Scan barcode
lseroka's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Took me a while to get through it, but really picked up pace and speed in the end
victoriafrost1991's review against another edition
4.0
Learned a great amount of history of the development of Manhattan, New York City and state as well as North America as a whole of Dutch influences and infrastructure. A bit dry at times, yet, overall a wonderful book.
jacobtehsnakob's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Slow, but informative. Took me a few years to get through due to lack of motivation on my part. I'm glad to have read about an incredibly important stone in America's historical foundation.
jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
Learning early American history in New England schools in the 1970s, one tended to jump from the English Pilgrims straight to the American Revolution against the British. So it was fascinating to learn about the history of the Dutch colonies in early America, and to learn about its polyglot (today we might say multicultural) values. The battles for control between the centralizing Dutch control and more local, participatory self-government echo those that would follow one hundred years later in the more famous American Revolution. Fascinating!
A before-bed read-aloud, read by my NYC-native husband.
A before-bed read-aloud, read by my NYC-native husband.
ameyawarde's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this! As a history buff, I was mind-boggled at how little I knew about such a formative colony of what would become the United States. I am recommending this book now to any of my friends with the remotest interest in history or American culture!
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be a great primer about a period in US history which people either gloss over, or ignore all together. I had seen it in NYC while at a museum, and found the book to be well worth checking out. It flows well, and doesn't come off to particular nor does it come off as a basic book. There is some detail here, maybe more than expected.
If you like history written in a concise, accessible language, you'd enjoy this book. It may encourage you to read a more in depth book with more development and timeline to it.
One draw back, I didn't find the timeline to be clearly outlined. A few times I felt like it jumped around, and I wondered if I had skipped back pages.
If you like history written in a concise, accessible language, you'd enjoy this book. It may encourage you to read a more in depth book with more development and timeline to it.
One draw back, I didn't find the timeline to be clearly outlined. A few times I felt like it jumped around, and I wondered if I had skipped back pages.
felix_matteo's review against another edition
5.0
An exquisitely crafted narrative detailing New York City's 17th century Dutch origins. It is full of colorful characters, dastardly plots, betrayal, and geopolitical struggles, all of which helped to form New York City - and by extension, the United States of America - into what it is today.