Reddit reviews The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America

I don't think that's a fair representation of New Amsterdam.

There is a great lay history book called ["The Island at the Center of the World"] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Island-Center-World-Manhattan/dp/1400078679) in which the author spends a lot of time speaking with people who translated what are probably those manuscripts from the original Old Dutch. He paints a much more nuanced picture of New Amsterdam, and suggests that the image of the colony as filthy and chaotic is largely an image encouraged by the British, who were not on good terms at the time and of course took over the colonyat gunpoint.

The book is a good read. One of the things he goes into is the diversity and tolerance of people in the colony, and why this ended up being the case. According to him, some of it was the hands-off approach taken by the Dutch East India Company, and some of it was the nature of the Dutch as being rather no-nonsense people, and of course like any colony there was the sense of new beginnings and adventure.

edit: How deceptive... the author of the article actually quotes the book, but not entirely honestly.

The last excellent work of fiction I read was City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling. The book that I feel best captures the feeling of New York City, however, is Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.

I mostly read nonfiction books about New York City history, and I'll share a few of my favorites with you. The definitive tome, of course, is Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 by Mike Wallace and Edwin Burrows. Another favorite of mine, as I love the history of New Amsterdam, is Island at the Center of the World:The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto. One of the most fascinating subjects I have been learning about is Native American history at the period of first European contact, and I really recommend checking out Adriaen Van Der Donck's A Description of New Netherland (The Iroquoians and their World), which many scholars agree is just as much of a significant work as William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, and would be the definitive guide to the new world if it had been written in English. Evan Pritchard's Native New Yorkers: The Legacy of the Algonquian People of New York also offers an incredible look at native culture.

If you are interested in the subway system, check out Stan Fischler's fantastic Uptown, Downtown. One of the most underrated books I have picked up recently explores the construction of the amazing Grand Central Terminal, and I learned an incredible amount from it: Grand Central's Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan. If you are interested in urban planning, I would also suggest The Measure of Manhattan: The Tumultuous Career and Surprising Legacy of John Randel Jr., Cartographer, Surveyor, Inventor.

At this point I've read a ton of nonfiction books about the city, so if you have any questions or want any other recommendations, feel free to ask!

Intrepid museum:

https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/The-Intrepid-Experience/Exhibits.aspx

South Steet Seaport Museum, but you might want to check right before you come to see which ships are open and when:

https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/visit/

You might especially enjoy a morning or afternoon at Governor's Island, with Castle Williams and Fort Jay:

https://govisland.com/map

Also near where the ferry departs is Castle Clinton in Battery Park:

https://www.nps.gov/cacl/index.htm

This is an excellent book on early NYC history:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Island-Center-World-Manhattan-Forgotten/dp/1400078679

http://www.amazon.com/Island-Center-World-Manhattan-Forgotten/dp/1400078679

You're welcome. Amazing book.

I can't find the actual text, so I'm paraphrasing from Shorto's excellent Island at the Center of the World

Since the basic needs of living were far exceeded for a small subsection of people living in colony of New Amsterdam, that cultural section could afford luxuries. And so the luxuries sprang up, including fine women's clothing and pastry shops creating non-essential sweets, such as cakes - in 18th century dutch, "koek." The smaller versions became known as "koekje" or "koek-yees" or any of the other spellings. Yada yada yada, that's why Americans call them "cookies" and Britons call them "biscuits."

If you liked this there's a fantastic book on the subject titled The Island at the Center of the World.

The beauty of NYC is that it's total chaos. That is something to dive into. People try to re/make NYC as kind of cleaned up Toronto. Doomed.

For in the middle of chaos, well that the secret of it all I guess. If you can't handle. Well I guess you can leave. No one will notice. It's a tough town. No tears will be shed. NYC is in/different to your suffering. Sorry.

But the good news, as they say (updated): "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, even on Mars."

Friend has an amazing rooftop view of Manhattan from Greenpoint. At night he points to the glimmering Manhattan skyline and says to us gathered there:

"We're all pirates here, we go to Manhattan and we plunder their gold and silver created from unfettered capitalism, and we bring it back to Brooklyn. That is our goal. To plunder Manhattan and bring those riches back to Greenpoint. Our true home, where the artists live and thrive. For this is what pirates do."

He is kind of a sane guy, thought that was an insightful observation of all things NYC.

OH, HIGHLY recommend this book, it's really a great read about the history of NYC, of all people, Charles Schumer pointed it out to us at a conference, and said "Read this book. It's cool." He was right. :-)


The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America (on amazon of course!)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400078679/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_sZkACbVX4PEDT

The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America is a fantastic read!

If you want to learn more about 1550's - 1700's Dutch Manhattan, this book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Island-Center-World-Manhattan/dp/1400078679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406703358&sr=8-1&keywords=island+at+the+center+of+the+world

Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/The-Island-Center-World-Manhattan/dp/1400078679

It's a fun read, although occasionally a bit too speculative.

Edit: Oh, and Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan is really speculative, but also brilliant and fantastic. One of my favorite books of all time.

The War That Made America for an excellent overview of the French & Indian War. While often talked about in school, it's often just a prelude to the Revolution. While it was that, there is so much more to the struggle, and it's results changed and defined much of what came after.

The Island at the Center of the World the origins of New York, and the struggles of the Dutch Colony.

Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. A great history of the Dutch establishment within Manhattan.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Island-Center-World-Manhattan/dp/1400078679

basically new york

The Island at the Center of the World

By Russell Shorto

Book

Author

Island at the Center of the World.

https://www.amazon.com/Island-Center-World-Manhattan-Forgotten/dp/1400078679

It depends on what you want to go into.

For a general history of colonization I can't recommend Alan Taylor's "American Colonies" enough. It's a good overview of European colonization in North America.

If you're mostly into Slavery (that sounds weird), Slave Ship. I definitely have some issues with things he says, but it's still a good beginning.

The Island of the Center of the World talks about the Dutch in North America.

If you want more about Slavery in what would become the U.S. you could get American Slavery American Freedom.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll edit more in later. But yeah, I'd start with Taylor's book first.