{"product_id":"the-island-at-the-center-of-the-world-the-epic-story-of-dutch-manhattan-and-the-forgotten-colony-that-shaped-america-1","title":"The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America","description":"In a riveting, groundbreaking narrative, Russell Shorto tells the story of New Netherland, the Dutch colony which pre-dated the Pilgrims and established ideals of tolerance and individual rights that shaped American history.\n\nUPDATED EDITION WITH A NEW PREFACE AND POSTSCRIPT\n\n\"Astonishing . . . A book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past.\" --The New York Times\n\nWhen 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: 12,000 pages of its records–recently declared a national treasure–are now being translated. Russell Shorto draws on this remarkable archive in The Island at the Center of the World, which has been hailed by The New York Times as “a book that will permanently alter the way we regard our collective past.”\n\nThe 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.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 1400078679\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.1400078679.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Shorto, Russell\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing  age related spots and browning . May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43558695829565,"sku":"BVV.1400078679.A","price":5.89,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/1400078679-0_4488ee7e-b263-4acd-843e-06b2d72f7de6.jpg?v=1788383207","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/the-island-at-the-center-of-the-world-the-epic-story-of-dutch-manhattan-and-the-forgotten-colony-that-shaped-america-1","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}