told.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Nov 26, 2018
You must read this one!!!!
Should be required for anyone who’s visits or lives in New York and the five boroughs. This is a masterpiece of a book!! NnnVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Apr 07, 2025
A little generous grading it VG. I would...
A little generous grading it VG. I would say Good.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jul 09, 2019
Island at the center of the world
Excellent read. Exhaustive in-depth research. Highly recommend.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Dec 01, 2022
Essential reading for a genealogist researching the Dutch ancestors in New Amsterdam
This is an essential book to familiarizing myself with the history of my Dutch ancestors who immigrated to New York/New Netherlands.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Mar 23, 2021
Great book on early American history
Enjoying this East Coast history. Good details.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 07, 2022
A great read
Fascinating history of the. Dutch Colony New Amsterdam on Manhattan IslandVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jul 07, 2021
Enjoyable and Revealing
No criticisms, excellent, clean copy promptly shipped!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
