Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America
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 archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland's canny director general.
Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with 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. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories--of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans.
Taking Manhattan tells the riveting story of the birth of New York City as a center of capitalism and pluralism, a foundation from which America would rise. It also shows how the paradox of New York's origins--boundless opportunity coupled with subjugation and displacement--reflects America's promise and failure to this day. Russell Shorto, whose work has been described as "astonishing" (New York Times) and "literary alchemy" (Chicago Tribune), has once again mined archival sources to offer a vibrant tale and a fresh and trenchant argument about American beginnings.
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
A riveting account of the men and women of Indigenous, Dutch, African, Jewish, and English descent who populated this thriving seventeenth-century port. Filled with new knowledge, eloquent prose, and international intrigue, Russell Shorto's history will take your breath away.--Tiya Miles, National Book Award winner and author of Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People
More than any other person, Russell Shorto rescued New Amsterdam from historic obscurity. Shorto is a great researcher and a persuasive storyteller.--Kenneth T. Jackson, Barzun Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University
New Amsterdam--pluralistic, capitalistic, pulsing with energy--has survived. Best of all, Russell Shorto himself feels everywhere present in these spirited, revelatory pages.--Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Revolutionary
In this fascinating book, Russell Shorto unravels the DNA inside New York. I thought I knew New York, but it opened my eyes to the city and its rich history.--Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of Revolutions
Taking Manhattan picks up where The Island at the Center of the World leaves off. Shorto's masterful narrative brings the much-neglected stories of Native Americans and African Americans into a heady stew that is our real founding story.--Kevin Baker, author of The New York Game
