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. Drawing on the archives of the New Netherland Project, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative that transforms our understanding of early America. The Dutch colony pre-dated the 'original' thirteen colonies, yet it ...
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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. Drawing on the archives of the New Netherland Project, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative 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.
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Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $1.54, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miami, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
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Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $1.99, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $1.99, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $1.99, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.02, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.03, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
Add this copy of The Island at the Center of the World: the Epic Story to cart. $2.03, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Vintage.
I am not a scholar of the subject and bought this book for background information for genealogical research I am doing for a friend of Dutch ancestry. It presents a lot of information that is glossed over in school, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a jumping off point to more in-depth research.
John R
May 1, 2014
Nice read!
It's good to read a decent history book. Explains the beginnings of Manhattan.
chuck
Aug 7, 2008
great book
One of the very best books on colonial US history. It should be read by all Americans. It read like a novel. It is exciting and informative.
