
The Island at the Center of the World
The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America
Russell Shorto(Author)
Abacus (Publisher)
Published on 1. May 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-0-349-14020-9 (ISBN)
Description
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.
Reviews / Votes
The Island at the Center of the World must always be near the top of the list of great books about New York GuardianMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
8pp b/w
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
337 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-349-14020-9 (9780349140209)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Russell Shorto
The Island at the Center of the World
The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America
E-Book
11/2013
Abacus
€3.99
Available for download
Person
Russell Shorto is an American author, historian and journalist. His books have been published in nine languages and he is the contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and the director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam.