More about the book
When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving,<u> </u>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. <b>The Island at the Center of the World</b> uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.
Book purchase
Nieuw-Amsterdam, Russell Shorto, Edzard Krol
- Language
- Released
- 2004
- Binding
- (Paperback)
Payment methods
No one has rated yet.
- Title
- Nieuw-Amsterdam
- Subtitle
- eiland in het hart van de wereld
- Language
- Dutch
- Authors
- Russell Shorto, Edzard Krol
- Publisher
- Boekerij
- Released
- 2004
- Format
- Paperback
- Pages
- 428
- ISBN10
- 9022538133
- ISBN13
- 9789022538135
- Series
- Description
- When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving,<u> </u>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. <b>The Island at the Center of the World</b> uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.