Taking Manhattan
The extraordinary events that created New York and shaped America
Published on 12. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-80075-498-0 (ISBN)
Description
'An informative and thought-provoking history' The Telegraph
'A story rich in intrigue, diplomacy and personalities' New Statesman
'Offering new perspectives and ideas' Guardian
'Here is the whirligig of history, which Shorto captures vividly in this well-researched, well-written, sprightly book' Literary Review
A New Zealand Listener 100 Best Books of 2025
In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their arch-rivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he began parleying with Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch leader on Manhattan.
Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention: the result not of a violent English takeover, but of clever negotiations that led to the fusing of the multiethnic, capitalistic society the Dutch had pioneered to the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery.
Based on newly translated sources, Taking Manhattan shows how the paradox of New York's origins - boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement - reflect America's promise and failure to this day.
'A story rich in intrigue, diplomacy and personalities' New Statesman
'Offering new perspectives and ideas' Guardian
'Here is the whirligig of history, which Shorto captures vividly in this well-researched, well-written, sprightly book' Literary Review
A New Zealand Listener 100 Best Books of 2025
In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their arch-rivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he began parleying with Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch leader on Manhattan.
Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention: the result not of a violent English takeover, but of clever negotiations that led to the fusing of the multiethnic, capitalistic society the Dutch had pioneered to the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery.
Based on newly translated sources, Taking Manhattan shows how the paradox of New York's origins - boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement - reflect America's promise and failure to this day.
Reviews / Votes
'Expertly sheds light on some forgotten characters from history ... An informative and thought-provoking history' - The Telegraph 'Through these events, Shorto sees - via new translated sources - the birth of the first modern, multi-ethnic, capitalist and secular city. Leaving room for those who were dispossessed and enslaved, he performs a complex dance with historical revisionism too, offering new perspectives and ideas space to blossom' - Guardian 'A story rich in intrigue, diplomacy and personalities' - New Statesman 'Any reader curious about New York, and the unique energy and warmth of its inhabitants, will be fascinated by Russell Shorto's highly enjoyable reconstruction of Manhattan Island's transition to English rule' - TLS 'A riveting, thoroughly researched account of the men and women of Indigenous, Dutch, African, Jewish, and English descent who populated this thriving seventeenth-century port that was the glory of Holland and envy of England. Filled with new knowledge, eloquent prose, and international intrigue, Russell Shorto's history of Manhattan's shift from Indigenous hands, to Dutch oversight, to English authority, and ultimately to a state of cultural hybridity, will take your breath away' - Tiya Miles, author of All That She Carried 'The flavour of New Amsterdam - pluralistic, capitalistic, pulsing with energy - has survived. The history of how a Dutch town of 1500 people and some 28 languages became the city of New York evaporated along the way. Russell Shorto has heroically recovered it, offering up the 17th century transfer of power as it actually occurred and in vivid detail. Here, amid red-tiled roofs, are secret negotiations; last-ditch, female intermediaries; and, for good measure, a Connecticut alchemist. Best of all, Shorto himself feels everywhere present in these spirited, revelatory pages' - Stacy Schiff, author of The Witches: Salem, 1692 'Engaging ... Here is the whirligig of history, which Shorto captures vividly in this well-researched, well-written, sprightly book. Anyone interested in what leads to or can forestall wars of empire will find Taking Manhattan a rewarding, instructive read' - Literary Review Praise for The Island at the Center of the World:'A landmark work ... Shorto paints the emotions and attitudes of his characters with a sure hand, and bestows on each a believable, living presence' - The Times
'Narratively irresistible, intellectually provocative, historically invaluable' - Guardian
'Rattlingly well told - a terrific popular history about a past that beautifully illuminates the present' - Sunday Times
'Remarkable ... compulsively interesting' - New Statesman
'A triumph of scholarship and a rollicking narrative' - Walter Isaacson
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
338 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80075-498-0 (9781800754980)
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
E-Book
03/2025
Swift Press
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Russell Shorto is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling Island at the Center of the World, and a number of other books including Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City and Descartes' Bones. He writes regularly for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and many other publications. He is the director of the New Amsterdam Project at New-York Historical Society. He lives in Maryland.