The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America in Albany Public Library

Sep 28, 2009 JFN rated it it was amazing

This is one of the best books I've ever read. The amount of research that must have gone into it is staggering, but the author never betrays difficulty or frustration, is never pedantic or impatient. Russell Shorto takes on a subject matter -- the history of the Dutch settling of Manhattan and New Amsterdam and New Netherland -- that treated by others could be deadly dry and boring. But Shorto not only shows what a fascinating and textured history it is, he makes it entertaining and, at times, f This is one of the best books I've ever read. The amount of research that must have gone into it is staggering, but the author never betrays difficulty or frustration, is never pedantic or impatient. Russell Shorto takes on a subject matter -- the history of the Dutch settling of Manhattan and New Amsterdam and New Netherland -- that treated by others could be deadly dry and boring. But Shorto not only shows what a fascinating and textured history it is, he makes it entertaining and, at times, funny. His writing style is sharp, fluid, lively, almost conversational -- lending itself beautifully to a complicated story. He breathes life into characters who've been otherwise overlooked or forgotten by history, making them so real that I ache to see them, to know them. That Adriaen van der Donck -- what a cool dude, ahead of his time. I want to be his friend. And Peter Stuyvesant? Bad. Ass.

Shorto's prose is woven together in a way that seems effortless, which I appreciate as a reader, and which is amazing considering the breadth, volume, and complexity of the material he worked with to write this book. Spending years combing through hundreds of thousands of brittle, foxed pages scrawled with less-than-accessible 17th century Dutch script bound in mouldering volumes that need to be handled with the utmost care is certainly an honor, but it can't exactly be a picnic. I'm grateful to Shorto for doing the legwork and delivering the results to us in such a way that the work was not only palatable but downright enjoyable.

If it took me a while to read this book (and it did) it was only because I didn't want to miss a thing, didn't want to skim even one paragraph or miss one tidbit of well-researched and beautifully presented information. I wanted to absorb it all, the whole story, not just for the sake of learning the history, but for the sake of learning a thing or two about writing. I marvel at Shorto's patience, his organized mind, and his ability to synthesize complicated information into a fantastic story. ...more

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Apr 20, 2021 Cinzia Cera rated it it was amazing

The story is fascinating, but parts of it read like a history textbook, while other parts really bring the characters to life. The main point of the book, which is the footprint left by the Dutch colony on the "personality" of New York City in particular, is well made. ...more

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